External Affairs Manager – China R&D

About the role

The External Affairs Manager will support the development of a favorable external environment for China R&D through strategic stakeholder engagement, external collaboration, and effective external positioning of key R&D initiatives and achievements. This role will work closely with internal R&D teams, China Communications, Legal, Compliance and other relevant functions to support the execution of the China R&D 2030 strategy and enhance the organization’s external presence and reputation.

Key responsibilities

• Build and maintain strong relationships with external stakeholders, including government agencies, industry associations, and key experts, to support the advancement of China R&D priorities.
• Monitor policy developments relevant to the company’s R&D areas; assess potential impacts and provide timely insights and recommendations.
• Translate China R&D priorities into structured external affairs plans, ensuring alignment with global strategy and the local stakeholder environment.
• Identify leadership external engagement needs and develop materials for external interactions, translating complex scientific information into clear messaging.
• Drive planning and execution of key external collaboration initiatives, selecting appropriate platforms and partners to enhance visibility and credibility.
• Collaborate with Communications to ensure consistent messaging and effective external representation of R&D initiatives.
• Work with Legal, Compliance and other functions to review external content for regulatory and confidentiality compliance.

Required skills

• Adaptability
• Communication
• Coordination
• Data Analysis
• Emerging Risks
• Engaging Leadership
• Global Strategy
• Government Agencies
• Healthcare Policies
• Health Economics
• Impact Analysis
• Legislative Issues
• Mitigation
• Platform Selection
• Policy Development
• Policy Interpretation
• Policy Monitoring
• Political Forums
• Public Affairs
• R&D Engineering
• Regulatory Awareness
• Regulatory Compliance Consulting
• Regulatory Development
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Stakeholder Relationship Management