Manager, Government Affairs and Policy

AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines and solutions that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas – immunology, oncology, neuroscience, and eye care – and products and services in our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Tik Tok.

Joining AbbVie means you will be part of a team of outstanding professionals dedicated to making a remarkable impact on patients' lives. At AbbVie, we conduct ground-breaking science on a global scale every day. AbbVie Canada is one of the Best Workplaces in Canada.

When choosing your career path, choose to be remarkable.

AbbVie’s mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people’s lives across several key therapeutic areas: immunology, oncology, neuroscience, vision care, virology, women’s health , and gastroenterology, in addition to products and services across its Allergan Aesthetics portfolio.

The Manager, Government Affairs and Policy is responsible for leading the development of assigned Therapeutic Area Government Affairs strategies for Canada; leading events to advance national Government Affairs and Policy strategies; and working collaboratively with provincial Market Access & Government Affairs colleagues to support execution. This position reports to the Lead, Government Affairs, and is field-/based in either the Greater Toronto or Montreal area.

• Lead development and implementation of annual Therapeutic Area Government Affairs Strategies for Canada for assigned Therapeutic Areas (80%);
• Identify and lead events and podium opportunities to advance national Government Affairs Policy strategies, including design, program management, cross-functional coordination and vendor management (20%);
• Support the development of national policy shaping strategies in priority areas, including policy research; position development and alignment; preparation of key messages and collateral for field team use ;
• Collaborate, liaise, support and align with provincial Market Access & Government Affairs colleagues to ensure impactful and comprehensive policy engagement strategies are enacted in line with provincial political priorities;
• Support policymaker interactions by providing subject matter expertise on therapeutic area and national policy issues;
• Work with internal and external subject matter experts to develop position papers and statements on AbbVie’s policy positions in Canada;
• Identify, engage and steward trusted relationships with policy leaders to effectively represent AbbVie’s Government Affairs Strategies;
• Play an active role on internal task forces and teams to ensure Affiliate Therapeutic Area Government Affairs Strategies and policy shaping initiatives are fully integrated into brand plans and Affiliate strategic priorities;
• Liaise with Global and Regional Government Affairs leads as required to ensure alignment with Therapeutic Area and enterprise priorities;
• With Patient Engagement, Market Access & Government Affairs and Public Affairs, support interactions with key health care provider, patient association and other third-party stakeholders involved in policy engagement activities;
• Convene a wide variety of internal and external stakeholders and subject matter experts to develop actionable and realistic Government Affairs engagement plans that support overall brand and portfolio strategies to ensure a supportive policy environment for AbbVie’s assets across Canada;
• Influence the development of legislation and policy, working with provincial Market Access & Government Affairs colleagues, brand teams and external stakeholders, leading projects that drive meaningful policy change for the benefit of patients;
• Assess the opportunities and risks of federal and provincial health policy changes for AbbVie’s brands and portfolio, and ensure any potential impacts are communicated to the respective Brand and Market Access and Government Affairs In-field Teams, as well as Global and regional Government Affairs teams;
• Manage Government Affairs brand and corporate budgets.
• Manage external vendors hired to support Government Affairs and Policy projects.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Arts (Political Science), Bachelor Degree in Pharmacy or Pharm. D
• At least 5 years of experience in a similar role in the pharmaceutical industry
• The ideal candidate should have expertise in government affairs and/or market access, with pertinent experience in the pharmaceutical industry, including previous experience directly dealing with payers.
• Strong commercial/ business background an asset.

Skills Required

• Excellent written and oral communication skills (internal memos/ monthly reports/ meeting summary notes/ presentations to both internal and external customers)
• Strong high-level influencing skills
• Solid understanding of public policymaker and drug advocacy reimbursement in Canada. Knowledge of the healthcare landscape, including local policymaker / provincial payer healthcare environment and healthcare funding budget flows.
• Knowledge of the needs and agendas of policymakers, elected officials, civil service, public payers, and influencers.
• Strategic thinking, problem solving, analytical and data interpretation skills to leverage business opportunities.
• Initiative and action-orientation; translate market access strategies into actionable and realistic plans to maximize government and health policy opportunities for AbbVie products
• Strong cross-functional leadership skills and team player; ability to work with head office to develop strategies and tools to fully leverage value stories with various external stakeholders.
• Ability to prioritize and project management skills; ability to manage multiple projects and work well under stress (deadlines)

Computer Skills

• Proficient with MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams) and in-house AI tools (research, summaries, etc)

Travel

• Field-based position, GTA or Montreal. Availability to travel (up to 25% of time) within Canada and internationally.
• Valid Passport and driver’s license required.

AbbVie aims to offer a French-speaking workplace in Quebec and has made efforts to limit English requirements. However, advanced English skills are essential for this role because the position involves working with English-speaking employees, clients, and regions outside Quebec.

AbbVie is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to operating with integrity, driving innovation, transforming lives and serving our community.  Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled. 

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