The Associate Director, Corporate Communications is a high-visibility position within the Investor Relations and Corporate Communications team and will play a critical role in leading significant external and internal communications across our growing company.

This individual will be responsible for the development and implementation of a wide range of written, verbal, and digital communications assets to raise awareness of Pliant Therapeutics, its integrin-based platform, and its portfolio of early to late-stage drug candidates to various audiences.

The ideal candidate will be a creative, self-starting, strategic and analytical thinker that can take complex topics and science and deliver clear, concise messages to diverse audience segments. Internally facing, this individual will facilitate execution of regular internal employee communications, including collaborating with leadership on critical messaging and preparing materials.

The right candidate is an independent and flexible professional who can effectively design and execute on a purposeful strategy for communications, convene and drive alignment across diverse cross-functional teams, and manage key deliverables to conclusion on time and on budget. Our ideal candidate thrives in a fast-paced, dynamic, cross-functional, and mission-driven environment.

This individual will report to the Vice President of Investor Relations and Corporate Communications.

This is a hybrid position, requiring 3 days/week at Pliant (South San Francisco).

Responsibilities

• Establish and execute thoughtful corporate communications initiatives across the areas of internal and external communications, public relations, scientific communications, pipeline marketing and patient advocacy.
• Partner with the VP of Investor Relations and Corporate Communications in creating and driving Pliant’s corporate identity to strengthen company brand to internal and external audiences.
• Co-lead the development and dissemination of internal and external communications including press releases, corporate announcements, and other materials to effectively communicate company news, corporate milestones, and other notable achievements.
• Manage and be a strategic owner of our corporate website and intranet and partner with key internal stakeholders to implement innovative design and content while measuring viewership.
• Evaluate, develop, design, and execute opportunistic public relations and social media strategies through competitive research; set, track, and report key metrics that demonstrate the impact of communications strategies and tactics throughout the year.
• Maintain social media editorial calendars to highlight Pliant and the Company’s therapeutic interests, science, trials, people, and programs.
• Be a strategic partner to Pliant’s Research, Clinical, Pipeline Marketing, Legal, Business Development, Regulatory Affairs and Human Resources teams as well as employee-centric including Employee Experience and Diversity, Equity, and inclusion (DEI).
• Monitor industry trends, competitor activities, and consumer insights to identify public relations opportunities and potential risks.
• Manage external vendors including public relations and marketing design agencies of record and collaborate with disease patient advocacy organizations.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, abilities, and prior experience required.

• Bachelor’s degree (BA or BS) in a relevant area of disciple: Communications, Public Relations, Marketing, Journalism, or related field. Advanced degree a plus.
• 10+ years of experience in a corporate communications, public relations, or related role in a publicly traded pharmaceutical or biotechnology company.
• Proven comprehension of the biotechnology industry and ability to articulate complex scientific concepts simply and persuasively to enable broad understanding and engagement.
• Proven track record of developing and implementing successful corporate communications strategies and campaigns.
• Proven competency in building and maintaining relationships with media, patient advocacy organizations and other internal and external constituents.
• Creativity – Ability to produce professional content in-house utilizing design tools such as Adobe Photoshop, PowerPoint, Illustrator and SharePoint.
• Communication – Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to distill complex scientific and medical information into clear and compelling messages for diverse audiences.
• Strategic Thinking – Ability to anticipate issues, develop creative solutions, and drive results in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Collaborative – Foster strong relationships with cross-functional teams, offering strategic guidance to ensure all communications strategies align with the overall corporate mission and values.
• Leadership – Demonstrated track record of leadership with the ability to effectively manage vendors, prioritize projects, and meet deadlines.

Pliant requires all new hires to be fully vaccinated prior to the first date of employment (subject to any legally required exemptions).

The annual base salary for this role is $185K – $195K. Individual pay may vary based on additional factors, including, and without limitation job-related skills, experience, work location and relevant education or training. Pliant’s compensation package also includes benefits, equity, and annual target bonus for fulltime positions.