Back to jobs
New

Corporate Communications Director

South San Francisco, California, United States, Princeton, New Jersey, United States

About Us 

Kardigan is a heart health company working to make cardiovascular disease preventable, curable and no longer the leading cause of death in the world. It is our mission to develop multiple targeted treatments in parallel that bring people with cardiovascular diseases to the cures they deserve. 

At Kardigan, we are motivated by our values which guide how we work, interact, and achieve our goals. Driven by patients and their families, we are deeply committed to improving the lives of patients and prioritizing their needs above all else. We believe in being authentic—leading with truth to bring out the best in others by creating an environment where every person knows they will be fully accepted. With an eagerness to learn, we encourage the highest levels of curiosity and are open to changing our minds. We are committed to winning as a team with urgency, excellence, and intention, and support each other no matter what role we play or where we sit. Lastly, we strive to enable the impossible because patients are counting on us. We are not afraid to take risks to unlock innovation and advance scientific discoveries.   

These values are the foundation of our work, empowering us to make a real difference, every day.  

 

Position Title: Corporate Communications Director (Senior Director-level candidates welcome to apply) 

Department: Communications 

Reports To: Emily Faucette, chief communications officer

Location: South San Francisco, CA or Princeton, NJ

 

Job Overview 

The Corporate Communications Director is responsible for the strategy, development and execution of communications programs to raise awareness of Kardigan as a leader in cardiovascular medicine and its emerging pipeline. This includes leading media relations to generate accurate and comprehensive news coverage and internal communications to engage, connect and “re-recruit” employees as our business, company and impact grows.

The Director will deeply understand our science, business strategy and industry dynamics to develop plans for growth, influence cross functional peers and provide input on broad decisions/strategies outside of their function. The position reports to the chief communications officer and will work cross-functionally with our Investor Relations, Development, Medical, BD and HR teams to deliver compelling and consistent messaging across all communications channels and company stakeholders.

This Corporate Communications Director role can be based in either Princeton, NJ or South San Francisco, CA, and reports to the Chief Communications Officer in South San Francisco.

  

Essential Duties and Responsibilities 

Media/Product Communications

  • As Kardigan prepares to introduce its pipeline, you will set and lead the company’s media strategy, leveraging medical meetings, data publications, research developments and competitor/relevant health news to generate consistent and positive media coverage of clinical and business milestones. Utilize creative angles and innovative strategies to generate non-hard news coverage.

  • Write, edit and secure approvals for all media and clinical communications materials including press releases, messages, Q&As, backgrounders and video scripts. Develop communications strategies, scenario plans, messages and Q&A to mitigate negative impact of issues internally and externally, as they arise.

  • Lead regular cross functional interactions with Global Product Teams (GPTs), Commercial, Medical, Patient Advocacy and IR colleagues to maximize synergistic projects and ensure message alignment across communications to respective audiences.

  • Participate in medical meeting planning teams and preconference programs to lead the development and rollout of the “Kardigan story” at those forums.

  • Establish/cultivate relationships with physician spokespeople and their PR departments to maximize third party inclusion and credibility of media materials and stories.

  • Support senior leaders with communication strategy, public speaking, and media interactions.

  • Serve as Communications point person with BD-partnered companies to develop strategy and execution for disclosing and promoting program developments and milestones, working closely with relevant stakeholders at both companies.

Internal Communications

  • Establish and lead Kardigan’s internal communications function to connect employees to our mission, business objectives, culture and values in a meaningful way. Oversee the development and distribution of employee communications content, campaigns and events.

  • Partner with HR to pull through corporate brand and mission in recruitment, on-boarding and retention programs, positioning Kardigan as a leading and sought-after place to work.

  • Participate in and provide communications support to Kardigan’s culture team.

  • Collaborate with IT to identify the appropriate resources, platforms and tools to consistently reach and connect employees across company sites.

  • Serve as a communications liaison with marketing team at Prolaio, an AI clinical intelligence company recently acquired by Kardigan.

Leadership and Collaboration

  • Trusted to represent Kardigan in media interviews, stories and events and will often have access to confidential information.

  • Manage and mentor external Communications and Branding agencies to consistently execute and measure the impact of creative and effective communications content, programs and tools. Set stretch goals that translate into actionable plans and tangible results.

  • Exercise excellent judgment, integrity, and transparency in making decisions that are in the best interest of the Company, our stakeholders and most importantly the patients we serve.

  • Educate, influence and successfully collaborate with cross functional teams, company management, department colleagues and external partners toward a shared vision and common goal; comfort with reaching compromise and managing conflict.

  • Consistently model Kardigan leadership, culture and core values.

 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities 

  • ~10 years’ relevant working experience in external communications, media relations and campaign development in a corporate, agency, or health care setting at the management level

  • Proven ability to create, lead, execute and present communications strategies/plans/teams that have dramatically advanced and delivered strong results and high value in timely and agreed upon budget parameters

  • Bright, hardworking and enthusiastic communications professional who thrives in a fast-paced, high functioning and results-driven working environment

  • Proven ability to influence, exercise good judgment and successfully develop strong working relationships with the media

  • A positive, resilient individual with a ‘can do’ attitude, who is willing to challenge the status quo and consistently offer solutions

  • Ability to work independently and as part of a team, confidentially interact with all levels of the organization and effectively manage external vendors

  • Openness to varied points of view; comfortable with receiving and providing critical feedback in a professional and timely manner.

  • Ability to prioritize, work on multiple projects simultaneously, and remain calm, focused and productive when under stress and/or faced with competing deadlines

  • Bachelor’s degree in public relations, Journalism, Communications or a related field or equivalent experience

  • Strong organizational skills and impeccable attention to detail

  • Proficient in MS Word and PowerPoint, SharePoint Online experience desired

Exact Compensation may vary based on skills, experience and location.

Pay range

$200,000 - $260,000 USD

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

Resume/CV*

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Cover Letter

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Education

Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Kardigan’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Select...
Select...
Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Select...

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.