Program Director, Health

Thrive Global

4d•$136,000 - $180,000

About The Position

Advisory Services has rapidly become the defining growth engine for Thrive for Health. This role sits at the center of Thrive for Health’s most critical and highest-revenue work. Our portfolio now includes large pharma accounts spanning communications, media and PR, social, convenings, events, activations, and content licensing — and it continues to expand. The Program Director, Health Advisory Services serves as the operational and strategic backbone of this growing business. This is a highly execution-oriented role — you’ll draft client-facing communications work products, own operational trackers, brief cross-functional teams, and build the systems and processes that make this business scalable and repeatable. You are the primary author of the comms plans, tentpole strategies, executive briefing materials, and activation documents that clients see, orchestrating internal inputs from Communications and Content teams to ensure successful delivery. You bring deep pharma fluency, thrive in complexity, and are energized by the opportunity to help build and shape a rapidly growing function.

Requirements

8+ years of experience in healthcare communications, corporate affairs, pharma advisory services, or account management
Direct experience drafting client-ready strategic comms documents, particularly in pharma or a highly regulated industry
Exceptional written communication skills, including client-ready strategic documents and concise executive briefing materials
AI-forward working style with active use of tools like Claude and ChatGPT to accelerate execution and improve output quality
Senior account leadership experience at a leading healthcare communications agency such as MSL, M Booth Health, VML Health, Real Chemistry, Edelman Health, Weber Shandwick Health, FleishmanHillard Health, or equivalent
Director-level experience within corporate communications or corporate affairs at a major pharmaceutical company, including coordination across complex internal stakeholder groups
Direct experience supporting major life sciences clients across therapeutic areas such as cardiometabolic health, oncology, cardiovascular, neuroscience, or immunology
Cross-functional communications experience spanning internal communications, external corporate affairs, executive communications, media, or stakeholder engagement
Demonstrated ownership of complex advisory services delivery, including timelines, deliverables, budget management, vendor coordination, and subcontractor oversight
Working fluency in MLR/PRC review processes, FDA OPDP guidance, and the PhRMA Code

Nice To Haves

You’ve built your career at the intersection of pharma, communications, and complex program delivery.
You are a strong tactical leader able to generate a lot of the work product yourself orchestrating contributions from Communications and Content teams but owning the ultimate deliverable.
You instinctively know where every workstream stands, identify risks before they escalate, and can move seamlessly between strategic thinking and operational execution.
You understand the realities of regulated healthcare communications. You don’t need to be taught what MLR means, why it matters, or how to navigate competing stakeholder priorities while maintaining compliance and speed.
You’re equally comfortable leading a CEO-level check-in, briefing a cross-functional team, or managing vendor operations behind the scenes.
You communicate clearly, escalate thoughtfully, and operate with strong judgment and low ego.
You thrive in high-complexity environments, hold multiple priorities simultaneously, and bring a bias toward action that increases the effectiveness of the teams around you.

Responsibilities

Own the master tracker and governance cadence across every advisory services account and pipeline. Ensure every deliverable lands on time, on spec, and on budget.
Drive execution of pharma tentpole activations. Manage vendors, budgets, invoicing, MLRO submissions, and client review workflows.
Draft client-ready communications work product as the primary author — annual comms plans, tentpole comms strategies, executive briefing materials, media narratives, status decks, governance review documents, and activation plans. First drafts come out of your hands at 80% complete; leadership refines rather than rebuilds.
Translate strategic direction into executable briefs for the Communications and Content tactical teams supporting social, content, event planning, production, and PR — with clear context, deadlines, and success criteria so execution lands on strategy.
Collaborate with the Global Head of Strategic Health Partnerships to scope new advisory services opportunities. Support the closing of new partnerships and onboard pipeline accounts.
Own day-to-day execution and escalate only what genuinely requires leadership input.