Brand Planning Director

ZipRecruiter; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a leading global advertising agency in Manchester as a Planning Director, where you'll lead strategic initiatives within the healthcare sector. The role requires strong leadership and healthcare experience, offering numerous benefits, including hybrid working and extensive development opportunities.

Benefits

Hybrid Working - 3 days in the office

28 days annual leave + Bank Holidays

Enhanced family leave and support

Sabbatical opportunities

Life insurance (4x salary)

Wellbeing programme including sports clubs

24/7 Employee Assistance Programme

Qualifications

• Previous agency experience required.
• Healthcare experience preferred.
• Proven experience leading and developing teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead the strategic offering and inspire excellence in team's output.
• Build strong client relationships and identify new business opportunities.
• Mentor strategists and planners to help them reach their potential.

Skills

Team leadership

Brand strategy

Client relationship management

Business growth expertise

Healthcare experience

Job description

Job Description

Are you passionate about creating advertising that not only informs but also transforms lives within the healthcare sector?

At Havas Lynx, a global advertising agency at the forefront of healthcare communications, we combine unmatched creativity, extensive expertise, and a deep understanding of the pharmaceutical and healthcare field. Our communications resonate deeply with audiences and adhere to the highest standards of healthcare advertising.

Committed to driving meaningful change—a change built on a foundation of rich experience, inspired by innovation, and confirmed through our proven track record—we work in close partnership with healthcare professionals, patients, carers, and leading pharmaceutical brands to navigate the complex challenges of today's healthcare landscape. Our approach blends strategic insights and deep scientific acumen with cutting-edge creativity and digital innovation, crafting campaigns and solutions that significantly improve people's lives.

We’re a team of over 400+ people in Manchester and London, with a history spanning over 35 years and an ever-evolving future. You can get a feel for the #LYNXLife through our YouTube #LYNXLife playlist, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

Everything this company achieves—every life it saves, every penny it makes, every policy it changes, every award it wins—is down to everyone who works here.

Please note that this role is based in Manchester , and our current hybrid working arrangement requires office attendance on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays.

Our Role

As Planning Director, you will play a fundamental role in the success of your agency. Leading the strategic offering, you will add outstanding value to every project you are involved in whilst guiding and inspiring excellence in the output of your entire team. You will work closely with Client Services, Medical, Strategy and Creative, providing strategic stewardship to all projects. You will build strong client relationships and proactively identifying opportunities to drive new business activity.

You will be a mentor to the strategists and planners within your team, helping them to reach their potential, whilst working closely with the community of strategy leads across the business to enhance the broader offering of Havas Lynx Group

What you can expect to be doing:

• Demonstrate consistent brand building and business growth expertise
• Supporting Havas Lynx Group in driving best practice in strategy as well as thought leadership activities
• Fluid knowledge and practice in business, marketing, and brand strategy, brand and architecture, campaign planning, and innovation
• Proven track record in both producing effective brand activities and being recognised for these activities in effectiveness awards
• Help the clients understand and implement the brand vision and purpose
• Ensure that your expertise and inputs are sought and valued across the client team
• Take ownership of the development of your team, actively readying them for roles of greater responsibility
• Champion and contribute to the goals of Havas Lynx Group

What we’d like to see from you:

• Previous experience in a similar role (agency experience is required)
• Healthcare experience
• Proven experience leading and developing a team of strategists, delivering work of outstanding creativity and effectiveness
• Strong team leadership skills with the ability to develop talent, including talent mapping
• Positively influencing the culture of your wider agency
• Building effective partnerships with clients

What you can expect from us

A supportive and challenging environment in which you will have the opportunity to learn, grow, and make an impact that matters. We put a huge investment into #LYNXLife and our #LXAcademy internal programmes. It’s a unique initiative that aims to reward hard work, reduce pressures, and ensure that we can all enjoy our time at Lynx. Our strategy is to build capabilities internally and inspire the best talent, so we can continue to deliver on our mission.

You can also expect a whole host of benefits, including:

• Hybrid Working - 3 days in the office
• Starting holiday allowance of 28 days annual leave + Bank Holidays, with increasing allowance connected to length of service
• Option to buy, carry or sell holidays
• Early Friday finish throughout the year
• Seasonal working hours
• Enhanced family leave, pay and return to work benefit scheme
• Extensive L&D support
• Sabbatical opportunities
• Season ticket interest free loans for travel
• Cycle to work scheme
• Life insurance (4x salary)
• Company pension scheme
• Fully compensated company events
• Volunteer days
• Wellbeing programme including sports clubs, discounted gym memberships, free onsite flu vaccinations, extended lunch breaks on Wellness Wednesdays and much more
• +Medicash healthcare benefit
• 24/7 access to a free, confidential and independent Employee Assistance Programme
• Workplace nursery benefit

Get in touch to find out how we can make an impact that matters together.