📌 Core Information
🔹 Job Title: Executive Director, Communications
🔹 Company: Recursion
🔹 Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
🔹 Job Type: Full-time, Hybrid
🔹 Category: Biotechnology Research
🔹 Date Posted: April 8, 2025
🔹 Experience Level: 5-10 years
🔹 Remote Status: On-site with hybrid flexibility
🚀 Job Overview
Key aspects of this role include:
- Leading external communications efforts to shape and drive the company's narrative
- Mentoring and elevating the communications team for enhanced impact and effectiveness
- Optimizing team processes to ensure high-performance and excellence in external communications
- Supporting upcoming data readouts and product milestones with strategic messaging and materials
- Collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to build and strengthen relationships
ASSUMPTION: This role requires a strategic and creative mindset, with a strong focus on external communications and team leadership.
📋 Key Responsibilities
✅ Shape and drive external messaging and content creation across social media, press interviews, company announcements, and other external channels
✅ Provide strategic leadership and content for executive communications initiatives, empowering key executives with best-in-class media interview preparation and thought leadership
✅ Inspire, mentor, and elevate communications team members to enhance the impact and effectiveness of external messaging and materials
✅ Continuously refine and optimize team processes to ensure a collaborative and high-performance approach to external communications
✅ Strengthen and expand messaging and materials to support upcoming data readouts and product milestones
ASSUMPTION: This role requires strong leadership, mentorship, and strategic thinking to ensure consistent and compelling external communications.
🎯 Required Qualifications
Education: Bachelor's degree in Communications, Journalism, or a related field
Experience: 5-7+ years of external communications experience, preferably in TechBio
Required Skills:
- Proven track record of developing and executing successful external communications strategies in a fast-paced environment
- Exceptional writing, editing, and presentation skills, with the ability to translate complex scientific information into clear and compelling narratives
- Strong leadership and mentorship skills, with a passion for developing and empowering team members
- Excellent relationship-building and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively with internal and external stakeholders
- Deep understanding of media relations, social media, and other external communications channels
- Experience supporting public companies and navigating data readouts and other material events
Preferred Skills:
- Experience in the biotechnology or pharmaceutical industry
- Familiarity with AI-powered drug discovery or similar technologies
ASSUMPTION: Candidates should have a strong background in external communications, with a proven track record of success in a fast-paced environment.
💰 Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range: $221,500 to $271,700 (USD) annually, based on experience and qualifications
Benefits:
- Annual bonus
- Equity compensation
- Comprehensive benefits package
Working Hours: Full-time, with a hybrid work arrangement requiring at least 50% time in the office
ASSUMPTION: The salary range provided is an estimate based on industry standards for similar roles in the biotechnology industry.
📌 Applicant Insights
🔍 Company Context
Industry: Recursion is a clinical-stage TechBio company leading the space by decoding biology to industrialize drug discovery. It leverages sophisticated machine-learning algorithms and massive experimental and computational scale to advance the future of medicine.
Company Size: Recursion has 501-1,000 employees, providing a mid-sized company environment with ample opportunities for collaboration and growth.
Founded: Recursion was founded in 2013, with a mission to decode biology and radically improve lives through innovative drug discovery.
Company Description:
- Recursion is a clinical-stage TechBio company leading the space by decoding biology to industrialize drug discovery
- The company leverages sophisticated machine-learning algorithms and massive experimental and computational scale to advance the future of medicine
- Recursion is headquartered in Salt Lake City, with offices in London, Toronto, Montreal, and the San Francisco Bay Area
Company Specialties:
- Pharmaceuticals
- Drug Discovery
- Rare Diseases
- Drug Repurposing
- Inflammation
- Immuno-oncology
- Diseases of Aging
- Phenomics
- Artificial Intelligence
- Machine Learning
- Technology
- Biology
- Neuroscience
- Cancer
- TechBio
- Biotech
- Pharma
- Drug Discovery
- Platform
- Tech
- Oncology
- Pipeline
- Disease
- Future
- Innovation
- NVIDIA
- Supercomputer
- Data
- Rare Disease
Company Website: https://www.recursion.com
ASSUMPTION: Recursion is a well-established company in the biotechnology industry, with a strong focus on innovation and growth.
📊 Role Analysis
Career Level: Executive-level role, reporting directly to the Chief Communications Officer
Reporting Structure: This role will oversee the communications team and collaborate closely with the executive team
Work Arrangement: Hybrid work arrangement, requiring at least 50% time in the office
Growth Opportunities:
- Potential to grow into a more senior leadership role within the communications department
- Opportunities to expand the team and take on additional responsibilities
- Chance to make a significant impact on the company's external communications and overall mission
ASSUMPTION: This role offers significant growth opportunities for the right candidate, with a clear path for career advancement.
🌍 Location & Work Environment
Office Type: Hybrid office environment, with a focus on collaboration and teamwork
Office Location(s): 41 S Rio Grande St, Salt Lake City, Utah 84101, US
Geographic Context:
- Salt Lake City has a population of over 1.2 million people and is the most populous city in Utah
- The city offers a diverse range of cultural attractions, outdoor recreation, and a vibrant tech industry
- Salt Lake City has a semi-arid climate, with four distinct seasons and an average annual precipitation of about 16 inches
Work Schedule: Full-time, with a hybrid work arrangement requiring at least 50% time in the office
ASSUMPTION: The hybrid work arrangement offers flexibility while maintaining a strong focus on collaboration and teamwork.
💼 Interview & Application Insights
Typical Process:
- Initial phone or video screen with the Talent Acquisition team
- In-depth interview with the hiring manager and team members
- Final interview with the Chief Communications Officer
- Background check and offer extension
Key Assessment Areas:
- Strategic thinking and communication skills
- Leadership and mentorship abilities
- Cultural fit and alignment with company values
- Experience with external communications in a fast-paced environment
Application Tips:
- Highlight relevant experience and achievements in external communications, with a focus on strategic messaging and team leadership
- Tailor your resume and cover letter to emphasize your fit for this specific role and company
- Prepare for behavioral and situational interview questions that assess your communication skills, leadership style, and problem-solving abilities
ATS Keywords: External Communications, Strategic Messaging, Content Creation, Executive Communications, Team Leadership, Mentorship, Media Relations, Social Media, Biotechnology, Drug Discovery, TechBio
ASSUMPTION: The interview process will focus on assessing the candidate's strategic thinking, communication skills, and cultural fit for the role and company.
🛠️ Tools & Technologies
- Microsoft Office Suite
- Google Workspace
- Cision
- Muck Rack
- Hootsuite
- Asana
- Slack
ASSUMPTION: Familiarity with these tools and technologies is preferred but not required, as the company provides training and support for new team members.
👔 Cultural Fit Considerations
Company Values:
- Act boldly with integrity
- Care deeply and engage directly
- Learn actively and adapt rapidly
- Move with urgency because patients are waiting
- Take ownership and accountability
- Be One Recursion
Work Style:
- Collaborative and team-oriented
- Fast-paced and dynamic
- Focused on innovation and continuous improvement
- Data-driven and analytical
- Committed to the company's mission and values
Self-Assessment Questions:
- How do you approach translating complex scientific information into clear and compelling narratives for diverse audiences?
- How do you balance the need for urgency with a focus on quality and accuracy in external communications?
- How do you foster a culture of collaboration and continuous learning within your team?
ASSUMPTION: Candidates should be able to demonstrate a strong fit with Recursion's values and work style, with a clear understanding of the company's mission and culture.
⚠️ Potential Challenges
- Managing a team with diverse skills and backgrounds, requiring strong leadership and mentorship abilities
- Balancing the need for strategic, long-term planning with the demands of fast-paced, day-to-day communications
- Navigating the complexities of the biotechnology industry and external communications landscape
- Adapting to the unique challenges and opportunities of a hybrid work arrangement
ASSUMPTION: These challenges require a strategic and adaptable approach, with a strong focus on communication, collaboration, and leadership.
📈 Similar Roles Comparison
- This role is unique in its focus on external communications for a clinical-stage TechBio company, requiring a strong background in biotechnology and strategic messaging
- Similar roles in the biotechnology industry may have a stronger focus on internal communications or investor relations
- Career paths in this role may lead to more senior leadership positions within the communications department or other areas of the company
ASSUMPTION: This role offers a unique opportunity to shape and drive external communications for a cutting-edge biotechnology company, with significant growth potential for the right candidate.
📝 Sample Projects
- Developing and executing a comprehensive external communications strategy for an upcoming data readout or product launch
- Creating and refining messaging frameworks for key executives, ensuring consistency and impact across various communication channels
- Leading a team project to optimize internal processes for external communications, improving efficiency and effectiveness
ASSUMPTION: These sample projects demonstrate the strategic and collaborative nature of the role, with a strong focus on external communications and team leadership.
❓ Key Questions to Ask During Interview
- How does the communications team collaborate with other departments to ensure consistent and compelling messaging across all channels?
- What are the key priorities for the first 90 days in this role, and how can I best support the team and the company's mission during this time?
- How does Recursion support the professional growth and development of its employees, particularly within the communications department?
- What are the most significant challenges facing the company in the next 1-2 years, and how can the communications team support the company's strategic goals in addressing these challenges?
- How does Recursion foster a culture of innovation and continuous learning, and what opportunities exist for the communications team to contribute to this culture?
ASSUMPTION: These interview questions help assess the candidate's understanding of the role, the company, and the broader biotechnology industry, as well as their strategic thinking and communication skills.
📌 Next Steps for Applicants
To apply for this position:
- Submit your application through this link
- Tailor your resume and cover letter to emphasize your relevant experience and qualifications for this specific role and company
- Prepare for behavioral and situational interview questions that assess your communication skills, leadership style, and problem-solving abilities
- Follow up with the Recursion Talent Acquisition team within one week of submitting your application, if you have not heard back
⚠️ This job description contains AI-assisted information. Details should be verified directly with the employer before making decisions.
