Director, Patient Affairs Head

Santen is a specialized life sciences company with a proud 130-year heritage focused exclusively on ophthalmology. As a Japan-originated, global company with our footprint in over 60 countries, we are dedicated to delivering innovative treatments and digital solutions for eye health and addressing vision-related social issues for people around the world.

The Director, Patient Affairs Head will oversee the development and implementation of patient-centric strategies to enhance engagement and contribute to multiple areas and activities within Santen. This position requires interaction with patient advocacy groups and organizations, individual patients, and caregivers in a compliant manner. The role ensures that patient perspectives are integrated into the company’s activities and drives initiatives aimed at better understanding and supporting patient needs and improving health outcomes.

This individual will be responsible for promoting the adoption of the ISOP culture as part of Santen’s global sustainable development goals (SDG) transformation. This senior global position will oversee, guide, and support all divisions, functions, and geographies at Santen to collaboratively develop and manage multiple initiatives, while driving ISOP activities planning, prioritization, budgeting and execution.

The objective of this role is to assist Santen in collaborating with individuals who have visual impairments and/or their representatives (e.g., advocacy groups, caregivers, etc.), with the aim of co-developing and offering innovative solutions that enhance vision.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and execute the global patient experience strategy, aligning with Santen's corporate values and long-term vision
• Engage with key external stakeholders to gain comprehensive understanding of patient needs and identify opportunities to enhance patient care
• Serve as Santen's Center of Excellence for Patient Engagement, managing relationships and developing strategies to gather and share patient insights
• Embed ISOP culture within Santen and advance the company's reputation as a leader in patient-focused value creation
• Champion the patient voice throughout product development and commercialization processes
• Implement patient engagement best practices across functions and regions to inform and improve strategies and decisions
• Lead efforts to create and communicate policy statements and tools that promote patients' needs and preferences
• Collaborate across therapeutic areas to incorporate patient insights into evidence generation activities and future launch plans
• Prepare and manage annual budgets aligned with company priorities
• Serve as a recognized expert and spokesperson on patient engagement matters, both internally and externally

• Advanced degree in Health Sciences or related field.
• 8–10 years of global pharmaceutical or biopharma experience; ophthalmology experience is a plus.
• Demonstrated expertise in patient engagement, communications, and implementing global patient-centric strategies.
• Strong ethical standards and deep understanding of compliance in healthcare.
• Proven track record in strategic planning, partnerships, and translating business needs into actionable plans.
• Skilled in navigating complexity, driving innovation, and delivering results through simple, effective solutions.
• Collaborative leader with strong interpersonal, influencing, and communication skills across internal and external stakeholders.
• Highly organized with excellent attention to detail, clarity, and accuracy.
• Capable of leading teams, inspiring cross-functional collaboration, and managing change in a matrixed, fast-paced environment.
• Strategic thinker with resilience, adaptability, and a proactive, solution-oriented mindset.

Grow your career at Santen

A career at Santen is an opportunity to make a difference. Through our long-term vision outlined in Santen 2030, we are committed to be a Social Innovator - addressing the social and economic needs of people with visual impairments. We have team members around the world using their diverse talents to unlock new modalities and drive innovations for patient outcomes, education and treatment. At Santen, we believe in empowering all our team members with flexible ways of working and a highly inclusive work environment.

The Santen Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to building diverse teams and ensuring a safe and inclusive physical and virtual workplace for every one of our team members. All employment decisions are based on business needs, role requirements and individual qualifications regardless of race, color, ethnicity, national origin/ancestry, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity/ expression, age, disability, medical condition, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

If you require any kind of accommodation during our recruitment process, please let the recruiter from our team know.

Visit www.linkedin.com/company/santen/jobs to apply.