Vice President of Communications

The Role:

Moderna is seeking an experienced communications executive with a passion for media relations, as its new VP of Communications with a focus on meaningfully and measurably improving the reputation and perception of Moderna among key constituents, helping to positively position the company in support of our business goals. The VP of Communications will ensure consistent and aligned messaging, both internally and externally, with the goal of advancing the Moderna narrative across a wide range of actively engaged audiences in diverse therapeutic areas. This person will help the company, and its leadership team, tell key audiences about Moderna’s overarching strategy/business story as a multi-therapeutic company, front the launch of our COVID vaccine to future therapeutic areas where we are investigating our mRNA platform.

Based at Moderna’s headquarters in Cambridge, MA, the VP of Communications will be part of ‘small but mighty’ communications team encompassing Corporate Communications (including media, internal, content and leadership communications), Ex-US media and comms, Commercial communications, R&D communications, Corporate Giving, and CSR.

Reporting to the Chief Brand Officer, the VP, Communications works closely with the CEO and the Moderna Leadership Team and will collaborate with key stakeholders at all levels cross-functionally to set strategy, influence senior business leaders, and drive the company toward one cohesive narrative. Most importantly, Moderna seeks a strong executive capable of lead with cutting-edge and bold ideas. This person must be an active and involved member of the Senior Leadership Team capable of communicating openly while also being open to the ideas of others around the table.

Here’s What You’ll Do:

• Define, protect and enhance the company’s internal and external reputation by continuing to advance the company’s identity, leveraging the company’s strategy, vision, and values. An important part of this will be to define and convey Moderna’s social responsibility narratives and to ensure readiness for potential issues and risks.
• Adapt and further our patient advocacy function to meet the needs of stakeholders and communities across the therapeutic portfolio and on a global basis.
• Create a messaging platform that clearly and creatively differentiates Moderna’s value proposition and the promise of our mRNA technology platform.
• Operate as a credible, influential, and respected spokesperson for the organization, both internally and externally. Champion new ideas and approaches while shaping how others, inside and outside of the company, see the future.
• Build strong relationships with media to ensure our story and messaging is accurately reflected in the press. Understand media beats of top tier press and how to shape coverage of Moderna
• Expertise and ability to manage issues and crisis including scenario planning and activation of communications initiatives
• Develop a content and channel strategy that engages the workforce by effectively telling stories around Moderna’s culture and promotes Moderna as an employer of choice.
• Ensure Moderna’s position on diversity, equity and inclusion is clearly communicated to current and potential employees, as well as the external audiences. This includes demonstrating equitable representation and socially responsible employment practices and building a workforce that mirrors the diversity of our patient populations.
• Define and execute a digital communications strategy to engage external audiences and employees, while working within FDA regulations, to build awareness of our initiatives and promote our corporate reputation.
• Provides leadership for media relations, corporate events, corporate publications and electronic media, and works with the Chief Brand Officer to develop innovative corporate branding opportunities.

Core Capabilities Needed

• Executive Communications : Strategically manage the external and internal positioning of company through targeted interviews, speaking opportunities, public presentations.
• Public Relations : Devise reputation and image building strategies based on status analysis to improve the company's performance and ensure a base of support from key stakeholders as well as generate an environment that fosters the continued growth and development of company’s business.
• Media Relations : develop and maintain relationships with top tier media contacts and drives positive media coverage on the company through a proactive media relations programs such as media advisories, media pitches, contributed articles, press releases, speeches and supporting collateral, media events and roundtables.
• Track and monitor efficiency of media relations work though relationship with media analysts.
• Employee Communications: Develop and direct exciting, effective employee communications, utilizing the full spectrum of available media (print, town hall meetings, electronic media, bulletin boards etc.), to generate pride in and support for the goals and objectives of the business at the group, region and site levels. Collaboratively work with the HR department on employee communication programs, identify needs and jointly develop PR tools to identity & plan on corporate culture development.
• Refine, Develop and Implement Proactive Public Relations Campaigns
• Refine the Global Communications & PR programs and/or develop compelling communications platforms that reach, engage & motivate company’s target audiences
• Act as main point of contact for PR agencies regarding press office contacts/opportunities
• Set ambitious metrics to measure successes of PR programs as well as measuring PR agency performance
• Manage media-led issues that potentially impact on company's product or corporate reputation
• Budget & Agency Management. With Commercial and R&D teams, agree scopes of work & budget estimates, and track the PR budget

Here’s What You’ll Bring to the Table:

• Bachelor’s degree, plus minimum of 15 years of experience in progressively more responsible roles in corporate communications or public affairs culminating in leadership role(s) that span the strategy and execution of integrated communications efforts in a complex and/or matrixed environment.
• Experience in Pharmaceuticals or Healthcare and the regulations governing communications for a publicly traded biopharmaceutical company. Candidates need to showcase the ability to “go deep” and understand the company’s operations, its financial drivers and the implications of complex public policy issues on the business.
• Demonstrated excellence in strategic public relations, employee communications and in strategic communications planning
• Strong background in corporate communications (I.e. experience working with media, agencies, vendor management, innovative trends in the market)
• Strong relationships with top-tier media with demonstrated expertise in storytelling prowess. Clear understanding on how to strategically navigate media from broadcast to print as well as engaging in social media platforms to tell the Moderna Story.
• Experience of handling media-led issues and understanding of media coverage likely to cause additional media reactions/comments or cascade to other countries
• Experience delivering a clear, compelling vision while stretching the function’s capability needed to lead Moderna into the future. This executive must be able to lead with conviction and composure through ambiguous and high-pressure situations.
• Demonstrated experience steering successful corporate reputation and employee engagement communications strategies globally across traditional and digital formats.
• Experience proactively providing counsel to and challenge the business, while remaining agile and open to new perspectives; the ability to frame issues, ask the right clarifying questions, and balance the different priorities of key internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong understanding of how the political and social landscape affects and shapes Moderna’s ability to achieve its communications and business objectives.
• Experience leveraging the employee voice to drive corporate culture and external reputation.
• Critical thinking capabilities to simplify complexity for self and others.
• Ability to lead, attract, develop, and retain world-class, diverse talent. Can inspire and motivate team to deliver with excellence, even while evolving the Communications function through change.
• Strong inter-personal, motivational, and influencing skills
• Self-starter able to operate effectively within a matrix organization
• Excels in a fast paced and dynamic environment, calm under pressure

Here’s What We’ll Bring to the Table:

• On-site subsidized cafeteria or catered lunches
• Company-provided iPhone
• Free parking, monthly subway pass or a subsidized commuter rail pass
• Free annual corporate membership to Bluebikes
• Highly competitive healthcare coverage including: medical offered through BCBS (HMO/PPO), dental, and vision offered through VSP
• Flexible Spending Accounts for medical expenses and dependent care expenses
• 16 weeks of 100% paid parental leave for all new parents
• 16 weeks 100% paid family caregiver leave
• 20 weeks 100% paid medical leave
• Eligible for “Moderna Month” (one month paid sabbatical after five years of service and eligible for additional one month paid sabbatical every 3 years thereafter)
• Adoption assistance and discounts to local childcare centers, as well as access to care.com
• 401k (traditional and Roth offered) with 50% match on first 6% deferred. Match is vested immediately
• A suite of Moderna paid insurance coverage, including: life insurance, short-term and long-term disability
• Voluntary legal assistance plan
• 15 days’ vacation and 7 sick days per year, in addition to a discretionary winter shut down and 11 company paid holidays (includes 2 floating holidays)

Candidates should be aware that Moderna currently maintains a policy requiring all US-based employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Newly hired employees must be vaccinated prior to their employment start date. Moderna is an equal opportunity employer and will provide a reasonable accommodation to those unable to be vaccinated where it is not an undue hardship to the company to do so as provided under federal, state, and local law.

About Moderna:

In 10 years since its inception, Moderna has transformed from a science research-stage company advancing programs in the field of messenger RNA (mRNA), to an enterprise with a diverse clinical portfolio of vaccines and therapeutics across six modalities, a broad intellectual property portfolio in areas including mRNA and lipid nanoparticle formulation, and an integrated manufacturing plant that allows for both clinical and commercial production at scale and at unprecedented speed. Moderna maintains alliances with a broad range of domestic and overseas government and commercial collaborators, which has allowed for the pursuit of both groundbreaking science and rapid scaling of manufacturing. Most recently, Moderna’s capabilities have come together to allow the authorized use of one of the earliest and most effective vaccines against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Moderna’s mRNA platform builds on continuous advances in basic and applied mRNA science, delivery technology and manufacturing, and has allowed the development of therapeutics and vaccines for infectious diseases, immuno-oncology, rare diseases, cardiovascular diseases and auto-immune diseases. Moderna has been named a top biopharmaceutical employer by Science for the past six years. To learn more, visit www.modernatx.com .

Moderna is a smoke-free, alcohol-free and drug-free work environment.

Moderna is committed to equal employment opportunity and non-discrimination for all employees and qualified applicants without regard to a person’s race, color, gender, age, religion, national origin, ancestry, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation or any characteristic protected under applicable law. Moderna will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities, in accordance with applicable law.