VP, Pharma Media

MERGE; North Carolina; Hybrid; USD 145,000 - 173,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

Life Insurance

401K

Lifestyle Spending Account

Employer Paid Disability Insurance

Flexible Time off

Job summary

MERGE is seeking a seasoned Vice President, Pharma Media to lead client strategy and media delivery for pharma accounts, including HCP and DTC programs. You will shape audience strategies and collaborate with analytics, programmatic, and social teams to deliver integrated plans that drive measurable outcomes.

The role emphasizes strategic leadership, broader industry knowledge, and the ability to navigate evolving ad-tech landscapes while maintaining client relationships and delivering

Qualifications

• 10+ years in media leadership with pharma marketing experience.
• Experience across HCP and DTC channels, oncology a plus.
• Strong data, MMM, and attribution knowledge to inform media decisions.
• Collaborative, client-focused leader who works across teams.

Responsibilities

• Drive Strategic Growth: lead media strategy and senior client relationships for complex pharma accounts with HCP focus.
• Shape Audience Strategy: create segmentation, channel roles, sequencing, and optimization tied to business goals.
• Collaborate Across Practices: partner with data, analytics, and activation teams for integrated media plans.

Skills

Pharma media leadership

HCP & DTC strategy

Data-driven decisions

Cross-functional collaboration

Executive client relationships

Job description

At MERGE, we are Built Different. We are a marketing and technology agency purpose-built for the intersection of health and wellness—where human impact matters most. By weaving storytelling through technology, we move beyond traditional engagement to Whole Human Marketing. This approach recognizes that humans are multidimensional and complex, and uses AI to ensure every brand interaction feels natural, contextual, and relevant.

This commitment to human-first innovation is what brings us together and propels us forward. We are united by our North Star: to unite people and brands to empower healthier, happier lives.

Emerge to the Top of Your Career

At MERGE, we strive to create a superior work experience where talented and ambitious people grow. An experience that encourages people to think higher and feel deeper. An experience where people engage their minds and hearts to do the best work of their careers.

As our Vice President, Pharma Media, you will…

Lead client strategy and media delivery across one of our fastest-growing areas of pharmaceutical work. In this senior media leadership role, you'll drive HCP and DTC audience strategy, manage high-impact client relationships, and connect smart media choices directly to commercial outcomes. You’ll bring the agility to navigate a shifting ad-tech landscape, the deep expertise to lead integrated media strategy, and the humility to collaborate seamlessly alongside our internal specialists to deliver cohesive, results-driven solutions.

What You’ll Do

• Drive Strategic Growth: Lead media strategy and senior client relationships for complex pharma accounts, keeping a primary focus on HCP audiences and integrated HCP/DTC programs.
• Shape Audience Strategy: Craft sophisticated audience strategies—including segmentation, channel roles, sequencing, and optimization that turn client business goals into measurable media outcomes.
• Collaborate Across Practices: Partner with data and practice leads across Applied Intelligence, Discoverability, Programmatic, and Social to build fully integrated media plans and apply advanced measurement approaches (like MMM, attribution, and patient-level data) effectively.
• Expand Client Value: Identify opportunities to grow existing accounts by introducing MERGE’s differentiated offerings, such as HCP + DTC Performance Link, HCP/DTC Maestro, and Decision-Back consulting.
• Lead with Impact: Support new business pitches and mentor internal account/strategy teams, setting a high standard for strategic rigor, client service, and commercial growth.
• Stay Ahead of Trends: Maintain a strong pulse on emerging media channels, pharma marketing shifts, changing HCP behaviors, and evolving technology.

What Success Looks Like

You’ll help MERGE win and expand high-value pharmaceutical relationships by elevating our strategic media delivery. By pairing strong leadership with a collaborative mindset, you'll bridge data, creative, and media execution to solve real-world business challenges for our clients.

Who You Are

• Experienced Media Leader: You bring 10+ years of media experience with substantial expertise in pharma marketing and HCP strategy. Experience spanning both HCP and DTC—as well as oncology is a major plus.
• Agile & Adaptable: You stay continuously curious about the broader landscape—from AI and search to privacy and emerging channels—adapting your approaches as client needs and technology evolve.
• Data-Fluent: You understand how advanced data, patient-level insights, MMM, and attribution models strengthen media decisions. You don't need to build the models yourself, but you know how to ask the right questions, interpret results, and put data to work.
• Collaborative & Humble: You thrive in cross-functional environments, readily bringing together media, analytics, and activation specialists around a unified plan without letting ego get in the way.
• Clear Communicator & Commercial Thinker: You have strong commercial instincts for account growth and can distill complex media, audience, and measurement concepts into clear, persuasive stories for executive clients.
• Bonus Background: Prior hands-on experience in programmatic, paid social, search, SEO/GEO, or executing integrated HCP/DTC oncology programs is valuable, though not required.

Location: This role may be based in any MERGE office location or performed remotely within the United States.

Hybrid Philosophy

For this role, we prioritize hybrid candidates in Atlanta, GA; Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; Denver, CO; Kansas City, MO; New York City, NY; Raleigh, NC; and St. Louis, MO, but may consider candidates near other MERGE hubs based on the role and team’s needs. If fully remote is listed as an option, we are also open to U.S.-based candidates who would work remotely.

Hybrid work is our default approach. We value time together for collaboration, relationship building, and key moments. Managers and team leaders determine in-person expectations based on what best supports their team, clients, and business needs. Some teams and roles require more regular in-person presence than others.

MERGE has hubs in Chicago, New York City, Boston, Kansas City, Raleigh, Denver, Atlanta, and St. Louis. Regardless of work arrangement, team members may be required to travel to a MERGE hub for meetings, team gatherings, events, or other business needs.

Total Rewards

At MERGE, we’re committed to fostering an environment where our team members can thrive in both their careers and personal lives, ensuring they feel supported and empowered to succeed.

MERGE believes in transparency and equity. In accordance with state regulations, we’re proud to include salary ranges in our job postings to ensure fair compensation practices.

The salary range for this role is $144,550 - $173,450, based on the individual’s skills, experience, qualifications, location, and other relevant factors. The salary pay range is subject to change and may be modified at any time.

MERGE is proud to invest in benefits that include meaningful Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, 401K, Lifestyle Spending Account, Employer Paid Life & Disability Insurance, Flexible Time off & Holidays plus many other benefits and rewards.

Applicants for employment in the US must have work authorization that does not now or in the future require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the United States.

And here’s how we live our values at MERGE

• Ability. Mastering our craft
• Agility. Delivering with a growth mindset
• Humility. Collaborating for shared success

MERGE is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer

MERGE welcomes and celebrates diversity regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, veteran status or people with abilities. We believe that the more diverse we are, the more creative our work will be!