VP, Strategy Director

Fifth Element; New York (NY); On-site; USD 175,000 - 205,000; Full time

Job summary

Fifth Element is seeking a Senior Brand Strategy leader for the pharma sector in New York. You will shape strategic direction across brand, medical, and creative disciplines and act as a trusted advisor to senior clients.

You will lead Brand Strategy Directors and medical strategy leadership while identifying growth opportunities and driving alignment between science, brand and commercial strategy to elevate creative outcomes.

Qualifications

• 11+ years of experience in brand strategy within pharma advertising or healthcare marketing.
• Proven leadership across multiple brands, teams, and complex client portfolios.
• Executive-level client presence with the ability to influence senior stakeholders.
• Experience leading and developing senior strategy talent.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategy across multiple pharmaceutical brands, therapy areas, and accounts
• Set and evolve strategic direction across brand, medical, and creative disciplines
• Partner at the highest level with clients as a trusted strategic advisor
• Oversee and guide Brand Strategy Directors and Medical Strategy leadership
• Define integrated brand and communication frameworks across portfolios
• Ensure consistency, rigor, and commercial impact across all strategic output
• Lead key brand and enterprise-level planning engagements
• Identify growth opportunities across accounts and new business
• Champion the role of strategy in shaping creative excellence and business outcomes

Skills

Brand strategy

Pharma advertising

Executive leadership

Client management

Cross-functional leadership

Job description

You set the strategic standard for everything we do. You define how brands, science, and audience insight come together across the organization—and you make sure that thinking shows up in the work. You operate at the highest level of client and agency partnership, shaping not just brand direction, but how strategy itself is built, sold, and delivered. You bring clarity to complexity and direction to ambiguity.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategy across multiple pharmaceutical brands, therapy areas, and accounts
• Set and evolve strategic direction across brand, medical, and creative disciplines
• Partner at the highest level with clients as a trusted strategic advisor
• Oversee and guide Brand Strategy Directors and Medical Strategy leadership
• Define integrated brand and communication frameworks across portfolios
• Ensure consistency, rigor, and commercial impact across all strategic output
• Lead key brand and enterprise-level planning engagements
• Identify growth opportunities across accounts and new business
• Champion the role of strategy in shaping creative excellence and business outcomes

• 11 + years of experience in brand strategy within pharma advertising or healthcare marketing
• Proven leadership across multiple brands, teams, and complex client portfolios
• Deep understanding of pharmaceutical markets, audiences, and regulatory environments
• Strong track record of shaping high-level brand and business strategy
• Executive-level client presence with the ability to influence senior stakeholders
• Experience leading and developing senior strategy talent
• Ability to connect science, brand, and commercial strategy into a unified point of view
• Strong cross-functional leadership across creative, medical, and account disciplines

Pay Range- $175,000 - $205,000