Group Business Director

UMT - Internal•New York, NY

12h•$175,000 - $210,000

About The Position

The Group Business Director will lead the health, growth, and performance of a portfolio of Eli Lilly brands and workstreams. This role serves as a senior strategic partner to VP- and SVP-level marketing stakeholders, bringing together brand priorities, patient needs, and cultural opportunities into a clear business vision. The director makes portfolio-level decisions with minimal executive oversight, develops Business Directors and Business Supervisors, and co-owns financial performance with Program Management. The role balances creative ambition with the rigor of a regulated category and engages executive leadership when significant risks or investments require alignment. The Group Business Director partners with the Executive Director to drive portfolio performance, strengthen client relationships, and develop growth plans. They guide strategic and creative work, champion empathetic and accessible health communications aligned with client-provided medical, legal, and regulatory guidance, and lead senior client discussions on scopes, fees, priorities, and investment. They also develop teams, align delivery across agency disciplines, strengthen agency capabilities, support new business pitches, and help recruit future Business Leadership talent.

Requirements

12+ years of experience in an agency or communications-related industry, with a well-rounded understanding of marketing, media, creative, production, and agency finance.
Proven success leading a portfolio of businesses or a complex multi-brand client relationship, with responsibility for financial performance and organic growth.
Experience at a scale comparable to $6M–$10M+ in annual agency revenue.
Demonstrated ability to advise VP- and SVP-level marketing clients and make consequential business decisions with limited executive oversight.
Experience managing and developing senior account or Business Leadership talent and leading integrated, multi-channel campaigns and large-scale production.
Strong business judgment and strategic fluency, including the ability to turn complex client needs into clear priorities across multiple brands.
Executive presence and exceptional communication skills, with the ability to influence senior stakeholders and navigate difficult conversations.
Commercial acumen across scopes, staffing, profitability, and forecasting, combined with a collaborative approach to Program Management.
Ability to champion integrated creative work while respecting accuracy and medical, legal, and regulatory review requirements.
A decisive, curious leadership style that develops other leaders and builds accountability and collaboration.

Nice To Haves

Experience with pharmaceutical, healthcare, or other regulated brands and medical, legal, and regulatory review; direct pharmaceutical experience is a plus but not required.
Curiosity about the healthcare category and eagerness to learn.
Experience with consumer health communications, patient storytelling, brand launches, or culturally relevant campaigns, including talent partnerships, social content, or experiential work.
Experience partnering with in-house creative teams and working within a multi-agency environment.
Bachelor’s degree in marketing, business, or a related field.

Responsibilities

Partner with the Executive Director to drive portfolio performance, strengthen client relationships, set priorities across assigned brands and workstreams, and proactively address partnership risks.
Develop and drive growth plans that connect unmet client needs with the company’s capabilities and expand agency impact.
Build understanding of Eli Lilly’s business, patient audiences, and competitive dynamics; identify opportunities across brands and connect them into a broader business vision.
Build trusted relationships with senior marketing leaders, shape client agendas, and influence decisions through clear, proactive counsel.
Navigate stakeholder needs, challenge assumptions constructively, and lead sensitive conversations about priorities, investment, and work.
Monitor client satisfaction, risks, and opportunities, aligning Lilly’s brand teams with internal creative teams and agency partners.
Ensure work addresses meaningful business problems and meets standards for strategic rigor, creative and cultural excellence, and client readiness.
Guide Strategy, Context, Creative, and Analytics toward ambitious ideas grounded in audience insight, business objectives, and clear measures of success.
Champion empathetic, accessible health communications that reflect patient experiences and align with client-provided medical, legal, and regulatory guidance.
Co-own portfolio financial performance with Program Management, including resource allocation, profitability, forecasting, and long-term growth.
Lead senior client conversations about scopes, fees, changing needs, and investment, ensuring commercial implications are addressed before commitments are made.
Coach Business Directors on commercial judgment and make portfolio investment recommendations that balance immediate needs with long-term opportunity.
Lead, mentor, and develop Business Directors and Business Supervisors through coaching, semi-annual performance reviews, and development opportunities.
Establish clear roles, accountability, and development pathways for teams.
Partner with Program Management to align staffing, scope, schedules, and review requirements with business goals.
Ensure integration across Strategy, Context, Creative, and Production; confirm feasibility before major commitments and resolve competing portfolio priorities.
Partner with department leaders to shape Business Leadership standards, improve ways of working, and strengthen agency capabilities.
Support new business pitches and represent Translation through relevant partnerships and industry participation.
Help recruit and develop a strong pipeline of future Business Leadership talent.