VP, Strategic Planning Director

The Dir, Strategic Planning, VP is a seasoned brand builder and client-facing planning lead with a strong track record of managing complex accounts and pitches. They possess exceptional strategic storytelling skills and the ability to guide insight generation and campaign development. With a talent for quickly building personal equity and establishing themselves as a strategic leader, they excel in taking on new and possibly more challenging accounts, leading new business and attending pitch presentations. Seen as a leader within the department, they are responsible for the supervision and career development of multiple levels of talent.

Brand Planning

• Expert in strategic discipline, agency processes and pharma compliance requirements.
• Translates market dynamics, customer insights and deep understanding of disease state to developing brand strategy and solving brand challenges.
• Displays strong story telling skills and voice as it relates to written strategy skills.
• New business leadership and pitch attendance.

Client Management

• Displays strategic leadership and facilitation of large and bespoke client workshops and brainstorming sessions.
• Drives influence toward a strategic POV and recommendation internally and with more senior clients.
• Serves as consultant to client on market research design, methodologies, and analysis.
• Strong strategic voice, driving clarification, direction, and leadership of internal and/or client meetings.

Cross Functional Collaboration

• Lead strategic planning responsibilities on multiple brands, integrated accounts, with autonomy and proficiency.
• Partner with other agency departments to ensure pull through of insights and strategy.

Talent Management & Development

• Supervise and develop lower-level staff and delegate incoming tasks and assignments as appropriate.
• Responsible for hiring and staffing decisions and full life-cycle talent management (eg, delivering feedback, annual reviews, general and performance management)

*For Specialty functions, see additional information (if applicable) in the box below.
- Execute expert level understanding of the strategic planning fundamentals of disease state, indications, customer and science of assigned brands.
- Lead strategic planning responsibilities on multiple large and small accounts, new business and/or support senior planners on larger, integrated accounts, with autonomy and proficiency.
- Leads full suite of brand strategy deliverables (positioning, bedrock, creative briefs/briefings, message strategy, tactical planning) and mentor junior team members to achieve success.
- Market research expertise and consulting; drive insight mining/ideation to uncover strategic opportunities and inform and strengthen creative.
- Expert in planning tools and core competencies, driving proper use; positioning, insight generation and creative brief writing.
- Leadership of new business; immersion insight gathering, storytelling, strategy development and tactic pull throughand attendance.
- Strategic leadership and facilitation of large, complex and bespoke client workshops and/or brainstorm sessions.
- Directly supervises Director and Associate Director levels on brand(s), and provides mentorship/guidance to team as needed.
- Meets regularly with direct and indirect reports to proactively manage career development.
- Responsible for hiring, staffing, career development, and full life-cycle talent management for direct team (eg, delivering feedback, annual reviews, general and performance management).
- Demonstrates leadership, empathy and professionalism in communications.

* Competent in software specific to the client and agency processes including Microsoft Word, Teams, PowerPoint,

Excel.

* Excellent working knowledge in research tools (search databases including SERMO, Datamonitor).

* Excellent working knowledge in social media platforms.

* Excellent oral and written communication.

* Excellent strategic thinking and analytical skills; triangulate insights and data from multiple

sources/departments/agency. partners to analyze and solve problems.

* Able to work on multiple projects, adhere to timeline and maintain organization.

* Ability to use AI platforms as an accelerant for brand needs and strategic deliverables.

* Strong understanding of agency offerings, services, products and solutions.

* Expert level understanding of brand/pharma marketing and promotional strategy and trends (customer, industry,

innovation).

Communication
Expresses ideas accurately, concisely, and clearly.

Curiosity
Displays eagerness in learning and asks thought-provoking questions.

Passion
Demonstrates investment and commitment to brands, clients, teams, and assignments.

Organization
Creates clear goals, identifies, and finds the resources (eg, time, people, materials) needed to achieve them, and schedules tasks so that work is completed on time.

Collaboration
Ability to work effectively in a team environment to build and foster positive relationships, trust and confidence.

Agility
Ability to change directions quickly and think on your feet.

Forward Thinking
Focused on short term wins as well as building towards long-term success.

Problem-Solving
Shows interest in finding the cause of problems, looks for and chooses effective solutions, and takes the necessary action to resolve them.

Assumption Challenger
Challenge assumptions and traditional ways of doing things to bring disruptive strategies and new ideas to brands.

Influence
Presents in a way to command and influence key and relevant stakeholders.

Accountability
Drive and motivates team towards actionable results. Keep themselves honest in effective output.

* Bachelor degree (marketing, social sciences, communications or related areas of study) or PharmD preferred.
* Pharma/health strategic planning/marketing brand experience preferred (1 or more).
* Market access agency, access and reimbursement, or market access industry experience required. Manufacturing experience a plus.
* Leads full suite of market access brand strategy deliverables (positioning, creative briefs/briefings, message strategy, tactical planning) and guide/mentor junior team members to achieve success.