Associate Director Client Services

Meet Life Sciences; United States; On-site; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Meet Life Sciences is seeking an experienced Associate Client Services Director to act as a strategic partner to clients across a diverse portfolio. You will lead client relationships, oversee account strategy and delivery, and manage financial performance in a fast-paced medical communications agency.

The role emphasizes combining medical communications expertise with strategic and commercial thinking, developing high-performing teams, and driving growth opportunities for key accounts.

Qualifications

• Experience in a medical communications agency or related field.
• Strong client-facing and senior stakeholder management skills.
• Proven ability to manage budgets, forecasts and revenue recoverability.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a trusted senior advisor to clients and lead strategic account direction.
• Oversee account strategy, delivery, and financial performance across multiple accounts.
• Identify growth opportunities and build high-performing teams.
• Partner with Scientific Leads to align plans with client objectives.
• Lead client conversations on budgets, scope changes, and billing.

Skills

Client relationship management

Strategic account management

Budgeting & forecasting

Leadership & mentoring

Cross-functional collaboration

Strategic thinking

Project leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in science or related field

Job description

We are seeking an experienced Associate Client Services Director (ACSD) to join a leading medical communications agency and act as a strategic partner to clients across a diverse portfolio of accounts.

This is a senior client-facing role for someone who combines strong medical communications expertise with strategic and commercial thinking. You will lead client relationships, oversee account strategy and delivery, manage financial performance, identify growth opportunities, and develop high-performing teams.

The ideal candidate will be confident operating at a senior level with both clients and internal stakeholders, while remaining hands-on and solutions-focused in a fast-paced agency environment.

Key Responsibilities:

• Serve as a trusted senior advisor and strategic partner to clients, developing strong relationships and proactively anticipating their needs.
• Lead and oversee a diverse portfolio of medical communications accounts across multiple therapeutic areas and tactics.
• Bring strong industry, scientific, and commercial expertise to strategic client discussions and challenge thinking where appropriate.
• Provide strategic and operational direction to account teams, ensuring client objectives translate into effective execution.
• Partner closely with Scientific Leads to develop account strategy, identify opportunities, and ensure plans are strategically sound and operationally achievable.
• Act as a senior escalation point for clients and internal teams, proactively identifying risks and resolving challenges.
• Provide onsite client support where required.
• Provide overall leadership across complex projects and accounts, ensuring work is delivered to a high standard, on time, and within budget.
• Lead, delegate, and empower account teams while maintaining a hands‑on approach when required.
• Drive alignment across cross‑functional teams, including Scientific Services, Creative, Digital, and other agency disciplines.
• Ensure appropriate resourcing across accounts, proactively identifying and addressing capacity or capability challenges.
• Lead regular account and team meetings, maintaining clear priorities, actions, and accountability.
• Review and approve work in partnership with Scientific Leads, ensuring quality and consistency across deliverables.
• Drive continuous improvements in processes, efficiencies, and best practices.
• Own account financial performance, including budgets, forecasting, revenue, profitability, billability, and recoverability.
• Partner with senior leadership and Scientific Leads to establish realistic revenue targets and ensure financial performance aligns with business goals.
• Monitor account financials and proactively address variances, risks, and opportunities.
• Lead client conversations around annual budgets, scope changes, out‑of‑scope work, billing, and commercial considerations.
• Build strong relationships with senior client and procurement stakeholders and support commercial and MSA negotiations.
• Ensure accurate and timely financial administration across the account team.

Business Development & Growth

• Identify and proactively pursue organic growth opportunities across existing accounts.
• Build trusted client relationships that create opportunities for expanded partnerships and new business.
• Lead or contribute to pitches, proposals, and new business opportunities.
• Stay current on developments across the pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical communications landscape to identify emerging opportunities.
• Partner with internal teams to develop innovative solutions that address evolving client needs.
• Line manage and mentor account team members across varying levels of seniority.
• Provide regular, constructive feedback and support individual career development.
• Coach and develop high‑performing teams, adapting leadership style to bring out the best in individuals.
• Contribute to wider agency leadership and culture initiatives.
• Build strong relationships with senior leadership and act as a trusted partner to the Business Unit Founder.

What We're Looking For

• Extensive experience within a medical communications agency with a strong understanding of the industry and client landscape.
• Proven experience managing senior‑level client relationships and complex medical communications accounts.
• Broad experience across multiple therapeutic areas, clients, and medical communications tactics.
• Strong understanding of the pharmaceutical and biotech landscape, with the ability to translate industry knowledge into strategic client solutions.
• Demonstrated experience working cross‑functionally with Scientific/Medical, Creative, Digital, and other agency teams.
• Strong commercial acumen, with hands‑on experience managing budgets, forecasting, revenue, and recoverability.
• Proven people leadership experience, including line management, coaching, and mentoring.
• Excellent strategic, organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Comfortable working in a fast‑paced, entrepreneurial agency environment where you can be both strategic and hands‑on.
• Bachelor's degree in science, pharmacology, medicine, or a related field preferred, with the ability to apply and communicate strong scientific knowledge.