Overview

You provide the vision, set the pace and inspire success.

There is one thing you do that is exceptional: lead. You formulate a plan and focus your team to solve the unsolvable, beat the unbeatable and come out on top. Your capacity to creatively strategize, motivate , and elicit achievement makes you the right fit for this vital Executive Vice President, Strategy role with GSW.

GSW is a full-service healthcare communications agency that goes beyond advertising to create personalized brand experiences. We develop strategic marketing solutions for pharmaceutical, biotech and health-and-wellness clients around the world. We create experiences that involve, inspire, educate and activate people through ongoing brand journeys.

Responsibilities

• Lead and build brand planning department: foster development of brand planners, set agency standards for strategy
• Fluency across spectrum of strategic thinking required: business strategy, creative strategy, communication strategy, scientific strategy
• Establish strategic thought leadership persona for GSW via digital/social/speaking engagements
• Create, monitor and enforce strategic integration across the agency
• Ownership of strategic planning process as it applies to determining where and how to reach target audiences using the appropriate channels within the customer's information ecosystem (briefs, client communication, tactical development, digital and context strategy deliverables, etc.)
• Lead the process for all pharmaceutical accounts including HCP and consumer-facing communications; integrate into the client's strategic planning process to help direct its outcomes.
• Uncover unique, actionable insights for brands to capitalize on
• Create and design new research to further explore underlying customer motivations as it relates to brand communications
• Shape the story on how to set up and sell the agency point-of-view and recommendations, especially from the customer need and receptivity angles
• Lead strategic brand launch initiatives including positioning, messaging, disease education, and creative campaign development
• Lead and facilitate strategic workshops, both internally and with clients
• Spot and analyze trends, both inside the category and in society at large that brands can take advantage of
• Consult with clients to problem-solve and decide strategic parameters
• Attend research initiatives sponsored by the client in order to gain understanding of customer core needs
• Partner with the Account and Scientific Strategy to identify business opportunities and drive clients' overall sales and strategy goals. Run workshops for existing clients as needed.
• Serves as an internal thought leader, responsible for uncovering and tracking "innovative thinking and ideas" from across the industry and applying relevant innovative thinking/solutions to our client plans and activities
• Create an environment that supports active learning and curiosity.
• Establish a plan to ensure staff retention and provide ongoing performance feedback and mentorship.
• Lead and build brand planning department: foster development of brand planners, set agency standards for strategy
• Own the Insights Planning and Strategy role on new business pitches, including:
  • Identifying business opportunities
  • Uncovering insights to capitalize on those opportunities
  • Developing the strategic "story"
  • Developing the creative strategy
  • Attending pitches

Job Requirements

• 15 years agency or pharmaceutical experience
• 5+ years agency experience leading brand planning department
• Excellent verbal, writing, and presentation
• Working knowledge of clinical or preclinical research principles, regulatory affairs, and biostatistics
• Knowledge of health outcomes research, pharmacoeconomics, and epidemiology
• Ability to translate complex data into compelling messages and concepts
• Strong attention to detail
• Understands the thinking necessary to produce great creative work
• Ability to effectively engage and influence a wide variety of audiences (Creatives, clients, agency leads etc.)
• Understands great advertising-knows what's been done, and knows what will break through
• Excellent presentation skills; comfortable serving as a public, strategic thought leader for both organizations
• Staff management experience a plus

GSW turns against the premise of doing the "same old." Our culture is focused on collaborative, meaningful advertising and day-to-day interpersonal interaction. We value the diverse backgrounds of our team members, and everyone has the opportunity to provide input and be heard. GSW is comprised of creative, motivated individuals who are all here for a reason. We welcome those who strive to work above and beyond their role, who voice their opinion and who are engaged in all aspects of the agency.

GSW is part of Syneos Health Communications, a purpose-built collective of agencies focused on supporting health and biopharmaceutical innovators. We work in scalable, collaborative teams that partner across disciplines and geographies to deliver integrated communications strategies that accelerate brand performance. In today's fast-changing and complex environment, success lies in making connections: between science, emotion, and technology; between data, design and human insight. We're able to make those connections because our medical communications, digital, advertising, public relations, data science, research and market access specialists work closely with each other and with healthcare experts, including physicians, pharmacists and advocates. Together, we are the connected healthcare partner tapping rich insights to drive innovation, change behavior and pioneer a new era of accountable marketing.

Syneos Health Communications is powered by Syneos Health, a global professional services organization designed to help the biopharmaceutical industry shorten the distance from lab to life.

WORK HERE MATTERS EVERYWHERE | How will you accelerate bringing new therapies to patients?

Syneos Health is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer (Minorities/Females/Vet/Disabled)


As a healthcare company we have an important responsibility to protect individual and public health. This position will require individuals to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as part of their job responsibilities, unless an exemption can be confirmed based on a medical condition or sincerely held religious belief. Submission & Approval of an Exemption does not guarantee that an exemption can be accommodated.
#LI-MT2