Associate Director, Strategy

Underscore Marketing

3h•Remote

About The Position

Underscore Marketing is seeking an Associate Director, Strategy to join our team within a small, fast-paced media agency specializing in pharmaceutical media advertising. This role is ideal for an analytically minded, self-motivated individual who can independently manage performance reporting, uncover actionable insights, and make strategic optimization recommendations for our pharmaceutical clients. In addition to day-to-day reporting and analysis, this role will contribute to bringing to life the agency’s data analytics vision—executing against our roadmap towards smarter, more automated, and AI-enhanced data solutions to drive organic growth and differentiation. The ideal candidate will work cross-functionally across teams (strategy, planning, analytics, client services, data science & technology, and media execution) to identify and implement both analytics & overall process improvements, ensuring data-driven decision-making is at the core of our client and internal strategies.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in a related field (e.g., Data Science, Statistics, Marketing Analytics, Applied Mathematics, or a similar discipline)
2–3 years of professional experience (including internships) in marketing analytics, performance reporting, or related analytical roles
Experience in or exposure to pharmaceutical media advertising across digital and traditional channels required
Strong presentation skills, with experience presenting deliverables to clients and ensuring delivery excellence
Proficiency with data visualization
Strong analytical thinking and problem-solving skills
Excellent communication skills—able to translate data into clear, actionable insights for non-technical audiences
High attention to detail, accuracy, and data integrity
Ability to manage multiple projects independently in a fast-paced, client-driven environment
A proactive, curious mindset with a passion for learning and innovation

Nice To Haves

Working knowledge of SQL, Python, or R for data manipulation and analysis is a plus
Understanding of media measurement frameworks (e.g., attribution modeling, MMM, lift studies)
Familiarity with AI/ML concepts and tools for reporting or analytics automation is advantageous

Responsibilities

Own and manage regular media performance reporting for multiple pharmaceutical accounts, ensuring accuracy, clarity, and timeliness
Analyze marketing and media performance data to identify trends, insights, and optimization opportunities
Translate complex datasets into clear narratives and actionable recommendations for internal teams and clients, bringing the data to life in a powerful way
Develop dashboards, visualizations, and scorecards using relevant tools (e.g. Tableau, Power BI, Google Looker Studio)
Experience working with third-party health data providers, with clear understanding of approaches and methodologies used
Ability to apply analytical frameworks and understanding of attribution methodologies, test/control analyses, and other marketing effectiveness measurement approaches to evaluate performance and guide media strategy
Support the design and interpretation of A/B tests, pilots, and controlled experiments
Contribute to modeling and predictive analysis projects
Collaborate cross-functionally with internal agency teams and leadership to develop and refine the agency’s reporting and analytics offerings and roadmap
Support & execute against opportunities identified within the agency to integrate or leverage AI and automation to improve reporting speed, accuracy, and insights generation
Work cross-functionally with media, account, and technology teams to enhance data flows, reporting templates, and processes
Document and communicate best practices for analytics and performance optimization