Director, Internal & Employee Communications

Overview

Create a future where DNA is no longer destiny. Join Rocket Pharma.

Rocket Pharma is a fully integrated, late-stage biotechnology company advancing gene therapies with curative potential for patients with rare and life-threatening diseases. We are a team of creative, compassionate, and driven individuals united by a profound mission of seeking gene therapy cures. Rocket places tremendous value on our people and fosters a collaborative environment where bold ideas thrive and every team member makes a meaningful impact. Our core values guide everything we do: we trust one another, show generosity toward patients, embrace curiosity, and strive to elevate science. Team members receive a competitive total rewards package, including equity participation, 401(k) matching, and excellent health benefits.

Position Summary

The Director, Internal & Employee Communications will lead Rocket’s enterprise internal communications strategy, connecting employees to the company’s mission, business priorities, scientific progress, culture, leadership, and patient impact. This role will serve as a strategic communications advisor to the CEO, executive leadership team, the People Team, and functional leaders, ensuring employees understand where the business is headed, why it matters, and how their work contributes to company success.

Reporting to the Sr. Director of People & Organizational Development, the successful candidate will provide both strategic leadership and hands-on execution. This individual should be able to translate complex science, business performance, clinical and regulatory milestones, organizational priorities, and change initiatives into compelling employee messages, leader materials, digital content, events, and programs that proactively connect employees to the business and support organizational alignment.

Responsibilities

• Develop, own, and execute an enterprise-wide internal and employee communications strategy aligned to company goals, culture, values, scientific milestones, business performance, public company priorities, and employee engagement needs.
• Partner directly with the CEO, People Team, executive leaders, and functional leaders on communication strategy, messaging, talking points, presentations, town halls, employee forums, manager cascades, and enterprise narratives.
• Partner with Legal, Compliance, Finance, and External Affairs to ensure internal messaging is consistent with external disclosures, company positioning, disclosure controls, and public company obligations.
• Lead organizational change management communications for transformation efforts, growth initiatives, integrations, policy updates, operating model shifts, and business-critical priorities, including stakeholder mapping, leader toolkits, FAQs, adoption messaging, and feedback loops.
• Write and edit high-quality employee communications, including announcements, newsletters, intranet stories, executive messages, leader toolkits, FAQs, videos, digital signage, town hall materials, and event content.
• Own and optimize the internal communications channel strategy, including intranet and SharePoint strategy, governance, content standards, email, newsletters, collaboration platforms, town halls, manager cascades, employee meetings, and digital signage.
• Partner with External Affairs to translate the corporate brand for employees and internal initiatives.
• Proactively identify opportunities to connect employees to the business through storytelling, leadership visibility, business updates, scientific and patient impact narratives, and clear communication of company priorities
• Partner with People Team on employee experience, culture, recognition, onboarding, and manager enablement.
• Establish metrics, feedback loops, and reporting to measure communications effectiveness, employee reach, engagement, channel performance, and opportunities for improvement.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, public relations, life sciences, business, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.
• 10 years of progressive experience in internal communications, employee communications, corporate communications, or related communications roles.
• Experience in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, life sciences, healthcare, or another highly regulated, science-driven environment required.
• Exceptional writing, editing, storytelling, and message-development skills, with the ability to simplify complex scientific, clinical, regulatory, financial, or business topics for diverse employee audiences.
• Strong project management skills, including the ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, stakeholders, and approval processes in a fast-paced, high-accountability environment.
• Experi