Head of Government Affairs Spain and Portugal

This is where your work makes a difference.

At Baxter, we believe every person—regardless of who they are or where they are from—deserves a chance to live a healthy life. It was our founding belief in 1931 and continues to be our guiding principle. We are redefining healthcare delivery to make a greater impact today, tomorrow, and beyond.

Our Baxter colleagues are united by our Mission to Save and Sustain Lives. Together, our community is driven by a culture of courage, trust, and collaboration. Every individual is empowered to take ownership and make a meaningful impact. We strive for efficient and effective operations, and we hold each other accountable for delivering exceptional results.

Here, you will find more than just a job—you will find purpose and pride. 

This multi-hatted senior leadership role combines direct Government Affairs and Market Access support across Spain & Portugal with Western Europe strategic portfolio leadership for Advanced Surgery, Compounding Services and Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT).

The role shapes healthcare policy, reimbursement, procurement, funding, tender and market access conditions across four distinct healthcare systems, while defining and driving the Western Europe Government Affairs and Market Access agenda for the assigned portfolios.

The assigned business scope includes a $290 million 2025 EMEA Advanced Surgery revenue forecast, $533 million in 2026 Western Europe Drug Compounding net sales, and an approximately $40 million Western Europe OPAT business opportunity. The geographic basis differs by portfolio and is stated explicitly to avoid overstating a combined Western Europe figure.

The position serves as a strategic advisor to Western Europe business and country leadership, influencing portfolio strategy, business planning, investment priorities, tender competitiveness, risk management and sustainable growth.

Distinctive Leadership Profile

· Combines a priority-market leadership mandate in Spain with structured support for Portugal across all Baxter business segments.

· Provides Western Europe strategic leadership for three distinct business models: hospital-based surgical products, pharmacy and outsourced compounding services, and care-transition pathways for OPAT.

· Connects government affairs, reimbursement, evidence generation, tender strategy and service-model access to support both product and healthcare-service growth.

· Leads regional advocacy strategy and external-representation standards, providing a consistent policy voice across assigned markets and portfolios.

Key Accountabilities

1. Country and Cluster Strategic Leadership

· Owns Government Affairs and Market Access strategy and outcomes for Spain, with defined support for Portugal.

· Sets multi-year policy, reimbursement, procurement, funding and stakeholder strategies across four distinct healthcare systems.

· Translates political, payer and healthcare-system developments into business priorities, investment choices and risk mitigation.

· Builds senior relationships with ministries, regional authorities, payers, procurement and assessment bodies, industry, professional and patient organizations.

· Shapes conditions affecting patient access, portfolio adoption, tender competitiveness, manufacturing investment and healthcare transformation.

· Leads compliant national and subnational advocacy and aligns Commercial, Medical, Regulatory, Finance, Supply Chain, Communications and Legal around integrated country plans.

2. Western Europe Advanced Surgery Portfolio Leadership

· Defines and leads the Western Europe Government Affairs and Market Access strategy for Advanced Surgery, aligned with business priorities and country execution.

· Shapes tender, hospital-access, reimbursement and evidence strategies for a portfolio with a $290 million 2025 EMEA revenue forecast.

· Prioritizes assessment, real-world evidence and value propositions that differentiate surgical sealants, hemostats and adhesion-prevention solutions.

· Leads regional tender shaping, formulary access, value communication and stakeholder engagement, anticipating policy, funding and competitive risks.

· Scales evidence and best practices across markets, including economic-value support for Floseal differentiation.

3. Western Europe Compounding Services Leadership

· Defines and leads the Western Europe Government Affairs and Market Access agenda for Compounding Services, supporting $533 million in 2026 net sales.

· Shapes policy and access for hospital pharmacy, outsourced preparation, service contracting, reimbursement and third-party provision.

· Advises business leadership on market development, service-model expansion, profitability protection and risk mitigation.

· Removes barriers to outsourcing and adoption through targeted policy, evidence and stakeholder strategies.

· Aligns cross-country priorities while adapting execution to national legal, funding and procurement environments.

4. Western Europe OPAT Leadership

· Owns the Western Europe Government Affairs and Market Access strategy for OPAT after completion of the agreed regional transition.

· Shapes reimbursement, funding, contracting and care pathways supporting an approximately $40 million Western Europe opportunity.

· Uses antimicrobial-resistance policy, stewardship, health-economic and sustainability evidence to advance national frameworks and geographic expansion.

· Leads payer and government engagement for care closer to home, shorter hospital stays and sustainable use of elastomeric infusion solutions.

· Scales economic models, value materials and cross-market best practices to support business cases, tenders and contracts.

5. Strategic Enterprise and Governance Leadership

· Translates external policy, payer, procurement and funding developments into portfolio, growth, investment and risk strategies.

· Establishes governance for prioritization, escalation, accountability and cross-functional decisions.

· Recommends country and portfolio resource allocation based on business impact, patient-access opportunity, urgency and risk.

· Advises senior leadership on market development, launch readiness, lifecycle strategy and evidence investment.

· Leads cross-country initiatives and interdependencies across markets, businesses and functions.

· Builds organizational capability through coaching, standards, knowledge sharing and scalable practices.

6. External Affairs, Compliance and Reputation

· Serves as a senior Baxter representative with policymakers, authorities, payers, procurement bodies, healthcare leaders and industry associations.

· Builds executive-level relationships and coalitions that advance policy, access and healthcare-system objectives.

· Represents Baxter on strategically significant legislative, reimbursement, procurement, manufacturing and service-model issues.

· Protects Baxter’s reputation and ensures external engagement complies with legal, ethical and company requirements.

· Escalates material policy, access, compliance and reputation risks with clear options and recommendations.

Decision-Making Authority and Influence

· Sets Government Affairs and Market Access priorities for Spain and the support agenda for Portugal within regional strategy.

· Defines the Western Europe agenda for Advanced Surgery, Compounding Services and OPAT.

· Leads governance, prioritization, escalation and cross-functional alignment across the assigned scope.

· Recommends resource deployment, evidence investment and external support based on strategic impact and capability needs.

· Influences senior leadership decisions within Baxter’s financial, legal, compliance and delegated-authority frameworks.

Required Experience and Qualifications

· Significant senior-level experience in Government Affairs, Market Access, reimbursement, health policy or public affairs in regulated healthcare.

· Proven success developing multi-country strategies across complex healthcare systems and stakeholder environments.

· Experience advancing product and service-based models through reimbursement, procurement, evidence and policy strategies.

· Demonstrated ability to influence senior leaders and convert external insights into portfolio, investment and risk decisions.

· Leadership of complex cross-functional and cross-country initiatives through matrix influence.

· Established credibility with senior government, payer, procurement, industry, professional and patient stakeholders.

· Advanced relevant degree preferred, or equivalent experience.

· Fluent professional English and Spanish required; Portuguese is an advantage.

Leadership and Competency Profile

· Enterprise judgment: converts complex policy, payer, evidence and market dynamics into regional portfolio direction.

· Integrated portfolio leadership: aligns Government Affairs, Market Access, reimbursement, evidence, tenders and commercial priorities across product and service businesses.

· Governance: sets priorities, decision rights, escalation and accountability.

· Executive influence: builds alignment and negotiates across competing interests.

· External credibility: represents Baxter with senior government, payer, procurement, industry and healthcare stakeholders.

· Matrix leadership: drives outcomes across countries, cultures and functions without relying on hierarchy.

We understand compensation is an important factor as you consider the next step in your career. At Baxter, we are committed to equitable pay for all employees, and we strive to be more transparent with our pay practices. The estimated base salary for this position is 120,000.00 - 180,000.00 EUR Annually. The estimated range is meant to reflect an anticipated salary range for the position. We may pay more or less than of the anticipated range based upon market data and other factors, all of which are subject to change. Individual pay is based on upon location, skills and expertise, experience, and other relevant factors. This position may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses, commission, and/or long-term incentive. For questions about this, our pay philosophy, and available benefits, please speak to the recruiter if you decide to apply and are selected for an interview.

Baxter is committed to supporting the needs for flexibility in the workplace. We do so through our flexible workplace policy which includes a required minimum number of days a week onsite. This policy provides the benefits of connecting and collaborating in-person in support of our Mission. The flexible workplace policy is subject to local laws and legal requirements. At its discretion, Baxter may decide to adjust, suspend, or discontinue as business needs change.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Baxter is an equal opportunity employer. Baxter evaluates qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, protected veteran status, disability/handicap status or any other legally protected characteristic.

Reasonable Accommodations

Baxter is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities globally. If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or interview process, please click on the link here and let us know the nature of your request along with your contact information.

Recruitment Fraud Notice

Baxter has discovered incidents of employment scams, where fraudulent parties pose as Baxter employees, recruiters, or other agents, and engage with online job seekers in an attempt to steal personal and/or financial information. To learn how you can protect yourself, review our Recruitment Fraud Notice.