Associate Director, Government Affairs & Policy, Italy

At Johnson & Johnson, we believe health is everything. Our strength in healthcare innovation empowers us to build a world where complex diseases are prevented, treated, and cured, where treatments are smarter and less invasive, and solutions are personal. Through our expertise in Innovative Medicine and MedTech, we are uniquely positioned to innovate across the full spectrum of healthcare solutions today to deliver the breakthroughs of tomorrow, and profoundly impact health for humanity. Learn more at jnj.com.

As guided by Our Credo, Johnson & Johnson is responsible to our employees who work with us throughout the world. We provide an inclusive work environment where each person is considered as an individual. At Johnson & Johnson, we respect the diversity and dignity of our employees and recognize their merit.

Job Function:

Communications & Corporate/External Affairs

Job Sub Function:

Government Affairs & Policy

Job Category:

Professional

All Job Posting Locations:

Pomezia, Roma, Italy

Job Description:

The Associate Director, Government Affairs & Public Policy leads the development and execution of the country‑level public policy and government affairs strategy for the medical technology sector. The role is accountable for shaping a favorable policy, and healthcare environment that supports patient access to medical technologies, innovation, sustainability, and system resilience. The successful candidate will act as a company spokesperson, representing J&J MedTech in the political and policy arena in Italy.

Acting as the senior public policy lead at country level, she or he serves as a trusted advisor to internal leadership and a credible counterpart to policymakers, authorities, and external stakeholders, while ensuring full alignment with regional and European policy priorities.

Responsibilities:

Strategic Public Policy Leadership

• Define and lead the country public policy and government affairs strategy in alignment with sector priorities and long‑term healthcare system objectives.

• Monitor and analyze legislative, political developments relevant to the environment in which the company operates, anticipating and shaping national healthcare, industrial, and procurement policies impacting medical technologies.

• Translate complex policy developments into strategic insights, risks, and opportunities for senior leadership.

• Provide thought leadership on key topics such as healthcare system reform, value‑based healthcare, sustainability, digital health, data governance, and healthcare modernization.

Senior Government & Stakeholder Engagement

• Serve as the primary senior interface with national and regional policymakers, government officials, and public institutions.

• Build and maintain long‑term, trusted relationships with policy makers and other relevant external stakeholders.

• Represent the sector in high‑impact policy debates and negotiations.

Trade Associations & External Leadership

• Lead country engagement with national and regional trade associations, coalitions, and multi‑stakeholder platforms.

• Influence the development of industry positions, advocacy strategies, and policy narratives.

• Align national positions with European frameworks to ensure a coherent and credible MedTech voice.

• Where relevant, hold leadership or governance roles within associations or external forums.

Internal Strategic Advisory & Cross‑Functional Leadership

• Act as a strategic advisor to country and regional leadership on public policy and institutional matters.

• Drive strong cross‑functional collaboration with Regulatory Affairs, Market Access, Medical Affairs, Communications, Legal, and Commercial teams.

• Ensure alignment between public policy priorities and broader business, access, and innovation strategies.

Qualifications:

This is a role where the appointed candidate will be able to bring together and utilize a broad array of their skills and experiences. They will be afforded autonomy to establish and build their network of key contacts and liaise with senior stakeholders internally and externally.

• Government Affairs Experience: 8+ years of government affairs or relevant experience. An in-depth knowledge of legislative and regulatory processes and political environment across Italy. Ability to engage and develop relationships with government stakeholders. Good understating of European policy making, international policy and Italian trade relationships are desirable.

• Relevant Industry Experience: Experience understanding and influencing policy matters within MedTech and/or pharmaceutical/healthcare industries are required. 

• Business Orientation and Impact: A demonstrated ability to understand business goals and work collaboratively with business leaders to support and advance those goals. A track record of effectively engaging with business executives, policy-makers, multi-lateral organizations, and other internal and external constituencies to deliver meaningful and results -driven policy outcomes.

• Drive, Agility and Collaboration: Self-motivated leader who enjoys a challenging, fast-paced environment; who can drive complex projects and provide strategic direction; who has the desire and willingness to always continue evolving best practices; who is highly organized and adaptable, and can independently prioritize and deliver under tight deadlines; who can think creatively when the situation is fluid, and the solution unclear; and who brings a collaborative, team-oriented approach to their work.

• Executive Presence & Communication: Strong presentation style with excellent written and verbal communication skills. Ability to quickly earn the trust and engender confidence with key internal and external stakeholders.

• Generative and agentic AI‑savvy: Proactive and compliant use of AI‑enabled tools to strengthen policy intelligence, stakeholder engagement, and strategic foresight.

• Alignment to J&J’s Values & Credo: An individual who is engaged and inspired by J&J’s values and Credo, and the important work we do every day for the patients and others who use our products and services.

The following characteristics are desirable:

• An exceptional leader, who is known for first-class collaboration, partnership, humility and delivering on his/her leadership commitments.

• Talented at strategic thinking, but willing to execute on tactical tasks.

• Be organizationally savvy - know how to navigate a large organization to produce results yet is also a hands-on self-starter who can work in a complex, multi-stakeholder environment

• Excellent organizational skills to manage multiple projects, deal with ambiguity and manage relationships at senior levels, both externally and internally.

• Self-motivated and passionate about building relationships and delivering quality results across the organization.

• A creative problem solver, with the flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances and priorities.

Education:

• A university degree is required.  Master’s in public policy or law or healthcare management or MBA are desirable.

Required Skills:

European Policies, Healthcare Industry, Legislative Affairs, MedTech, Regulatory Processes

Preferred Skills:

Advocacy Communications, Budget Management, Community Outreach, Compliance Management, Corporate Communications Strategy, Corporate Management, Government Relations, Leverages Information, Mentorship, Negotiation, Organizing, Public Affairs, Public Policies, Regulatory Development, Relationship Building, Representing, Stakeholder Engagement, Technical Credibility

  

The anticipated base pay range for this position is:

€70,700.00 - €122,015.00

Benefits:

In addition to base pay, we offer the following benefits*: an annual bonus with set target (% of pay) depending on pay grade / location, where the actual amount is based on the employees’ and companies’ performance of the previous calendar year, or sales commissions. Moreover, we offer vacation days, parental leave for a minimum of 12 weeks, bereavement leave, caregiver leave, volunteer leave, well-being reimbursement, programs for financial, physical and mental health. We also offer service anniversary and recognition awards, and subject to the terms of their respective plans, employees - and in some location’s eligible dependents - can participate in several insurance plans. For more information, visit Employee benefits | Supporting well-being & career growth | Johnson & Johnson Careers.

*This is for informative purposes only. Amounts and actual benefits may vary by location and are subject to change.