Director, Media Strategy/Planning (Pharma)

Director, Strategy

The Director, Strategy is responsible for leading the development and execution of integrated media strategies across pharmaceutical and healthcare clients. This role provides strategic leadership to account teams, oversees cross-channel media planning, and serves as a trusted advisor to clients and internal stakeholders. Reporting to the Vice President, Strategy, the Director plays a key role in driving business results, developing talent, and advancing strategic thinking across brands and accounts.

Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Media Planning

• Lead the development of audience-centric, insight-driven media strategies across HCP, DTC, Payer, and other healthcare audiences.
• Oversee the strategic direction, channel architecture, and budget allocation across assigned accounts.
• Translate business objectives, market dynamics, customer insights, and performance data into actionable media recommendations.
• Guide teams through annual planning, tactical planning, optimization, and measurement processes.
• Ensure media strategies align with broader brand, marketing, and business objectives.
• Partner with analytics, investment, activation, and client engagement teams to deliver integrated solutions.
• Identify opportunities to introduce innovative media approaches, emerging channels, and evolving healthcare marketing trends.
• Contribute strategic expertise to new business opportunities, pitches, and agency initiatives.

Client Leadership

• Build and maintain strong relationships with key client stakeholders.
• Serve as a strategic consultant, helping clients navigate complex marketing challenges and opportunities.
• Present media recommendations, strategic rationale, and performance insights with confidence and clarity.
• Anticipate client needs and proactively provide solutions that support business growth.
• Demonstrate a deep understanding of clients' brands, competitive landscape, customer journeys, and market dynamics.
• Elevate the quality and strategic rigor of all client-facing deliverables.

Team Leadership & Talent Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop Strategy team members across assigned accounts.
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing team environment.
• Provide ongoing coaching, performance feedback, and career development support.
• Ensure team members are trained on agency processes, planning frameworks, and media tools.
• Support onboarding and integration of new hires.
• Participate in performance management, goal setting, and talent review processes.
• Help recruit, interview, and retain top strategic talent.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner closely with Client Engagement, Analytics, Investment, Activation, and Creative teams to deliver integrated client solutions.
• Align stakeholders around strategic recommendations and account priorities.
• Represent media strategy perspectives in internal and external meetings.
• Help establish processes that improve efficiency, quality, and collaboration across teams.
• Contribute to agency thought leadership and strategic best practices.

Industry & Technical Expertise

• Maintain deep expertise in pharmaceutical marketing, healthcare regulations, and evolving media landscapes.
• Stay informed on industry trends, emerging technologies, consumer behaviors, and competitive activity.
• Demonstrate expertise across traditional, digital, programmatic, social, search, video, and omnichannel media strategies.
• Leverage media research, audience intelligence, measurement, and planning tools to inform recommendations.
• Continuously expand knowledge of agency capabilities, products, and healthcare marketing innovations.

Qualifications

• Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Proven ability to lead teams and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated success building relationships with clients, internal partners, and senior stakeholders.
• Strong presentation, communication, and storytelling skills.
• Ability to influence decision-making through data, insights, and strategic recommendations.
• Collaborative leadership style with a commitment to coaching and team development.
• Embodies agency values of Accountability, Collaboration, Empathy, Equanimity, Integrity, and Respect.

• 8+ years of media strategy, planning, or integrated marketing experience.
• 3+ years of people management experience.
• Pharmaceutical, healthcare, or life sciences marketing experience required.
• Experience developing omnichannel media strategies across HCP and DTC audiences.
• Strong understanding of media research, planning, and measurement tools.
• Experience managing multiple brands, clients, and cross-functional teams.

Additional Information

Our Publicis Groupe motto "Viva La Diffrence" means we're better together, and we believe that our differences make us stronger. It means we honor and celebrate all identities, across all facets of intersectionality, and it underpins all that we do as an organization. We are focused on fostering belonging and creating equitable & inclusive experiences for all talent.

Publicis Groupe provides robust and inclusive benefit programs and policies to support the evolving and diverse needs of our talent and enable every person to grow and thrive. Our benefits package includes medical coverage, dental, vision, disability, 401K, as well as parental and family care leave, family forming assistance, tuition reimbursement, and flexible time off.

If you require accommodation or assistance with the application or onboarding process specifically, please contact View email address on click.appcast.io.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Compensation Range: USD $106,780.00 - USD $153,405.00/Annually. This is the pay range the Company believes it will pay for this position at the time of this posting. Consistent with applicable law, compensation will be determined based on the skills, qualifications, and experience of the applicant along with the requirements of the position, and the Company reserves the right to modify this pay range at any time. Temporary roles may be eligible to participate in our freelancer/temporary employee medical plan through a third-party benefits administration system once certain criteria have been met. Temporary roles may also qualify for participation in our 401(k) plan after eligibility criteria have been met. For regular roles, the Company will offer medical coverage, dental, vision, disability, 401k, and paid time off. The Company anticipates the application deadline for this job posting will be 8/15/2026.

Starcom Mediavest Group Germany Gmbh