Vice President, Account Director

Publicis Health; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 121,000 - 194,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical coverage

Dental

Vision

Disability

401K

Parental and family care leave

Tuition reimbursement

Flexible time off

Job summary

Publicis Groupe is seeking an experienced Agency Operations leader to drive process, budgets, and client leadership within CoLab. The role demands deep knowledge of healthcare communications, team leadership, and strategic client partnership.

Responsibilities include budget forecasting, production supervision, and ensuring timely client reporting, with an expectation of 8+ years in the field and an MBA or related discipline preferred.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree; MBA or related discipline preferred.
• Experience in healthcare communications environment required.
• 8+ years of experience in account management or related field.

Responsibilities

• Drives the process, develops tactical plans, and forecasts budgets.
• Manages client budgets, hours, expenses, and reconciliation against estimates.
• Leads team and provides clear direction to junior account staff.
• Maintains timely, accurate client documentation and reporting.

Skills

Integrity

Self-development

Healthcare communications experience

Leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree

MBA or related discipline preferred

Job description

Company Description

CoLab is a fully integrated, cross-discipline team that provides best-in‑class services in a fluid and modular way. With our clients at the center, we create brand movement at the speed of people’s lives by connecting real‑time data with world‑class creative, content, and media in service of growth and Return on investment.

CoLab is a “power of one” solution, encompassing data, media, and production. By drawing from across the vast Publicis Groupe network, we are uniquely positioned to deliver innovation and specialized skills to our clients, as well as enriching opportunities and inclusive benefits to our employees. We pride ourselves on combining the atmosphere of a startup company with the stability and experience of a global leader.

Overview

Please note that this is a Temporary to Permanent position.

Responsibilities

Agency Operations

• Drives the process and details, and develops tactical plans. Forecasts budgets.
• Finances: Develops and administers clients’ budgets based on accurate estimating and tracking of hours, out‑of‑pocket expenses, and reconciliation against estimates. Raises client awareness as to when changes in client direction affect estimates. Thorough knowledge of contract and its implications.
• Sound decision making regarding hours dedicated to jobs, what to prioritize. Thorough knowledge of all basic financial tools necessary to account management
• Trouble shoot: Solutions oriented. Knows when things might get off track in agency operations. Uses experience and judgment to proactively solve for potential problems before they get too big. Ability to solve client issues, independently moderate conflicts and influence management decisions
• Team Leadership: Takes on wider, formal and informal leadership responsibilities within the agency
• Management: team leader, provides clear and fair direction & feedback to junior account staff

Knowledge

• Deep, expert understanding of HCP Healthcare, the audience and at least two channels.
• Demonstrates and applies extensive and expert knowledge of assigned brands
• Successfully serves as point of authority and/or source of advice for therapeutic area
• Ensures team adherence to agency process. Identifies issues and leads problem resolution

Tactics and Execution

• Develops marketing/ brand platform briefs). Owns the agency process. Shows resourcefulness and thoroughness in developing tactical plans, including budgets and timelines.
• Production: Supervises and effectively manages the production of client-approved marketing tools
• Creative: Collaborates on creative brief development
• Assumes responsibility for the writing and preparation of marketing communications plans and proposals

Client Relationship

• Communicate key client issues/ initiatives to team accurately and in timely manner
• Builds trusting relationships with client counterparts. Is seen as strategic, integral to the account, and offering added value.
• Brand Champion: Ensures everyone focused on brand strategy and positioning: client, account team, and other internal departments
• Agency Champion: Understands, communicates and advocates the agency POV Presentations: Ensures client is kept apprised of all account activity: this includes ultimate responsibility for ensuring that appropriate written reports are delivered accurately and quickly. Presents complex data or messages in clear, succinct, compelling manner to clients
• Lead role in ensuring timely, accurate client documentation & correspondence

Qualifications

About You:

• Exhibits Integrity and Trust
• Exhibits Self Development
• Bachelor’s degree
• MBA, Masters in Marketing or related discipline preferred
• Experience in healthcare communications environment required
• 8+ year’s experience

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.

• medical coverage
• dental
• vision
• disability
• 401K
• parental and family care leave
• family forming assistance
• tuition reimbursement
• 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.

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. 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 10/12/2026.

Compensation Range: USD $121,315.00 - USD $194,220.00/Annually. This is the pay range the Company believes it will pay for this position at the time of this posting. 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.