Group Director, Brand Strategy (Health)

VML South Africa; New York (NY); On-site; USD 100,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a Group Strategy Director to lead brand development for a renowned CPG giant in the dermo-cosmetic sector. This exciting role involves leveraging insights and innovative strategies to connect with healthcare professionals and consumers alike. You will be at the forefront of industry trends, collaborating with diverse teams to craft compelling narratives and drive brand success. With a focus on empathy and understanding, this position offers a unique opportunity to make a meaningful impact in the healthcare space, all while being part of a dynamic and inclusive work culture that champions creativity and growth.

Benefits

Medical Coverage

Dental Coverage

Vision Coverage

401k Match

Paid Time Off

Growth Opportunities

Inclusive Workplace Culture

Qualifications

• 10-15+ years in strategic planning and brand-building, especially in OTC/personal care.
• Experience with healthcare professionals and building client relationships.

Responsibilities

• Guide client teams with strategic insights to build brands in a cluttered market.
• Lead innovative activations and develop actionable segmentations.

Skills

Strategic Planning

Brand Building

Client Relationship Management

Qualitative Research

Quantitative Research

Creative Brief Development

Communication Skills

Team Leadership

Education

Bachelor’s Degree

Job description

At VML, we are a beacon of innovation and growth in an ever-evolving world. Our heritage is built upon a century of combined expertise, where creativity meets technology, and diverse perspectives ignite inspiration. With the merger of VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson, we have forged a new path as a growth partner that is part creative agency, part consultancy, and part technology powerhouse.

Our global family now encompasses over 30,000 employees across 150+ offices in 64 markets, each contributing to a culture that values connection, belonging, and the power of differences. Our expertise spans the entire customer journey, offering deep insights in communications, commerce, consultancy, CRM, CX, data, production, and technology. We deliver end-to-end solutions that result in revolutionary work.

About VML Health:

VML HEALTH is a global healthcare agency that partners with healthcare clients across a broad definition of health, from high science to wellness and everything in between. It operates fluidly within the VML agency, as a core group of health specialists (a ‘vertical’) that has the benefit of autonomy in management, but with support of non-health expertise.

Our purpose is to bridge this gap, bringing people closer to life and all its meaning. We gain a deeper understanding of Healthcare Professionals’ and patients’ needs, behaviors and lived experiences through what we call ‘radical empathy’.

VML Health creates connected brands that get to the heart, bringing people closer to the lives they want to live. Get to the heart. Connect for life.

WHERE YOU SHINE

As Group Strategy Director (Brand) you will partner with a renowned CPG giant to develop a portfolio of brands aimed at professionals in the dermo-cosmetic category (think dermatologist and aestheticians) primarily, and potentially other portfolios that include well known dental and veterinarian driven brands. You will be at the forefront of dermo-cosmetics trends, anticipate opportunities and obsessively look for innovative ways to connect with your audiences. We are looking for someone who is passionate about the space, can collaborate to solve business challenges and knows how to leverage science/data and emotion to ensure relevance.

What you’ll do:

• Guide client team via strategic points of view/roadmaps to build their brands in an always evolving, cluttered category
• Proactively mine industry trends, cultural and audience insights to fuel breakthrough ideas.
• Challenge category cliches to ensure clear, resonant, and actionable brand and campaign strategies
• Oversee and/or execute brief development in collaboration with internal partners (Creative, Account, Engagement, Social)
• Help develop actionable segmentations to identify most valuable Professional audience(s), coms plans and messaging framework leading up to compelling narratives
• Lead innovative activations to engage audiences in unexpected but effective ways
• Co-lead development of social platforms and KOL/DOL programs
• Propose/sell-in/lead high-impact strategic workshops. Ensure excellence in logistics, creativity of approach, and optimization potential

What you’ll need:

• 10-15+ years of experience in overall strategic planning and brand-building, having worked across complex brand portfolios in OTC/personal care - skin health experience a plus
• Experience promoting to professionals/HCPs such as dermatologists, aestheticians, cosmetic nurses, dentists, dental assistants, etc.
• Able to develop strong client relationships and trust based on deep immersion in the client's business.
• Highly collaborative and able to work effectively across internal and external stakeholders.
• As a critical and analytical thinker, innovator, and visionary, you will play a crucial role in inspiring creativity and guiding the team toward success.
• Managerial experience (leading & building a team)
• Qualitative and quantitative research proficiency
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Brand Launch experience is preferred
• Capable of independently drafting a creative brief based on client needs
• Minimum of a bachelor’s degree and a multidisciplinary background, including developing business strategy, marketing strategy, consumer insight, behavior change and/or account planning

What We Offer:

• Passionate, driven people: We champion a culture of people who do extraordinary work.
• Consciously cultivated culture: We aim to embody the behaviors to build an inclusive community that is in it together, bringing both positivity and active listening into the workplace as we simultaneously strive to empower creative bravery.
• Competitive benefits: What we offer full-time hires ranges from the full spectrum of group health coverage options (medical, dental, vision) to a generous 401k match (100% dollar-for-dollar match, up to 5% of salary contribution), and a variety of paid time off offerings that reflect our investment in all aspects of your overall life balance and wellness.
• Growth-minded opportunities: We aim to nurture a culture of real-time feedback, a growth-oriented mindset, and plenty of training opportunities through VML and WPP so you can continue to grow personally and professionally.

VML is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, religion or belief, sex, age, national origin, citizenship status, marital status, military/veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical or mental disability, or other protected group status. We believe in creating a dynamic work environment that values diversity and inclusion and strives to recruit a diverse slate of candidates to help us achieve that goal.

The base salary range for this position at the time of this posting is indicated below. Individual compensation varies based on job-related factors, including location, business needs, level of responsibility, experience, and qualifications. We offer a competitive benefits package, click WPP Benefits for more details.

$100,000 — $230,000 USD

At VML, we are committed to fostering an all-inclusive work environment that is both rewarding and career-forward. Our Inclusion, Equity & Belonging initiatives, alongside the VML Foundation, reflect our dedication to giving back and making a positive impact in our communities and beyond. Our people are the heartbeat of our organization—creators, doers, innovators, makers, and thinkers—who drive not just marketing, but meaningful experiences that resonate in every action and interaction.

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