Vice President, Media Strategy - Pharma & Healthcare Marketing

Are you ready to embark on an exciting journey where your talents are valued, and your potential is limitless? At Deerfield, we believe in fostering a culture of excellence, where every team member is empowered to make a difference and contribute to our collective success.

Deerfield is the marketing and communications partner of choice. Purpose-built to scale with our clients, our specialist teams craft stories that matter and bridge meaningful connections to advance healthcare products to the people who need them most. Our full-service capabilities are rooted in storytelling and powered by technology to deliver focused strategy, optimized execution, and tangible outcomes. Further, our flexible working model allows us to scale and grow alongside our clients – whether providing expert consultation, serving as a strategic executional partner, or acting as full agency of record.

We are built to serve and designed to deliver.

Position Summary

Deerfield is seeking a Vice President, Media within the pharma / healthcare marketing space to oversee the direction given to build the strategic media plan to meet client objectives while maintaining an entrepreneurial focus on results for both the agency and clients. Responsibilities include overseeing total account relationships, serving as a liaison between Deerfield and clients, and ensuring seamless communication an alignment of goals to all stakeholders. Key duties involve connecting the dots between all data points, strategies, and recommendations. Providing seamless strategic direction, and executional excellence by the team. Additionally, the Vice President collaborates closely with clients and internal teams to ensure strategies align with business objectives, barriers are removed, and they deliver measurable impact.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Expertise

• Spearheaded strategic, cross-channel media initiatives aligned with client business goals
• Provided expertise in media planning, forecasting, and both online/offline campaign execution
• Managed and optimized media team workflows, mentoring staff and enhancing departmental capabilities
• Led client account strategy, customer segmentation, and campaign analysis for impactful results
• Acted as a thought leader in customer insights, collaborating with internal teams and external partners
• Supported agency growth by elevating media expertise, promoting the department, and developing new business opportunities

Client Centric

• Leads the cultivation of client understanding, aligning media strategies with business objectives
• Provide input to clients to help shape their marketing priorities
• Actively anticipates client needs and industry trends to drive strategic alignment
• Knowledgeable of project updates and models positive stakeholder relationships
• Provides timely counsel, initiates strategic rapport-building with media partners
• Assists with business development for media and focuses the media department narrative to meet the needs of prospective clients
• Represents the agency at industry events, articulates client strategies, and fosters partnerships

Team Leadership

• Foster a culture of open communication, shared goals, transparency, and collaboration
• Set a visionary course and ambitious expectations aligned with company objectives, empowering the team for success
• Provide strategic guidance and support to navigate complex media planning challenges, fostering innovation and improvement
• Drive team collaboration and goal alignment, ensuring initiatives advance company goals
• Lead impactful campaigns, consistently delivering exceptional business results
• Mentor and develop entry-level team members, engaging in onboarding and nurturing talent
• Support team success through proactive guidance and focus on growth and advancement
• Oversee direct reports, setting goals and conducting reviews, while mentoring and motivating junior team members
• Play a key role in junior-level recruitment, identifying top talent, curating resumes, and participating in interviews to build a high-performing team
• Push for continuous improvement of self, team, and client deliverables

Communication

• Assumes a proactive leadership role in client and media partner engagements, ensuring precise articulation of project status and strategic imperatives, while modeling effective communication practices for the team
• Provides invaluable counsel and agile response to feedback, embodying proactive leadership and a relentless commitment to exceeding client expectations and fostering team development
• Cultivates and nurtures robust relationships grounded in mutual trust and respect, serving as the primary architect of enduring partnerships vital to the organizations strategic growth and success
• Initiates and leads strategic rapport-building efforts with media partners, strategically safeguarding and advancing clients; business interests in a dynamic and competitive landscape, while guiding the team in adopting similar practices
• Drives the development and refinement of essential client and partner management competencies, elevating communication standards and fostering strategic alignment across all initiatives, setting a high standard for the team to follow
• Ensures meticulous organization and responsiveness, driving optimal client satisfaction and reinforcing the agency's reputation as a trusted industry leader, while mentoring the team to uphold these standards
• Leads by example in driving holistic success through strategic communication, proactive management, and visionary leadership, guiding the team towards achieving overarching business objectives with excellence and distinction, and serving as a role model for future leaders within the organization

Collaboration

• Leads collaborative efforts to align agency strategies with client objectives, fostering a culture of collective endeavor
• Demonstrates genuine passion for clients and their businesses through articulate communications
• Masters written communication, crafting compelling narratives meeting professional standards
• Utilizes active listening to address challenges and capitalize on growth opportunities
• Recognizes strategic significance of presentations, enhancing client relationships
• Takes leadership role as a cross-functional influencer, guiding team excellence
• Champions team cohesion, fostering collaboration across clients and departments
• Maintains accountability for role responsibilities, ensuring alignment with team objectives
• Delivers timely updates, fostering trust and alignment within the team
• Designs comprehensive new-hire training programs, cultivating team expertise
• Conducts impactful media training sessions, enhancing team proficiency in planning and execution

Critical Thinking

• Creates an environment of creativity and innovation to drive business growth
• Lead the team to craft distinctive concepts that captivate audiences and set the business apart, leveraging creativity, curiosity, and strategic thinking
• Guide and model for the team forward-thinking ideation aligned with company objectives, addressing challenges from various perspectives
• Collaborate closely with team members to refine and implement innovative solutions, ensuring alignment with business goals
• Stay updated on industry trends and emerging technologies, integrating advancements into project strategies to maintain competitiveness
• Effectively communicate innovative concepts and their potential impact to stakeholders
• Drive improvements based on feedback, refining strategies to enhance project outcomes and foster a culture of excellence and innovation

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in relevant field; Advanced Degree a plus
• 12 years advertising experience
• Media experience required; extensive online media experience required
• 6 years management experience preferred

Required Skills

• Demonstrates exemplary leadership acumen, adept at guiding and inspiring teams towards achieving ambitious objectives, while fostering a culture of continuous growth and development
• Leads strategic initiatives in current and emerging media channels, leveraging cutting-edge techniques to drive impactful digital marketing campaigns and enhance brand visibility
• Possesses comprehensive expertise in ad serving technologies and other industry-leading platforms, ensuring seamless integration and optimization across all advertising channels
• Exhibits superior analytical prowess, proficient in evaluating the effectiveness of media tools and technologies, and spearheading initiatives to identify and leverage emerging capabilities that propel Deerfield's market leadership and strategic growth initiatives
• Mastery knowledge of media management & finance platform (Media Ocean - Prisma or equivalent) required.
• Knowledge of DoubleClick, Google Campaign Manager 360, Google Analytics 4, Vivvix, and other self- service platforms
• Expert know of applications: Microsoft Excel / Google Sheets, Microsoft Powerpoint / Google Slides, Microsoft Word / Google Docs

At Deerfield, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic work environment, so if this role and our culture excite you, we encourage you to apply even if you do not have the exact experience or meet all of the requirements outlined in this job posting. Our HR team will review your resume and experience to see if you align at a different level or possibly better align to other open positions.

Deerfield is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.