Executive Director, External Engagement

Career Category

Corporate Services

Job Description

Join Amgen’s Mission of Serving Patients

At Amgen, if you feel like you are a part of something bigger, it’s because you are. Our shared mission—to serve patients living with serious illnesses—drives all that we do.Since 1980, we’ve helped pioneer the world of biotech in our fight against the world’s toughest diseases. With our focus on four therapeutic areas –Oncology, Inflammation, General Medicine, and Rare Disease– we reach millions of patients each year. Amgen is advancing a broad and deep pipeline of medicines to treat cancer, heart disease, inflammatory conditions, rare diseases, and obesity-related conditions. As a member of the Amgen team, you’ll help make a lasting impact on the lives of patients as we research, manufacture, and deliver innovative medicines to help people live longer, fuller happier lives. Our award-winning culture is collaborative, innovative, and science based. If you have a passion for challenges and the opportunities that lay within them, you’ll thrive as part of the Amgen team. Join us and transform the lives of patients while transforming your career.

What you will do

Let’s do this. Let’s change the world. In this vital role the Executive Director, External Engagement leads Amgen's strategy and execution across all external communications channels and stakeholder engagement platforms. This role is responsible for shaping how Amgen engages with media, influencers, digital audiences, and emerging communications ecosystems to advance corporate reputation, business priorities, and stakeholder trust. Reporting to the Vice President, Corporate Affairs, the Executive Director serves as a strategic advisor and builder of modern engagement capabilities. The role oversees media relations, social media, digital channels, influencer strategy and activation, and emerging forms of external engagement. The leader is responsible for identifying trends early, evaluating new platforms and technologies, and ensuring Amgen remains at the forefront of how organizations connect with audiences in a rapidly evolving communications landscape.This role requires a combination of strategic vision, operational excellence, creativity, strong leadership, and deep understanding of the changing media environment.

Key Responsibilities

External Engagement Strategy

• Develop and lead an integrated external engagement strategy that aligns earned, owned, shared, and emerging channels

• Create innovative approaches to stakeholder engagement that strengthen Amgen's reputation and visibility

• Identify opportunities to reach audiences through new platforms, technologies, and content formats

• Serve as a strategic advisor to Corporate Affairs leadership and senior executives on external engagement trends and opportunities

• Establish measurement frameworks and analytics that assess engagement effectiveness and business impact

Media Relations

• Lead Amgen's global media relations strategy and execution

• Build and maintain strong relationships with traditional, digital, trade, healthcare, financial, and emerging media outlets

• Oversee proactive storytelling and reactive issues management

• Guide media engagement strategies

• Ensure consistent messaging and effective media engagement across the enterprise

Social Media and Digital Channels

• Lead strategy and governance for Amgen's social media presence and digital engagement platforms

• Drive audience growth, engagement, and content effectiveness across channels.

• Oversee editorial planning, content distribution, community engagement, and social listening

• Ensure digital platforms support business priorities, corporate reputation, and stakeholder engagement objectives

• Partner across Corporate Affairs, Commercial, Medical, and Global Marketing functions to maximize impact and consistency

Influencer Strategy and Activation

• Develop and execute a comprehensive influencer engagement strategy across healthcare, science, policy, patient advocacy, business, and culture

• Identify, cultivate, and manage relationships with key external voices and communities

• Evaluate emerging influencer ecosystems and engagement models

• Design scalable programs that increase reach, credibility, and audience engagement

• Establish governance, measurement, and compliance frameworks for influencer partnerships

Emerging Media and Innovation

• Monitor shifts in media consumption, audience behavior, technology, and platform evolution

• Assess opportunities related to AI-enabled communications, creator ecosystems, podcasts, newsletters, digital communities, and future engagement channels

• Pilot and scale innovative engagement approaches that position Amgen ahead of industry trends

• Build capabilities that enable rapid adaptation to changing communications environments

• Serve as an internal thought leader on the future of communications and stakeholder engagement

Team Leadership

• Lead and develop a high-performing team of communications professionals.

• Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, accountability, and continuous learning

• Build organizational capabilities in digital engagement, content strategy, analytics, and emerging communications practices

• Manage agency relationships and external partners

• Oversee budget planning and resource allocation

What we expect of you

We are all different, yet we all use our unique contributions to serve patients. The candidate we seek is an experienced leader with the following qualifications. They will also embody the Amgen leadership attributes which are:

• Inspire: Create a connected, inclusive, and inspiring work environment that empowers talent to thrive

• Accelerate: Enable speed that matches the urgency of patient needs by encouraging progress over perfection

• Integrate: Connect the dots to amplify the collective power of Amgen to drive results for patients, staff, and shareholders

• Adapt: Lead through change by adapting to an ever-changing environment and defining a clear course of action to deliver results

Basic Qualifications:

• Doctorate degree & 6 years of communications, media relations, public affairs, digital engagement, or related fields experience OR

• Master’s degree & 10 years of communications, media relations, public affairs, digital engagement, or related fields experience OR

• Bachelor’s degree & 12 years of communications, media relations, public affairs, digital engagement, or related fields experience AND

• 6 years of managerial experience directly managing people and/or leadership experience leading teams, projects, programs or directing the allocation of resources

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred

• 15+ years of experience in communications, media relations, public affairs, digital engagement, or related fields

• Leadership experience managing teams and complex communications programs

• Experience building integrated engagement strategies across earned, owned, shared, and emerging channels

• Experience leading media relations and executive visibility programs.

• Understanding of social media, digital communications, and influencer ecosystems

• Experience navigating issues management and high-profile corporate communications environments

• Experience in healthcare, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, or other highly regulated industries

• Experience identifying and scaling innovative communications approaches

• understanding of analytics, audience insights, and measurement frameworks

• Experience advising senior executives and enterprise leaders

• Knowledge of AI-driven communications tools and emerging engagement technologies

What you can expect of us

As we work to develop treatments that take care of others, we also work to care for your professional and personal growth and well-being. From our competitive benefits to our collaborative culture, we’ll support your journey every step of the way. The expected annual salary range for this role in the U.S. (excluding Puerto Rico) is $266,637 to $360,745. Actual salary will vary based on several factors including, but not limited to, relevant skills, experience, and qualifications. In addition to the base salary, Amgen offers a Total Rewards Plan, based on eligibility, comprising of health and welfare plans for staff and eligible dependents, financial plans with opportunities to save towards retirement or other goals, work/life balance, and career development opportunities that may include:

• Comprehensive employee benefits package, including a Retirement and Savings Plan with generous company contributions, group medical, dental and vision coverage, life and disability insurance, and flexible spending accounts

• A discretionary annual bonus program, or for field sales representatives, a sales-based incentive plan

• Stock-based long-term incentives

• Award-winning time-off plans and bi-annual company-wide shutdowns

• Flexible work models where possible. Refer to the Work Location Type in the job posting to see if this applies

As an organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for people around the world, Amgen fosters an inclusive environment of diverse, ethical, committed and highly accomplished people who respect each other and live the Amgen values to continue advancing science to serve patients. Together, we compete in the fight against serious disease. Amgen is an Equal Opportunity employer and will consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or any other basis protected by applicable law. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

In any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.

Amgen does not have an application deadline for this position; we will continue accepting applications until we receive a sufficient number or select a candidate for the position.

Sponsorship for this role is not guaranteed.

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Salary Range

266,637.35USD -360,744.65 USD