Senior Vice President, Client Lead (Client Strategy)

Publicis Groupe Holdings B.V; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 180,000 - 269,000; Full time

Job summary

PHM, the leading health media agency in the US, seeks a Senior Vice President, Client Lead to steer high-impact client relationships and translate business goals into integrated media strategies.

Reporting to the EVP, Group Client Lead, you’ll guide cross-functional teams, shape strategic direction, drive organic growth, and ensure operational excellence across major accounts in healthcare and related sectors.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in media, advertising, marketing, or a related field.
• 6+ years of people leadership and management experience.
• Deep expertise across cross-channel media strategy and the broader media ecosystem.
• Significant experience leading large, complex client relationships and/or portfolios.
• Experience in the pharmaceutical or healthcare required.
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex client relationships and high-performing, cross-functional teams.
• Exceptional executive presence, communication, presentation, and relationship-building skills.
• Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders and operate effectively in complex, matrixed organizations.
• Strong critical thinking and business insight, with the ability to connect media strategy to broader business outcomes.
• Demonstrated success developing talent and building strong, collaborative teams.
• Proven ability to identify and drive organic growth opportunities.
• Strong innovation, problem-solving, and change leadership skills.
• Ability to balance strategic vision with strong business and operational rigor.

Responsibilities

• Lead senior-level client engagements, strategic presentations, business reviews, and key agency/client meetings.
• Own the overall media strategy, approach, and vision across assigned accounts.
• Maintain a high standard of client service and ensure the team consistently delivers clear, compelling communications.
• Partner with cross-functional agency leaders to ensure strategic alignment and integration across fields.
• Contribute to agency thought leadership through POVs, industry events, articles, interviews, and other external-facing opportunities.

Skills

Media strategy

Executive leadership

Client leadership

Cross-functional teams

Stakeholder influence

Public speaking

Job description

Company description

PHM is the leading health media agency in the US, built for the modern healthcare experience. Here, industry depth meets media scale, where data becomes direction, where creativity and storytelling bring truth to life, and where orchestration replaces fragmentation.

Dedicated to making brands discovered, PHM redefines what media can do through data, content, and creativity. Because in modern healthcare, the brands that are found are the ones that lead. And when brands lead, advantage follows. Go deeper. Be found.

Overview

The Senior Vice President, Client Lead is a senior agency leader responsible for the overall relationship, strategic direction, and business performance of a major client or portfolio of clients. Reporting to the EVP, Group Client Lead, this role serves as a trusted senior advisor to clients and provides leadership across cross-functional agency teams to deliver high-quality, integrated media solutions that drive meaningful business impact.

The SVP, Client Lead sets the strategic vision for the account, strengthens and expands senior client relationships, ensures organizational alignment and operational excellence, and identifies opportunities for organic growth. This leader brings deep media expertise, strong business acumen, and the ability to connect client business priorities to innovative, audience-first media strategies.

Responsibilities

Client Leadership & Strategic Partnership

• Serve as a senior strategic advisor and primary agency leader for senior client stakeholders, building trusted relationships across marketing, media, and broader business functions.
• Develop a deep understanding of the client's business, brand priorities, customer audiences, competitive landscape, and evolving market dynamics.
• Shape client marketing and media priorities and translate business objectives into clear strategic direction for agency teams.
• Own the overall media strategy, approach, and vision across assigned accounts.
• Lead senior-level client engagements, strategic presentations, business reviews, and key agency/client meetings.
• Serve as a senior point of escalation for complex client issues, ensuring concerns are addressed thoughtfully and effectively.
• Represent the agency's capabilities and point of view with confidence and credibility, while balancing client needs with agency objectives.
• Maintain a high standard of client service and ensure the team consistently delivers clear, compelling, and impactful communications.

Media Strategy & Innovation

• Bring deep expertise across the media ecosystem, including paid media, audience strategy, data, technology, measurement, and emerging channels.
• Apply a broad perspective beyond healthcare and pharma, bringing relevant guidelines and innovation from industries such as CPG, retail, technology, and other consumer-focused businesses.
• Provide perspective on industry trends, evolving consumer and HCP behaviors, media innovation, and changes within the healthcare landscape.
• Champion audience-first, data-driven, and business-focused approaches to media planning and activation.
• Encourage innovative thinking and challenge teams and clients to identify new opportunities to improve business outcomes.
• Partner with cross-functional agency leaders to ensure strategic alignment and integration across fields.
• Contribute to agency thought leadership through POVs, industry events, articles, interviews, and other external-facing opportunities.

Leadership & Talent Development

• Lead and inspire cross-functional teams through clear direction, strong communication, and active collaboration.
• Build a culture of trust, inclusion, accountability, and respect across assigned teams and client relationships.
• Lead through influence across fields and agency partners, aligning teams around common objectives and priorities.
• Develop and mentor senior and emerging talent, providing coaching, career guidance, and opportunities for growth.
• Establish clear expectations and accountability for team performance and professional development.
• Support performance management, goal setting, talent reviews, and succession planning.
• Identify and attract strong talent through recruiting, interviewing, referrals, and broader industry relationships.
• Serve as a role model for PHM culture, leadership principles, and ways of working.

Business Management & Organic Growth

• Partner with the EVP, Group Client Lead and Business Management leadership to establish and achieve account growth and profitability objectives.
• Identify and lead opportunities to expand the agency relationship through upsell, cross-sell, and new capability opportunities.
• Develop and maintain organic growth strategies and roadmaps aligned to client priorities and agency capabilities.
• Find opportunities to bring additional Publicis Groupe capabilities and expertise to clients.
• Lead or contribute to new business opportunities, pitches, and strategic growth initiatives.
• Partner with Business Management to scope work, manage resources, and ensure the business is positioned for sustainable growth and profitability.
• Maintain awareness of account performance, staffing, resources, and financial considerations to support strong business outcomes.

Agency Leadership & Collaboration

• Collaborate with senior leaders across PHM and Publicis Groupe to bring the right expertise and capabilities to clients.
• Ensure cross-functional teams are aligned on client priorities, strategic direction, deliverables, and expectations.
• Advocate for the needs of both the client and agency teams to create effective, sustainable partnerships.
• Drive adoption of relevant agency capabilities, tools, processes, and guidelines.
• Contribute to broader agency initiatives, leadership forums, task forces, and strategic priorities.
• Represent PHM with professionalism and credibility across clients, partners, and the broader industry.

Qualifications

Requirements

• 15+ years of experience in media, advertising, marketing, or a related field.
• 6+ years of people leadership and management experience.
• Deep expertise across cross-channel media strategy and the broader media ecosystem.
• Significant experience leading large, complex client relationships and/or portfolios.
• Experience in the pharmaceutical or healthcare required.
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex client relationships and high-performing, cross-functional teams.
• Exceptional executive presence, communication, presentation, and relationship-building skills.
• Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders and operate effectively in complex, matrixed organizations.
• Strong critical thinking and business insight, with the ability to connect media strategy to broader business outcomes.
• Demonstrated success developing talent and building strong, collaborative teams.
• Proven ability to identify and drive organic growth opportunities.
• Strong innovation, problem-solving, and change leadership skills.
• Ability to balance strategic vision with strong business and operational rigor.

Additional information

Our Publicis Groupe motto “Viva La Différence” means we’re better together, and we believe that our differences make us stronger. It means we honor and celebrate all identities, across all facets of intersectionality, and it underpins all that we do as an organization. We are focused on fostering belonging and creating equitable & inclusive experiences for all talent.

Publicis Groupe provides robust and inclusive benefit programs and policies to support the evolving and diverse needs of our talent and enable every person to grow and thrive. Our benefits package includes medical coverage, dental, vision, disability, 401K, as well as parental and family care leave, family forming assistance, tuition reimbursement, and flexible time off.

If you require accommodation or assistance with the application or onboarding process specifically, please contact [e-mail].

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Compensation Range

USD $180,215.00 - USD $268,905.00/Annually. This is the pay range the Company believes it will pay for this position at the time of this posting. This role may also be eligible for bonus or incentive compensation. Consistent with applicable law, compensation will be determined based on the skills, qualifications, and experience of the applicant along with the requirements of the position, and the Company reserves the right to modify this pay range at any time. Temporary roles may be eligible to participate in our freelancer/temporary employee medical plan through a third-party benefits administration system once certain criteria have been met. Temporary roles may also qualify for participation in our 401(k) plan after eligibility criteria have been met. For regular roles, the Company will offer medical coverage, dental, vision, disability, 401k, and paid time off. The Company anticipates the application deadline for this job posting will be 10/1/2026.