Vice President, Integrated Strategy

Syneos Health; Canada; Remote; CAD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare communications company seeks a seasoned strategist for a remote role in Canada. You will lead brand strategies, mentor teams, and collaborate across departments to enhance strategic understanding. The ideal candidate has over 8 years in healthcare advertising, strong leadership skills, and a deep knowledge of pharma regulations. Join us to create compelling narratives that drive success.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in brand, communications, or CX Strategy.
• Leadership experience with a demonstrated ability to inspire talent.
• Strong knowledge of US pharma regulations.

Responsibilities

• Act as strategic authority across assigned brands.
• Manage, mentor, and cultivate the careers of direct reports.
• Collaborate with NA Strategy Lead to execute education plan.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Leadership

Healthcare acumen

Presentation skills

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Advanced degree (MBA, MS)

Tools

Journey mapping

Qualitative research

Quantitative research

Job description

Updated: October 27, 2025
Location: Remote, Remote, Canada
Job ID:11877

A seasoned strategist who sees the big picture. You’re fluent in the language of healthcare, but passionate about the language of humanity. You don’t just find insights; you build inspiring stories that leverage culture, data, and behavioral science that are so compelling, they’re impossible to ignore. Most importantly, you’re a builder. You’re excited by the challenge of not just doing great work but also building internal appreciation for how great strategic work gets done and why it matters.

You believe strategy is more than a department; it’s a mindset.

BRAND & NEW BUSINESS STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP

• Act as strategic authority across assigned brands, providing clear compelling direction internally and externally
• Architect and oversee the development of brand, creative, communications, and omnichannel strategies
• Identify opportunities for application of SH proprietary data, predictive platform, and other new offerings on inline brands/NB
• Key leader in new business pitches, commanding the room and articulating a clear, winning strategic vision that shines through in the work

DEPARTMENT & TEAM LEADERSHIP

• Manage, mentor, and cultivate the careers of direct reports (VPs, Directors, Senior Strategists), fostering a supportive environment of growth and intellectual curiosity
• Establish and enforce best practices for the strategy department, ensuring consistency and excellence in all strategic deliverables.
• Support Integrated Strategy cross-office initiatives and work in concert with SVP Medical lead to ensure adoption within the team
• Work with Ops leadership to identify staffing gaps, manage office-level staffing needs, and maintain business targets (utilization)

CROSS-FUNCTIONAL ALIGNMENT & COLLABORATION

• Collaborate with NA Strategy Lead to develop and execute an internal education plan to elevate the agency’s collective understanding of strategic craft
• Build powerful, two-way relationships with leaders in other departments, demonstrating how we show up as “we” and how strategic partnership leads to better work, stronger client relationships, and organic growth
• Proactively identify opportunities to showcase the value of strategy during all agency meetings (e.g., Beach Session), showcasing the work, and delivering thought leadership
• Skillfully navigate internal skepticism by lining strategic initiatives directly to client satisfaction and business outcomes

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Must be willing to work West Coast hours
• Must have strong knowledge of US pharma regulations
• Experience: 8+ years of experience in brand, communications, or CX Strategy, with at least 5 years within a healthcare advertising agency
• Healthcare Acumen: Deep expertise across various therapeutic categories. A proven track record of successfully launching pharmaceutical/biotech brands in the US market is essential, DTC and HCP experience.
• Leadership: 8+ years of direct management experience, with a demonstrated ability to inspire and develop strategic talent
• Strategic Craft: Mastery of a wide range of strategic tools and frameworks (e.g., journey mapping, workshop design, qualitative/quantitative research, competitive analysis, persona development)
• Presentation & Storytelling: World-class communication skills. Ability to command a senior-level client audience and simplify the complex with clarity and passion
• Education: Bachelor’s degree required. Advanced degree (MBA, MS) in relevant field is a plus

At GSW, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace. If your past experience doesn’t align perfectly, we encourage you to apply anyway. At times, we will consider transferable skills from previous roles. We also encourage you to join our Talent Network to stay connected to additional career opportunities.

GSW is a full-service healthcare communications agency that goes beyond advertising to create personalized brand experiences that involve, inspire, educate and activate people through ongoing brand journeys. As one of the world's ten most-awarded healthcare advertising agencies, GSW is hell-bent not to replace the same old with the same old. This is achieved through a provocative premise — if other brands communicated the way healthcare brands do, how many customers would they have? GSW turns against this premise through discovery of beneath-the-surface customer insights that we impact with stories, simplicity and authenticity.