Planning Director

AbelsonTaylor Group•Chicago, IL

12h•$130,000 - $160,000•Hybrid

About The Position

At AbelsonTaylor Group, work that makes you feel good isn’t just what we do—it’s who we are. We believe that when you feel good about your work, and where you work, you bring your best self to it. That’s why we create an environment where creativity thrives, teamwork flourishes, and inclusivity is more than just a value—it’s a way of life. Here, you’ll help propel brands that inspire health and brighter futures, all while finding the support, inspiration, and growth opportunities to reach your own potential. Together, we dream boldly, collaborate deeply, and make a meaningful difference—one idea at a time. Now, we are on an unstoppable mission for a Planning Director to join our team. The Planning Director is a managerial position that requires leading brands, supervising more junior members of the team, and thought leadership that introduces new ideas and approaches to the department. The Planning Director serves as Integrated Strategist supporting brands as a core team member, coordinating strategic efforts across the Integrated Strategy dept: Planning, Engagement, Media, Marketing Intelligence, Social. The Planning Director provides high level Planning skills and a broad understanding of the role the other disciplines play, adeptly bringing in subject matter experts to support projects as needed. Ready to make a difference and be a part of something extraordinary? Join us on this journey toward a healthier, happier world! Apply now!

Requirements

Experience: 9-12 years prior agency experience
Education: Bachelor’s degree [preference for social sciences, marketing, communication, sciences]
Curiosity: Must be innately curious about human behavior.
Interest in Health & Wellness: Must have an interest in health and wellness.

Nice To Haves

Pharmaceutical Experience: Pharmaceutical experience is highly preferred.

Responsibilities

Target Identification: Deep understanding of target attitudes, beliefs, and behavior; creative approaches to presenting target learnings.
Insight Mining: Expertise and creativity in ways to uncover and utilize target insights.
Market Research: Pragmatic approach to problem-solving, viewing research as a means to an end; ability to identify alternate strategic/research routes for a given problem/category/brand.
Storytelling & Creative Inspiration: Excellent verbal, writing, and presentation skills
Pharma-Proficiency: Thorough mastery of brand mechanisms, disease states, and audience attitudes, preferences, and motivators for both owned and supervised accounts.
New Business Pitches: Act as the Planning lead on new business pitches.
Thought leadership: Introduce new ideas and thinking on Planning related topics
Planning Projects: Lead planning-focused projects on supported brands, including market research, insight mining, audience narratives, customer journeys, and positioning development.
Integrated Strategist: Seamlessly coordinate the integration of multiple disciplines, including Engagement, Media, Marketing Intelligence, and Social.
Workshops: Lead insight, positioning, and messaging workshops.
Creative Briefs: Author inspiring creative briefs, approaching brand challenges from fresh perspectives.
Creative Briefings: Lead inspiring creative briefings.
Creative Evaluation: Evaluate creative output through the lens of the target audience.
Thought Leadership: Contribute to thought leadership departmental initiatives, introducing novel approaches.
Team Management and Mentorship
Leadership Skills: Lead by example, maintaining composure and professionalism in challenging situations, serving as a role model for junior team members.
Hire, Coach, and Develop Team Members: Assign projects to balance workloads and challenge team members' skills, ensuring projects showcase the agency's capabilities.
Provide Regular Feedback: Offer both formal and informal feedback to direct reports to help grow their creative sensibilities and progress in their craft.
Perform Team Evaluations: Participate in performance reviews for any direct reports and provide coaching to create growth plans for team members as needed.
Team Motivation: Foster team motivation and maintain a positive attitude that inspires others
Infuse Psychological Safety into Teams: Facilitate participation, inclusion, and diversity of perspectives on your team and throughout the agency