Freelance Account Director

Who we are looking for:

VML is seeking an experienced Freelance Account Director - Pharma to help lead the day-to-day management for a 10mm Pharma account. This is a unique opportunity to work with an established industry leader and help shape their Creative and Strategy direction with a focus Social and Digital campaigns and move the needle, impacting their business and brand. You assess all concepts and creative development for client assignments and are responsible for adherence to and evolution of brand strategy. You are accountable for well-managed projects, timely production, and budget adherence. The Freelance Account Director serves as a team leader over several disciplines, including strategy, creative, data science, project management and community management, and is responsible for orchestrating the interworking of the separate discipline team leads. This role owns responsibility for the growth and development of the new client business across all disciplines.

What you’ll do:

• Client | Be proactive in assessing client needs and delivering added value to the client wherever possible. Become a subject matter expert in the client’s field, speaking clearly to the competitive landscape, products, services, trends, and brand positions within the client’s business.
• Content | Generate and review project briefs to inspire and guide creative development. Provide clear goals and objectives for any campaign or creative endeavor with specific guidance and performance measures. Craft growth strategies, concepts, and business development blueprints to increase client value.
• Team | Build a cohesive team across agency partners, departments, disciplines, and offices where relevant. Mentor and grow direct reports to be stronger strategically, tactically, and interpersonally. Assess and recommend strategies for building efficiencies, streamlining operations, and enhancing the value of agency to the client.
• Process | Shepherd agency deliverables through regulatory and legal review process, where applicable. Accountable for on-time, on-budget completion of all group projects and the reporting of budget status to clients.

Who you are:

• A Builder | Innovator with a desire to bring people together. Innate ability to marshal people and create gravity around ideas.
• Open and Collaborative | Our team is close-knit and supportive and we’re working with a lot of unknowns – you must be a champion of team environments that are comfortable and encouraging, especially when working across disciplines.
• An Experimenter | Embrace the unknown and ready to break process. You’ll be excited by opportunities to explore new ideas rather than rely on existing paradigms, and you view technology as a tool that can drive this creativity.
• Ego-less | We all wear the hats that need wearing, it’s a mentality that makes the team successful.

What you’ll need:

• Minimum 8 years account management experience at a creative, digital or social agency, or equivalent with large scale Pharma Client Account leadership experience.
• Strong integrated advertising experience, with an emphasis on social and digital.
• Experience with HCP focused deliverables (DTC is a plus).
• Proven track record of developing strong client relationships. Ability to lead and communicate effectively with cross functional teams.
• Experience with Biologics and or major Pharma Brands
• Strategic thinking balanced with the ability to make decisions and recommend actionable strategy.
• The ability to think on your feet and an eagerness to think outside the box.
• Strong interpersonal/communication skills; you will be face-to-face with clients and internal departments at their busiest moments.
• Technically proficient in presentation planning and development with the ability to present ideas, concepts, and strategic direction to senior level clients.
• A positive attitude and capacity for thinking above and beyond the client’s initial ask.