Associate Director Patient Advocacy and Community Engagement

The Position: 

At Maze Therapeutics, we’re on a mission to make a difference in the lives of people affected by kidney disease.  We’re looking for an Associate Director of Patient Advocacy and Community Engagement to join our Clinical Development Team.  In this role, you’ll be at the heart of our efforts to connect with and support kidney disease patient communities.  Initially, you will focus on our lead program for APOL1 kidney disease and over time expand your impact to other kidney disease indications.  You’ll collaborate closely with our cross-functional teams and collaborate with Corporate Communications and Legal, while building and nurturing strong relationships with patient communities across the US and globally.  If you’re passionate, driven, and ready to champion the voices of patients, this might be the perfect role for you. 

Your Impact: 

• Develop and roll out patient advocacy strategies that help us make a real difference in the kidney disease space – locally, nationally, and globally. 
• Serve as a bridge between Maze and the patient communities in support of our kidney disease development programs.  
• Forge and maintain strong partnerships with patient advocacy groups, healthcare associates, and other key player while staying informed about industry trends and best practices in patient experience.
• Ensure the voices of patients and caregivers are front and center in everything we do, shaping a patient-centric approach in our clinical development efforts.  
• Coordinate opportunities for patient speakers and organize company-wide activities that boost awareness and education around kidney disease. 
• Provide input into annual budgeting process in support of patient advocacy goals.
• Navigate all your interactions with patient communities and advocacy groups with the highest ethical standards, keeping everything above board with GCP, regulatory guidelines, and industry norms. 
• Drive initiatives to improve patient care and leave a lasting positive impact on the communities we serve.  

As an Associate Director, we also expect our leaders to demonstrate the following Leadership Competencies:  

• Communication and Influence
  • Communicates the reasoning behind decisions to appropriate stakeholders. 
  • Promotes open communication with internal and external stakeholders. 
  • Fosters healthy and respectful debate. 
• Teamwork and Collaboration
  • Creates opportunities for team members to connect with others outside of team. 
  • Manages conflict effectively between teams. 
  • Openly values thoughts, opinions, and contributions of employees. 
• Execution and Results
  • Exercises astute judgment to make decisions with only the necessary amount of data. 
  • Supports team members in creating their own resolutions to challenges and problems. 
  • Works with others to reinforce process compliance, what good looks like, and risk mitigation. 
• Develop Others and Self
  • Articulates what good looks like throughout Maze. 
  • Pursues development activities for continuous improvement of self and team. 

Skills and Qualifications: 

• A bachelor’s or graduate degree in nursing, pharmacy, social work, public policy, public health, or a related field is preferred.  
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in patient advocacy and engagement, medical affairs, public health, and coalition building with a strong preference for experience in kidney disease patient advocacy. Experience working with underserved minority groups is a big plus.
• In-depth understanding of healthcare, pharma, and biotech industries; familiarity with the complexities of the drug development process, including FDA and EMA regulations and guidelines.
• Proven teamwork and collaboration skills, with ability to influence all levels of internal and external organizations.  
• Demonstrated ability to foster buy-in and build consensus across diverse groups of people and individuals.  
• Excellent interpersonal skills and heightened social awareness to navigate a diverse range of social interactions, both 1:1 and in group settings of varying sizes.  
• A self-starter and able to work independently under tight timelines; solid business acumen, strong negotiation skills, and can prepare thoughtful, engaging, and concise presentations.    
• Strong communication skills, both in writing and speaking; ability to deliver a compelling and impactful presentation. 

Travel and Flexibility 

• Up to 25%, with the possibility of more frequent travel as needed.  
• Onsite, hybrid, or remote with ability to visit headquarters regularly.   

About Maze Therapeutics 

Maze Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company that is harnessing the power of human genetics to transform the lives of patients, with a focus on genetically informed therapies for common diseases, such as chronic kidney disease, and seeks to focus expertise and resources towards underserved communities. Maze applies variant functionalization in tandem with advanced data science methods and a robust suite of research and development capabilities to advance a pipeline of novel precision medicines. Maze has developed the Maze Compass Platform™, a proprietary, purpose-built platform to understand and integrate the critical step of variant functionalization into each stage of drug development. Utilizing the Maze Compass Platform™, Maze is building a broad portfolio of wholly owned and partnered programs. Its two lead programs are focused in Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), a condition that impacts an estimated 37m individuals. The first program in CKD addresses a genetic subset of the common disease that has a disproportionate impact on the Black Community. Maze is based in South San Francisco. 

Our People 

Maze is comprised of a team of passionate and creative professionals committed to discovering and delivering transformative medicines to patients suffering from both rare and common genetic diseases. We are fostering a culture that encourages vision, initiative and the development of talent. Our supportive work environment inspires creative thinking and freedom of expression, resulting in a stimulating atmosphere where people enjoy coming to work. While we have a passion for advanced science and pride ourselves on excellence in execution, ultimately, everything we do is about patients.  

Our Core Values

Further Together – Our path is paved with challenges, but with resilience and a team-first mentality, we’ll achieve our mission. 

Impact Obsessed – We embrace the bold, take calculated risks, and learn from our mistakes to improve the lives of others.

Stand True – Our integrity is foundational; it guides us no matter the obstacle.

The expected annual salary range for employees located in the San Francisco Bay Area is $171,000 - $210,000. Maze performs position-based compensation benchmarking to industry market data to ensure we pay competitive wages. Determination of starting salary will depend upon a variety of job-related factors, which may include professional experience, skills, and job location. The expected salary range for this role may be modified in the future.  

Maze offers a robust benefits package to our eligible employees including competitive medical, dental, and vision insurance, mental health offerings, equity incentive plan, 401(k) program with employer match and a generous holiday and PTO policy. 

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