Account Director, Healthcare, Public Affairs, Brussels

Hanson Search is partnering with an international public affairs and strategic communications consultancy to appoint a Healthcare Public Affairs Account Director to its Brussels office. The role sits within a well-established Healthcare and Life Sciences practice, leading client accounts on high-profile EU health policy files.

About the Healthcare Public Affairs Account Director Role

The team advises organisations across the healthcare ecosystem on the political and regulatory issues that shape their ability to succeed, as well as their reputation. It combines detailed sector knowledge with a clear grasp of what policymakers, patients, healthcare providers and innovators prioritise across the EU and globally.

Clients include healthcare trade associations and companies across pharmaceuticals, biotech, medtech and the wider life sciences sector. The work ranges from shaping policy positions and engagement strategies to building coalitions and strengthening advocacy. It also includes disease awareness campaigns, issues management, media engagement and stakeholder mobilisation.

The Brussels healthcare team is a close-knit group of six, working with established and newly won clients on some of the most significant files in EU health policy. Colleagues bring public affairs and strategic communications expertise, with backgrounds in healthcare policy, science, finance and journalism.

As Account Director within the Brussels healthcare team, you will take ownership of client accounts, steering strategy and delivery day to day. You will work alongside healthcare specialists and colleagues from the firm’s public affairs, strategic communications, crisis and digital teams.

This Healthcare Public Affairs Account Director role suits someone with hands-on grounding in EU health policy who is ready to lead accounts and guide colleagues. Shaping client advice is part of the role, though it does not call for a senior board-level adviser.

You will work across a varied set of healthcare policy files, including:

• The EU pharmaceutical legislation review
• Antimicrobial resistance
• Pandemic preparedness
• Oncology, with a particular focus on early-stage cancer
• General EU health policy

Healthcare Public Affairs Account Director Responsibilities

Client Leadership

• Act as day-to-day lead and first point of contact on client accounts, building trusted relationships with clients.
• Develop and deliver public affairs strategies and advocacy plans that support clients’ policy and business objectives.
• Manage multiple priorities in parallel, coordinating workstreams with colleagues so that clients receive consistent service.

Policy Analysis and Advice

• Deliver insightful analysis on political, regulatory, media and market developments, with clear recommendations for clients.
• Monitor and interpret developments across EU institutions and key files in pharmaceutical, biotech, medtech and wider health policy.
• Draft and manage policy briefings, position papers, presentations and other client documents, ensuring accuracy and timely delivery.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Engage with EU policymakers, patient groups, healthcare stakeholders and industry bodies on behalf of clients.
• Support coalition-building and media engagement where relevant to client objectives.
• Help organise client meetings and events, ensuring smooth execution.
• Build your own network across the Brussels health policy community.

Team and Business Development

• Coach more junior colleagues and give them constructive feedback.
• Contribute to brainstorming and pitch preparation, including research and drafting.
• Think strategically and tactically about client issues and account development.

Healthcare Public Affairs Experience and Skills

Essential

• Experience in healthcare public affairs, gained in a public affairs consultancy, a trade association, an EU institution or an in-house policy team.
• Strong knowledge of EU institutions and decision-making.
• A clear understanding of how the healthcare and life sciences sector works, including the policy environment for pharmaceutical, biotech, medtech and other life sciences companies.
• Solid knowledge of business issues and current EU and global debates, with a strong understanding of how business interacts with media and politics.
• A track record of working on client accounts and delivering strategic advice, with the readiness to take on greater account leadership.
• Excellent research and writing skills, with the ability to distil complex information into clear analysis for business audiences.
• Excellent written and spoken English.
• Proven project management abilities, with the ability to oversee multiple fast-moving workstreams and deliver under pressure.

Desirable

• Familiarity with oncology or other disease areas.
• Knowledge of the EU pharmaceutical legislation review, antimicrobial resistance, pandemic preparedness or wider EU health policy.
• A growing professional network in the Brussels health policy community, and experience counselling clients on business-critical issues.
• Experience contributing to pitches and business development.
• Proficiency in additional EU languages.
• A proactive self-starter with intellectual curiosity and close attention to detail.
• A collaborative team player who thrives in a collegiate environment.

What’s on Offer in Brussels

This permanent Healthcare Public Affairs Account Director role in Brussels comes with an annual discretionary bonus linked to individual and firm-wide performance. The package also includes hospitalisation and dental insurance, pension and group life assurance, an employee assistance programme, commuter benefits and meal vouchers. You will also receive 25 days of annual leave and ongoing career training and development.

You will join a collaborative international team in the heart of the EU. The Brussels office is the central hub for the firm’s pan-European public affairs and regulatory practice, which also covers geopolitics. Regular exposure to senior clients and high-profile events comes with training and mentorship in an entrepreneurial, collegiate culture.

Apply for This Healthcare Public Affairs Account Director Role

To find out more about this Healthcare Public Affairs Account Director position, apply via the form below and a member of the Hanson Search team will be in touch.

Hanson Search Group is a global talent consultancy providing executive search, recruitment and leadership advisory services. Built on more than twenty years of trusted relationships, we operate as a connected global platform of specialist practices with expert consultants embedded in key markets. Our specialist practices include public affairs executive search and healthcare communications executive search, where we partner with organisations to appoint the leaders shaping policy engagement.