Senior Director, R&D Strategic Communications
Company: Amgen
Location: Thousand Oaks
Posted on: January 2, 2026
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Job Description:
Join Amgens Mission of Serving Patients At Amgen, if you feel
like youre part of something bigger, its because you are. Our
shared missionto serve patients living with serious illnessesdrives
all that we do. Since 1980, weve helped pioneer the world of
biotech in our fight against the worlds toughest diseases. With our
focus on four therapeutic areas Oncology, Inflammation, General
Medicine, and Rare Disease we reach millions of patients each year.
As a member of the Amgen team, youll 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, youll thrive as part of the
Amgen team. Join us and transform the lives of patients while
transforming your career. Senior Director, R&D Strategic
Communications What you will do Lets do this! Lets change the
world! In this vital role were seeking a bold, strategic, and
forward-thinking Senior Director, R&D Strategic Communications,
to lead a newly established team that will function as an internal
communications agency, responsible for both external and internal
audiences, amplifying the voice of our science, enhancing our
innovation reputation, and connecting our people to purpose. This
Thousand Oaks-based role sits at the intersection of R&D
strategy, scientific storytelling, employee engagement, and
external reputation-building. What You Will Do Reporting to the VP,
Corporate Affairs for Science and Innovation, you will: Build and
lead a high-paced, high-performing Strategic Communications team
that brings together content creators, internal comms experts,
science writers, and digital strategists to the entirety of the
R&D organization from discovery to development. Architect a
compelling, unifying R&D narrative that brings clarity to our
work, drives reputational value externally, and strengthens culture
internally. Oversee content strategy and editorial planning across
platformsweb, social, video, executive communications, internal
channels, events, and more. Drive alignment and editorial
consistency across functions, channels, and geographies. Champion
innovation in how we communicateleveraging AI, data insights, and
emerging tools to elevate storytelling, refine strategies, optimize
content delivery, and measure impact. Lead with a deep
understanding of science and dataand the confidence to partner with
researchers, scientists, and physiciansto develop communications
that are credible and impactful, whether that means engaging at a
highly scientific level or translating complex science for broader
audiences. Key Responsibilities Lead a multi-functional team:
content creators, internal communications specialists,
digital/social strategists, and science communicators. Develop and
execute a holistic R&D communications strategy across internal,
digital, social, and executive channels. Translate complex
scientific ideas into clear, compelling narratives that resonate
with employees, media, policy influencers, and scientific peers.
Partner directly with scientific executives, site heads, and
functional leaders to shape and amplify the R&D narrative.
Serve as a reputation strategist, helping position Amgen as a
powerhouse of science to internal and external stakeholders. Ensure
editorial excellence and creative innovation across all content
formatsfrom videos and speeches to social media, digital platforms,
and executive communications. Build and manage a team responsible
for content planning, campaign execution, analytics, and thought
leadership to deliver high-impact storytelling and engagement
Utilize AI-enabled tools and digital platforms to improve content
development workflows, personalization, engagement tracking, and
amplification. Oversee budgets, agency partnerships, and resource
planning for the team. What we expect of you Who You Are You are
both a strategist and a doer. You see whats coming next and prepare
your team accordingly. Youre credible with scientists, respected by
executives, and creative enough to reinvent how we tell the story
of science. Basic Qualifications Doctorate degree and 5 years of
communications or public affairs experience Or Masters degree and 8
years of experience OR Bachelors degree and 10 years of experience
Preferred Qualifications PhD or equivalent scientific or medical
training strongly preferredyoull be leading a team that interacts
with world leading scientists and researchers at Amgen to
communicate scientific innovation. Credibility and fluency matter.
Demonstrated leadership in strategic communications, within a
life-sciences, medical, or innovation-led organization.
Communications agency experience a bonus. Proven success in
building and scaling communications functions or teams. Experience
crafting narratives that drive external reputation while building
internal connection and pride. Strong understanding of AI and
emerging communications technologiesand a proactive mindset for
integrating them into team workflows. Executive presence, strong
interpersonal skills, and the ability to influence cross-functional
and senior stakeholders. Experience working closely with or within
R&D, Clinical Development, or Scientific Affairs environments.
Location Requirement This role is based in Thousand Oaks, CA to
enable strong proximity to the R&D Senior Leadership Team and
other key partners. On-site collaboration is essential to succeed
in this role. 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, well support
your journey every step of the way. The expected annual salary
range for this role in the U.S. (excluding Puerto Rico) is posted.
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: A 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
Flexible work models, including remote and hybrid work
arrangements, where possible Apply now and make a lasting impact
with the Amgen team. careers.amgen.com 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.
Application deadline 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.
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.
Keywords: Amgen, Monterey Park , Senior Director, R&D Strategic Communications, PR / Public Relations , Thousand Oaks, California
