Associate Director, Strategic Brand Planning (Pharma Ad Exp Required)
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JOB SUMMARY

The Associate Dir, Strategic Planning is an experienced brand strategist with skills in insight generation, positioning, and creative brief writing. They are able to lead core brand strategy deliverables and workshops more autonomously, while also serving as a consultant to clients on research design and analysis. Their ability to understand disease, market, and competition allows them to develop bespoke brand strategies and provide independent guidance to both internal teams and clients. The Associate Dir, Strategic Planning is responsible for the supervision and career development of junior talent.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Brand Planning

• Full understanding and execution of strategic discipline, agency processes, and pharma compliance requirements.
• Gathering of relevant customer dynamics, deep understanding of disease state and how to apply this to a brand strategy and brand challenges.
• Displays effective story telling skills as it relates to written strategy skills.
• Supports new business in conducting research, distilling insights, generating strategy, and story telling.

Client Management

• Display strategic leadership and facilitation of core client workshops and brainstorming sessions.
• Effective ability to address internal and client questions on the agency's POV and recommendations.
• Serves as consultant to client on market research design, methodologies, and analysis.

Cross Functional Collaboration

• Act as internal brand team(s) day to day point of contact with limited supervision and fosters positive team dynamic.
• Partner with other agency departments to ensure pull through of insights and strategy.

Talent Management

• Manage and mentor junior level staff and delegate incoming tasks and assignments as appropriate.
• Involved in hiring and staffing decisions and full life-cycle talent management (eg, delivering feedback, annual reviews, general and performance management).

JOB DUTIES / RESPONSIBILITIES

*For Specialty functions, see additional information (if applicable) in the box below.

- Applies strong foundational understanding of the strategic planning fundamentals of disease state, indications, customer and science toward strategic and tactical recommendations for assigned brands.

- Effectively mitigates brand challenges with strategic recommendations based on disease market.

- Understands and effectively utilizes the strategic process and agency structure as well as pharmaceutical marketing guidance and compliance requirements.

- Balances working autonomously and collaboratively with senior internal team members on core accounts.

- Develops strong drafts across the full suite of brand strategy deliverables.

- Expands pitch participation in immersion interviewing, storytelling, strategy development and tactic pull through.

- Leads client workshops preparation and comfortably moderate break out groups and capture key takeaways.

- Directly supervises Strategic Planning Supervisor, Senior Strategic Planner and/or Strategic Planner on brand(s), and provides mentorship/guidance to team.

- Involved with decisions 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.

EDUCATION

DEGREE/DIPLOMA

AREA OF STUDY

REQUIRED/PREFERRED

Bachelor's degree

Marketing, Advertising, Communications, or Related Field

Preferred

LICENSES & CERTIFICATIONS

EXPERIENCE

MINIMUM EXPERIENCE

AREA OF EXPERTISE

REQUIRED/PREFERRED

5+ years

Brand strategy or market research

Preferred

3+ years

Pharmaceutical/health experience

Preferred

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, & ABILITIES

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

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

· Strong working knowledge in market research tools (search databases including SERMO, Datamonitor).

· Excellent working knowledge in social media platforms.

· Excellent oral and written communication; articulate, support and begin to drive influence for a strategic point of view internally and externally.

· Active listening and keen attention to detail.

· Strong strategic and analytical skills; leveraging both qualitative insights and data to solve brand challenges.

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

COMPETENCIES

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 and trust.

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.

Engaged/Motivated

Is attentive and shows interest in the subject and learning the discipline.

Attention to Detail

Self edits work and has a sharp focus on even the smallest of details.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR SPECIALTY FUNCTIONS

• PharmD preferred.

• Pharma/health/market access/access and reimbursement experience required (1 or more required). Manufacturing experience a plus.

• Demonstrates breadth and depth of brand/market access strategy skills.

• Develops strong first drafts across the full suite of market access brand strategy deliverables (positioning, creative briefs, briefings, message strategy).