Director, Strategic Planning

Synchrony Group•West Chester, PA

7d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director, Strategic Planning establishes and leads brand strategy, serving as the strategic link across Account, Medical, and Creative teams. This role is responsible for building the strategic foundation for our work – shaping brand narratives, translating complex science into clear, compelling platforms, helping clients bring transformative therapies to market. The Director, Strategic Planning bridges medical insight with creative ambition to ensure our work influences real-world decision-making and drives impact.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree required in Business Administration, Marketing, Management, or a related field
7+ years of healthcare advertising or communications experience, with deep expertise in brand strategy and planning, leading AOR HCP and patient/consumer accounts
Proven experience leading strategy for pharmaceutical brands across the product lifecycle (pre-launch experience strongly preferred)

Nice To Haves

Strong leadership skills, with deep experience in strategic pharmaceutical marketing
Ability to move seamlessly between big-picture thinking and hands-on execution
Skilled facilitator for workshops, co-creation sessions, and client presentations
Collaborative, entrepreneurial mindset with a passion for building new capabilities
Excellent communicator, able to distill complex data and science into clear, compelling stories
Strong integrity and accountability; sound judgement
Diplomatic and effective in negotiation and conflict resolution
Proven ability to mentor, develop, and empower talent
Strong analytical, planning, prioritization, and execution skills
Confident presenter who can develop a clear viewpoint and lead meaningful internal and client discussions

Responsibilities

Serve as the lead strategic partner on assigned client accounts, guiding positioning, messaging, and brand expression
Lead the development of brand strategy across the product lifecycle, from early positioning through launch and ongoing management
Partner closely with Account, Creative, and Medical teams to ensure strategic alignment and excellence in execution
Translate scientific and market insights into clear, motivating and actionable brand platforms and campaign strategies
Collaborate on and shape briefs that enable strong, effective creative work
Craft differentiated brand narratives that align with client objectives and resonate with target audiences, including HCPs, patients, and consumers
Act as a trusted strategic advisor to clients across product launches, brand evolutions, and market-shaping initiatives
Drive insight generation through market research, translating findings into actionable strategies across messages, channels and deliverables
Collaborate with cross-functional leaders to establish pre-kickoff project plans and strategic guardrails
Develop and apply brand planning tools and approaches, including positioning workshops, journey mapping, segmentation, insights mining, and competitive assessments
Contribute to business development efforts, including pitches and proposals, as needed
Proactively identify opportunities for brand growth and differentiation
Foster strong client partnerships to mitigate issues and identify new business opportunities
Mentor and grow strategic talent as the function expands
Establish and evolve best practices, frameworks, and processes for brand planning
Represent the agency with professionalism and sound judgment
Actively contribute to a positive, collaborative work culture
Facilitate clear communication between internal teams and clients to support effective account management
Set clear priorities, resolve conflict constructively, and celebrate shared success
Keep senior management informed of key client, team, and business considerations