Associate Media Director (Pharma)

Good Apple; New York (NY); On-site; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading media agency located in New York seeks an Associate Media Director to bridge the gap between client business goals and media execution. The successful candidate will lead strategic media planning, mentor a diverse team, and manage client relationships in the pharmaceutical sector. Ideally, you have 5–8 years of media planning experience, with a strong focus on pharma markets. Exceptional communication skills and an understanding of regulatory challenges are essential for success in this role.

Qualifications

• 5–8 years in media planning with at least 2+ years of direct people management experience.
• Demonstrated experience in pharmaceutical and/or healthcare brands.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of holistic media strategies aligning with brand goals.
• Serve as a strategic partner to senior-level clients.
• Directly manage a diverse team, creating personalized growth plans.

Skills

Pharmaceutical marketing expertise

Media planning

Communication skills

Negotiation skills

Team management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, or related field

Job description

Role Overview: As an Associate Media Director (AMD), you are the strategic bridge between our clients’ business goals and our media team's execution. You aren’t just managing plans; you are leading a vision. You will serve as the primary point of contact for high-level clients, guiding them through the complex media landscape with precision, creativity, and data-driven insights.

The ideal candidate is a seasoned media professional with a "player-coach" mentality—someone who can architect a sophisticated multi-channel strategy one hour and mentor a rising Media Planner the next. This role requires deep experience in pharmaceutical marketing, including an understanding of regulatory considerations, healthcare audiences, and pharma-specific media strategy.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership & Innovation: Visionary Planning — Lead the development of holistic media strategies that align with brand goals, ensuring every tactic drives measurable business impact within the pharmaceutical landscape
• Strategic Leadership & Innovation: Forward-Thinking — Drive media innovation by identifying and implementing key initiatives such as AI/ML integration, custom algorithms, and omni-channel audience segmentation
• Strategic Leadership & Innovation: Thought Leadership — Stay at the forefront of industry trends (including pharma-specific regulations and advancements) to author and socialize POVs, keeping both the internal team and clients ahead of the curve
• Strategic Leadership & Innovation: New Business — Partner with new business team to support growth efforts, contributing to brainstorms, tactical strategy, and high-stakes pitches—particularly within pharma and healthcare verticals

• Client Partnership & Advocacy: Trusted Advisor — Serve as a strategic partner to senior-level clients (CMOs and Procurement), translating complex media data into actionable business narratives, with a strong understanding of pharmaceutical marketing dynamics
• Client Partnership & Advocacy: Education & Guidance — Lead "Media 101" sessions and Media Days to empower clients with a deeper understanding of the landscape, including pharma-specific considerations such as compliance and audience targeting
• Client Partnership & Advocacy: Performance Storytelling — Oversee high-level reporting and campaign wrap-ups that clearly demonstrate value-add wins, savings, and ROI

• Team Management & Culture: Mentorship — Directly manage a diverse team (Planners, Supervisors, AMPs), creating personalized growth plans and fostering a culture of high performance and "team happiness."
• Team Management & Culture: Operational Excellence — Standardize workflows and templates across brands to ensure efficiency and consistency
• Team Management & Culture: Resource Management — Work with leadership to build staffing scenarios, ensuring proper resource utilization and agency profitability

• Partner & Vendor Relations: Strategic Negotiation — Lead large-scale account or agency-wide negotiations with media, data, and measurement partners, including those specific to healthcare/pharma
• Partner & Vendor Relations: Financial Stewardship — Oversee media budgets in partnership with Account leads, ensuring fiscal responsibility and optimal payment terms (Ts and Cs)
• Partner & Vendor Relations: Framework Development — Guide teams in evaluating partner proposals using scorecard-based frameworks and SQAD benchmarking

Qualifications

• Experience: 5–8 years in media planning with at least 2+ years of direct people management experience
• Pharma Experience (Required): Demonstrated experience working on pharmaceutical and/or healthcare brands, with a strong understanding of regulatory environments, compliance, and audience nuances
• Communication: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills; ability to present persuasively to C-suite executives
• Expertise: Deep knowledge of the media landscape, competitive tools, and emerging technologies
• Soft Skills: Strong negotiation and influence skills, a high level of attention to detail, and the ability to remain calm and effective under pressure
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, or a related field (preferred)