Director, Strategic Planning

The Director, Strategic Planning establishes and leads brand strategy, serving as the strategic link across Account, Medical, and Creative teams. This role is responsible for building the strategic foundation for our work – shaping brand narratives, translating complex science into clear, compelling platforms, helping clients bring transformative therapies to market. The Director, Strategic Planning bridges medical insight with creative ambition to ensure our work influences real-world decision-making and drives impact.

Responsibilities

Serve as the lead strategic partner on assigned client accounts, guiding positioning, messaging, and brand expression; Lead the development of brand strategy across the product lifecycle, from early positioning through launch and ongoing management; Partner closely with Account, Creative, and Medical teams to ensure strategic alignment and excellence in execution; Translate scientific and market insights into clear, motivating and actionable brand platforms and campaign strategies; Collaborate on and shape briefs that enable strong, effective creative work; Craft differentiated brand narratives that align with client objectives and resonate with target audiences, including HCPs, patients, and consumers; Act as a trusted strategic advisor to clients across product launches, brand evolutions, and market-shaping initiatives; Drive insight generation through market research, translating findings into actionable strategies across messages, channels and deliverables; Collaborate with cross-functional leaders to establish pre-kickoff project plans and strategic guardrails; Develop and apply brand planning tools and approaches, including positioning workshops, journey mapping, segmentation, insights mining, and competitive assessments; Contribute to business development efforts, including pitches and proposals, as needed; Proactively identify opportunities for brand growth and differentiation; Foster strong client partnerships to mitigate issues and identify new business opportunities; Mentor and grow strategic talent as the function expands; Establish and evolve best practices, frameworks, and processes for brand planning; Represent the agency with professionalism and sound judgment; Actively contribute to a positive, collaborative work culture; Facilitate clear communication between internal teams and clients to support effective account management; Set clear priorities, resolve conflict constructively, and celebrate shared success; Keep senior management informed of key client, team, and business considerations

Requirements

Bachelor's degree required in Business Administration, Marketing, Management, or a related field; 7+ years of healthcare advertising or communications experience; deep expertise in brand strategy and planning; leading AOR HCP and patient/consumer accounts; proven experience leading strategy for pharmaceutical brands across the product lifecycle; strong leadership skills; ability to move seamlessly between big-picture thinking and hands-on execution; skilled facilitator for workshops, co-creation sessions, and client presentations; collaborative, entrepreneurial mindset; excellent communicator; strong integrity and accountability; diplomatic and effective in negotiation and conflict resolution; proven ability to mentor, develop, and empower talent; strong analytical, planning, prioritization, and execution skills; confident presenter

Nice to have

pre-launch experience strongly preferred

Benefits

competitive salaries; generous paid time off; excellent health insurance; family leave; 401(k) plan with employer matching