VP, Account Director

Syneos Health; Santa Monica (CA); On-site; USD 155,000 - 185,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

401k match

Flexible PTO

Vaccination policy

Job summary

Syneos Health in Santa Monica, CA is seeking an experienced Account Lead to manage a single brand, mentor a growing account team, and build a strong client/agency partnership.

The role requires deep knowledge of healthcare and pharmaceutical brands, the ability to articulate insights, tell a compelling story, and sell agency work to clients. Collaboration with cross-functional teams is essential for success.

Qualifications

• Experience leading accounts in advertising agencies.
• Ability to mentor junior team members.
• Strong client relationship and partnership building.

Responsibilities

• Account lead for single brand and mentors junior account team
• Create a strong client/agency partnership
• Partner with other departments to ensure a cohesive team
• Understand product clinical data, competitive landscape, and customer insights to provide strategic value

Skills

Account lead

Mentoring

Client partnership

Strategic storytelling

Healthcare/pharma knowledge

Job description

Updated: September 17, 2026
Location: Santa Monica, CA, United States
Job ID:18138

You are organized, driven, and thrive in a leader position.

In this role, you will maintain close relationships while building lasting trust and confidents with multiple accounts. By developing strong partnerships, you will be able to provide strategic support and key growth insight. You will:

• Account lead for single brand and mentors junior account team
• Creates a strong client/agency partnership
• Partners with other departments to ensure a strong, cohesive team
• Understands product clinical data, competitive landscape, and customer insights to provide strategic value
• 7-10 years’ advertising agency experience required, with at least 5 years experience working on healthcare and/or pharmaceutical brands
• Good communicator who can develop a clear, well-supported point of view, tell a compelling “story,” and “sell” agency work

Desired Requirements:

• Knowledge and application of new technologies and innovations affecting the health marketplace
• Leader who commands attention and respect, can manage group dynamics and difficult situations, and steer clients or agency teams in the right direction

The annual base salary for this position ranges from $155,000 to $185,000. The base salary range represents the anticipated low and high of the Syneos Health range for this position. Actual salary will vary based on various factors such as the candidate's qualifications, skills, competencies, and proficiency for the role. In addition, some positions may include eligibility to earn commissions/bonus based on company and / or individual performance.

At GSW, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace. If your past experience doesn’t align perfectly, we encourage you to apply anyway. At times, we will consider transferable skills from previous roles. We also encourage you to join our Talent Network to stay connected to additional career opportunities.

GSW is a full-service healthcare communications agency that goes beyond advertising to create personalized brand experiences that involve, inspire, educate and activate people through ongoing brand journeys. As one of the world's ten most-awarded healthcare advertising agencies, GSW is hell-bent not to replace the same old with the same old. This is achieved through a provocative premise — if other brands communicated the way healthcare brands do, how many customers would they have? GSW turns against this premise through discovery of beneath-the-surface customer insights that we impact with stories, simplicity and authenticity.

W o r k H e r e M a t t e r s E v e r y w h e r e | How are you inspired to change lives?

Syneos Health companies are affirmative action/equal opportunity employers (Minorities/Females/Veterans/Disabled)

Syneos Health has a voluntary COVID-19 vaccination policy. We strongly encourage all employees to be fully vaccinated. Additionally, certain local governments or Syneos Health customers may have vaccine requirements that apply to some of our employees. These employees are required to submit proof of vaccination to Syneos Health and maintain compliance with these requirements.
At Syneos Health, we believe in providing an environment and culture in which Our People can thrive, develop and advance. We reward and recognize our people by providing valuable benefits and a quality-of-life balance. The benefits for this position will include a competitive compensation package, Health benefits to include Medical, Dental and Vision, Company match 401k, flexible paid time off (PTO) and sick time. Because certain states and municipalities have regulated paid sick time requirements, eligibility for paid sick time may vary depending on where you work. Syneos Health complies with all applicable federal, state, and municipal paid sick time requirements.

Discover what our more than 25,000 employees already know: work here matterseverywhere. We work hard,and smart, all in the name of getting much-needed therapies to thosewho need them most. A career with Syneos Health means your everyday workimprovespatients’ lives around the world. Selecting us as an employer secures acareer inwhich you’re guaranteed to:

Syneos Health® is a leading fully integrated biopharmaceutical solutions organization builtto accelerate customer success. We translate unique clinical, medical affairs and commercialinsights into outcomes to address modern market realities. To learn more visit syneoshealth.com .

Syneos Health is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receiveconsideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, marital status,ethnicity, national origin, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protectedveteran status, disability or any other legally protected status and will not bediscriminated against. If you are an individual with a disability who requires reasonableaccommodation to complete any part of our application process, including the use of thiswebsite, please contact us at: Email: [emailprotected] One of our staff members willwork with you to provide alternate means to submit your application.