Director of Strategic Planning

The Dir, Strategic Planning is an experienced planning lead with a track record of success in client-facing, supervisory, and new business roles. They possess expertise in planning tools and core competencies, with a focus on driving proper use of positioning, insight generation, and creative brief writing. Their market research expertise and consulting skills enable them to uncover strategic opportunities and inform creative development. With strong strategic leadership, they drive clarification and direction in internal and client meetings. They demonstrate more advanced strategic storytelling skills, using frameworks such as blue ocean and challenger. Their client-focused approach ensures exceptional service delivery. Seen as a leader within the department, they are responsible for the supervision and career development of multiple levels of talent.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

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.
• Expands role on new business in conducting research, distilling insights, generating strategy, and story telling.

Client Management

• Displays strategic leadership and facilitation of an expanded set of client workshops and brainstorming sessions.
• Grows ability to drive influence toward a strategic POV and recommendation internally and with 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 greater autonomy and proficiency.
• 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

• Executes expert level understanding of the strategic planning fundamentals of disease state, indications, customer, and science of assigned brands.
• Partners with other agency departments to ensure pull through of insights and strategy.
• Leads strategic planning responsibilities on multiple small accounts, new business and/or support senior planners on larger, integrated accounts, with autonomy and proficiency.
• Leads the full suite of brand strategy deliverables (positioning, bedrock, creative briefs/briefings, message strategy, tactical planning).
• 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.
• Expand leadership on new business opportunities in immersion insight gathering, storytelling, strategy development, and tactic pull through.
• Strategic leadership and facilitation of expanded set of client workshops and brainstorm sessions.
• Directly supervises Associate Director, Strategic Planning, Strategic Planning Supervisor, and/or Senior Strategic Planner, on brand(s), and provides mentorship/guidance to team as needed.
• 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.

EDUCATION

DEGREE/DIPLOMA

Bachelor’s degree

AREA OF STUDY

Marketing, Advertising, Communications, or Related Field

REQUIRED/PREFERRED

Preferred

EXPERIENCE

MINIMUM EXPERIENCE

7 years

AREA OF EXPERTISE

Brand strategy or market research in an agency setting

5 years Pharmaceutical/health experience

REQUIRED/PREFERRED

Required

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, & ABILITIES

• Competent in software specific to the client and agency processes including Microsoft Word, Teams, PowerPoint, Excel.
• Strong 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.
• Ability to use AI platforms as an accelerant for brands needs and strategic deliverables.
• Able to work on multiple projects, adhere to timeline and maintain organization.
• Understanding of agency offerings, services, products, and solutions.
• Strong level of understanding of brand/pharma marketing and promotional strategy and trends (customer, industry, innovation).

COMPETENCIES

The Dir, Strategic Planning is an experienced planning lead with a track record of success in client-facing, supervisory, and new business roles. They possess expertise in planning tools and core competencies, with a focus on driving proper use of positioning, insight generation, and creative brief writing. Their market research expertise and consulting skills enable them to uncover strategic opportunities and inform creative development. With strong strategic leadership, they drive clarification and direction in internal and client meetings. They demonstrate more advanced strategic storytelling skills, using frameworks such as blue ocean and challenger. Their client-focused approach ensures exceptional service delivery. Seen as a leader within the department, they are responsible for the supervision and career development of multiple levels of talent.