Director, Healthcare Social & Influencer Strategy, DIG, Ruder Finn

Ruder Finn•New York, NY

1d•$98,000 - $115,000

About The Position

Ruder Finn is seeking an experienced Director, Healthcare Social & Influencer Strategy to join their growing Digital Integration Group (DIG). This role involves developing social strategies and social-first content programs for healthcare and pharmaceutical clients. The Director will lead campaign content development, act as a channel strategist, and oversee the execution of strategic digital initiatives across various client accounts. The ideal candidate possesses strong digital skills, a deep understanding of social platforms, and proven experience in translating brand stories into compelling social content. This position requires strategic thinking, the ability to enhance social content, ideate on social-first concepts, recommend platform-native content, analyze performance, and collaborate with clients and cross-functional teams to deliver impactful social programs. A key requirement is a comprehension of the regulatory landscape to deliver compliant branded and unbranded content. The role involves direct partnership with integrated internal health teams, clients, partners, and practice groups, offering significant growth opportunities to apply creativity, strategic thinking, and social content expertise. This role is ideal for individuals passionate about healthcare, energized by complex challenges, and eager to build impactful campaigns.

Requirements

A minimum of 6+ years of experience in social, digital, or content strategy, with experience in healthcare or pharmaceutical communications
Bachelor’s degree in communications, advertising, public relations, marketing, or a related field preferred
Demonstrated experience upleveling social content through strategic storytelling, platform-native thinking, creative guidance, and performance insights
Strong experience as a social channel strategist, with the ability to develop platform-specific recommendations
Strong passion for social media, digital storytelling, and content marketing, with the curiosity to identify and apply emerging platform trends, formats, and best practices
Expertise in owned social strategy and social-first content development, as well as a foundational understanding of social insights and performance optimization
Strong understanding of how paid, organic, and owned channels work together within the broader brand social ecosystem
A firm understanding of the creative process, including experience partnering with creative and production teams to deliver high-impact social content for clients
Understanding of the regulatory and medical/legal review process as it applies to healthcare and pharmaceutical client needs
Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple high-profile and high-budget programs in a fast-paced, consistently changing environment
Ability to multitask and operate with flexibility while meeting tight deadlines
Proven experience managing, mentoring, and coaching team members
Curiosity and comfort with integrating AI into communications and workflows

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting influencer or creator-led programs is a plus, but not required

Responsibilities

Develop strategic social content plans and communications programs for healthcare and pharmaceutical brands, building content and channel recommendations driven by data
Serve as a channel strategist across social platforms, developing platform-specific recommendations that align content, audience behavior, campaign objectives, and best practices
Lead social strategy and content development, ensuring alignment with broader healthcare communications programs while identifying opportunities to uplevel storytelling across digital platforms
Guide the development of social-first content, including platform-native concepts, editorial calendars, campaign messaging, and content recommendations tailored to audience behavior and channel best practices
Partner with creative, paid media, analytics, and healthcare communications teams to uplevel social content and ensure cohesive execution across digital channels and platforms
Serve as a key client contact and social strategy expert, helping clients strengthen their understanding of social platforms, content trends, and digital best practices
Support the operational performance of accounts, ensuring high-quality deliverables, adherence to deadlines, and thoughtful budget management
Deliver superior client service by aligning social and digital objectives with senior management direction, providing clear updates on project timelines, and ensuring seamless coordination across internal teams and external stakeholders
Mentor and develop junior team members, fostering expertise in social strategy, content planning, platform trends, and integrated digital campaign execution
Review and analyze social and campaign performance to develop client-facing reports, identify actionable insights, and recommend optimizations that enhance content effectiveness, client reputation, and strategic impact
Partner with external vendors, when needed, to support digital reputation management, issues response, and high-impact crisis communications strategies