Job description

The Director – Government Affairs & Strategic Communications serves as the organization’s lead on public sector engagement, policy influence, strategic messaging, and corporate reputation management within the pharmaceutical industry in Saudi Arabia. Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, or General Manager, the role is accountable for nurturing institutional relationships with key health and regulatory authorities including SFDA, MISA, NUPCO, Ministry of Health, GCC Health Council, and relevant parliamentary committees. The Director monitors, interprets, and influences health policy, pharmaceutical regulation, pricing mechanisms, and procurement strategies, while providing executive-level strategic advice on regulatory affairs, market access, reimbursement strategy, and national health priorities. The role represents the company in government advisory panels, working groups, and public-private dialogue platforms, and aligns government engagement strategies with commercial objectives to support market access and reimbursement efforts. In collaboration with Regulatory Affairs, Market Access, and Quality functions, the Director ensures regulatory compliance and effective advocacy with SFDA and regional authorities, engages with pharmaceutical associations to shape collective industry positions, and champions local manufacturing initiatives, localization mandates, and sustainability-linked partnerships. The position leads the external communication strategy, oversees media relations, manages press releases, thought leadership articles, executive speeches, and acts as company spokesperson when required, particularly during reputational events, pricing crises, public health emergencies, or product recalls. The Director develops and implements Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategies aligned with ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) goals and public health priorities, builds partnerships with NGOs, ministries, and healthcare institutions, and ensures CSR and sustainability initiatives are measured, reported, and integrated into the company’s license to operate and brand positioning. The role provides executive advisory support to Board and C-suite, prepares strategic briefing materials, conducts communication risk assessments, and establishes mitigation protocols. Success requires deep understanding of pharmaceutical regulatory frameworks, public health systems, reimbursement ecosystems, political and legal environments, strong stakeholder mapping capability, and fluency in English and Arabic. The position requires 10–15 years of experience in government affairs, regulatory strategy, or strategic communications within the pharmaceutical or life sciences sector, with essential prior engagement with GCC authorities including SFDA, NUPCO, and MISA.