Senior Account Director | Healthcare Public Affairs | London

About us

Hanover is an award‑winning communications consultancy that advises enterprises, institutions, and individuals on building recognition and enhancing reputation. From our offices across Europe and the Middle East, we adopt an integrated approach that connects the dots across channels, audiences and issues. Our collective of smart, curious people think differently and live by a shared mission, purpose, vision and values. These shape how we work, not just with our colleagues, but with clients and partners too. Our mission is to ‘rewire communications for impact’ and harness its transformative power to advocate, trailblaze and make a difference. We do this by igniting and empowering the potential of every individual within our company, recognising that each person is a unique spark, capable of creating extraordinary impact. We believe that by nurturing and harnessing the collective brilliance of our people, we can drive innovation, foster an uncommon work culture, and make a positive difference to society. Embracing the complete range of skills and services across the communications spectrum without constraint, we create the best outcomes for our clients and deliver world‑class work.

Hanover is looking for a Senior Account Director to join the Healthcare Policy, Advocacy & Public Affairs team.

When applying, in your cover letter, please provide information on the following points:

• Why are you interested in the role?
• What is your experience of working in policy, advocacy and public affairs, and the impact you have had with work in this space?
• What is your experience of coaching and managing people?

Primary Responsibilities

• Manage client accounts and budgets, including the project management of account teams.
• Build and execute breakthrough campaigns to deliver tangible policy change for our clients.
• Run environment‑changing events for a range of audiences including politicians, policy makers, health system stakeholders and patient groups.
• Deliver important intelligence to our clients by utilising the Hanover network and building your own network through attending events as well as developing expertise in policy areas.
• Draft reports with impact for clients on a varied number of topics including trade/business policy, disease or health system policy areas.
• Support the management of expert steering groups to drive thought‑leadership for our clients.
• Personal management of junior members of the team providing guidance on professional development.
• Take a lead on new business pitches, being a core part of the team in building creative strategies and tactics and pitching to clients.
• Deliver marketing activity to support Hanover Health’s business growth.

Requirements

• Relevant experience from a public affairs consultancy, in‑house public affairs department, patient group/NGO, Parliament, or other relevant organisation.
• Excellent knowledge of health policy and ability to analyse developments within the life sciences sector.
• Good conceptual understanding of the medicines access landscape in the UK, including knowledge of how MHRA, NICE and NHS England interact to deliver medicines to NHS patients.
• Understanding of the levers that can impact the medicines access policy landscape for pharmaceutical companies as well as the various factors that can influence the uptake of medicines by health systems.
• Ability to multi‑task and manage competing deadlines, while maintaining the highest quality standards.
• Eye for detail and ability to think critically about your own work and that of others.
• Excellent project management, written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience managing junior colleagues on their professional and personal development and providing advice and support for their work.

Benefits package

• An annual performance‑related bonus plus additional bonus potential linked to recruitment, new business and long service.
• 25 days’ annual leave (plus bank holidays).
• A company pension plan, including 5% employer contribution.
• Additional opportunities and initiatives.
• Flexible working policies, plus eligibility to apply for a sabbatical after 2 years’ service.
• The Hanover Academy, which incorporates training, coaching, mentoring and reverse‑mentoring opportunities to support personal development and career progression across all levels, with a generous training budget.
• International secondments as well as the opportunity to collaborate with all offices across the AVENIR GLOBAL’s network.
• A wellbeing programme, featuring (but not limited to) pre‑ and post‑maternity leave coaching, a working parents’ group, subsidised gym membership, LiveSmart sessions on mindfulness, sleep, etc.
• Our Culture Club, with a robust social calendar all year round, Lunch & Learns and CSR activity.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Statement

Hanover Communications is an equal opportunities employer, committed to creating and ensuring a fair, inclusive, and diverse work environment where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity. We believe that equality and diversity are essential to high performance and a thriving culture. We maintain a strict no‑tolerance stance against any form of discrimination and harassment, ensuring all individuals are treated equitably, irrespective of their race, ethnicity, religion, beliefs, age, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, marital or pregnancy status, genetic background, or any other attribute safeguarded under our company policies or federal, state or local laws and legislation.

We want to ensure that our hiring process is accessible. If you need reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, please send an email to recruitment@hanovercomms.com with the nature of your request. We are committed to transparency about how we collect and use your data, including ensuring we comply with legal obligations related to data protection.

Hanover is part of AVENIR GLOBAL’s powerhouse of specialist communications consultancies across EMEA and North America. Collectively we rank among the top 15 largest communication firms in the world.