Strategy Director

Havas Life London; Woking; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A creative health and wellness agency in Woking seeks a Strategy Director to lead strategic initiatives and inspire excellence within the team. You will build strong relationships with clients while driving business growth and defining content strategies. The ideal candidate has senior experience in the pharma industry, proven client management skills, and a knack for innovative problem-solving. This role offers the opportunity to significantly impact client success and agency growth.

Qualifications

• Experience of strategy/planning at a Director level within a creative agency.
• Proven experience in managing large global accounts.
• Line-management experience focused on supporting development.

Responsibilities

• Lead the strategic offering for the agency.
• Build strong client and internal relationships.
• Define and deliver clear content strategy across key accounts.
• Research and gather data for informed insights.

Skills

Commercial experience within the pharma industry

Senior level client management

Strategic capability leadership

Understanding of brand lifecycles

Innovation in working methods

Job description

Havas Life London is not just evolving; we’re reimagining what a health and wellness agency can be. We’re building a destination for the brightest minds, the boldest ideas, and the kind of creativity that reshapes industries.

We’re a collective of curious thinkers, courageous makers, and kind collaborators. The culture we’re building is fast, fearless, and future-facing - driven by a belief that creativity is the most powerful force for growth.

We are vibrant collaborators, smart decision-makers, and believers in a win-or-learn mindset. Our emerging creative culture is built on curiosity, courage, and kindness. We expect more from ourselves and those who join our high-performance team.

As part of the Havas Health network, we’re pushing boundaries, embracing AI and emerging tech, and reimagining how strategic creativity can unlock new value for clients across the globe. We’re here to make London the beating heart of global health communications. Be the go-to creative strategic partner for our network colleagues and client partners alike.

The role

As a Strategy Director, you will play a key role in the success of the 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 the entire team. You will work closely with Client Services, Medical, Strategy and Creative teams, providing strategic input to all projects. You will build strong client and Havas Health network relationships and proactively identify growth opportunities.

You will mentor the Strategists 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 Life London.

Primary responsibilities

• Intimately understand client products, therapy areas and commercial strategy and confidently liaise with clients to propose solutions and opportunities
• Define and deliver clear content strategy across key accounts in partnership with the planning and client services team. Specifically focussing on developing strategies post core claims approval to ensure considered message phasing over time and channel.
• Research and gather data to develop well-informed insights that form the basis of a plan to achieve identified goals
• Develop content and facilitate strategic workshops in partnership with client service and creative teams
• Work with Havas tools and methodologies cross accounts to ensure a consistent approach to building our brands, while remaining aware / flexible to client specific frameworks
• Liaise with externally commissioned market research vendors on methodology and stimuli that fulfil identified strategy (e.g. positioning, messaging, creative, story flow)
• Keep up-to‑date with market knowledge (e.g. competitive, technology, events) and proactively advise the client on new issues and the external environment
• In conjuncture with Creative Director, support development of clearly defined creative briefs that contain concise information on the product, audience and strategy
• Work with the broader team to ensure the brand strategy is fully understood and integrated across deliverables (creative, messaging and tactical)
• Interest, passion and aptitude for creative business and marketing solutions

Commercial awareness and business development

• Support in new business growth through pitches and identifying opportunities to organically grow existing accounts
• Proactively sell agency services that are innovative, visible and profitable, as well as create and develop opportunities for growing business within existing accounts
• Be aware of the wider industry, client competitor strategies and market environment, and use this knowledge to direct the account teams’ work in consultation with clients
• Keep up‑to‑date with changes and updates within healthcare and areas of expertise
• Be able to demonstrate an understanding of how the agency strategy cascades into operational delivery plans to strengthen the relationship with our clients
• Partner with other Havas Life network providers accordingly, to help secure larger business wins

You’ll bring

• Commercial experience within the pharma industry
• Experience of strategy / planning at a Director level within a creative agency
• You can bring to life a compelling strategic story
• Experience in leading the strategic capability of large global accounts
• Proven experience in senior level client management
• The ability to identify and implement new ways of working and thinking that will deliver innovation across the agency
• An in‑depth understanding of commercial brand strategy
• Line‑management experience, and with a focus on supporting people’s development
• Experience in managing brands across multiple internal and external stakeholders, understanding of brand lifecycles