Senior Vice President, Group Account Director

Overview

You are organized, driven, and thrive in an ownership position.

You're ambitious and business-savvy enough to secure and organize high-visibility, large-scale projects. However, you know that maintaining close individual relationships and being a reliable liaison are the keys to building confidence and lasting trust with your customers. Can you see the big picture and the details? You have the potential to excel in this dynamic SVP, Group Account Director role with GSW.

The SVP, Group Account Director will be responsible for retaining and growing multiple account and brand relationships, maximizing marketing potential for clients and agency profitability.

GSW is a full-service healthcare communications agency that goes beyond advertising to create personalized brand experiences. We develop strategic marketing solutions for pharmaceutical, biotech and health-and-wellness clients around the world. We create experiences that involve, inspire, educate and activate people through ongoing brand journeys.

Responsibilities

Client Retention & Growth

• Deeply understands clients’ culture, needs, opportunities so as to add maximum value
• Forms and maintains senior-level client relationships
• Impacts day-to-day agency work so as to maximize value
• Identifies organic and inorganic growth opportunities within current and connected client relationships
• Engages executive management with critical client concerns and opportunities
• Facilitates agency performance evaluation, development plans, and MBO plans; holds frequent development discussions to optimize client relationships
• Attends key client meetings, market research, and thought-leadership meetings providing senior, strategic points of view

Staff Development

• Sets high standards of service, work product, value-add
• Develops reporting personnel so they are prepared and equipped to move up to the next level of client management (addressing any performance issues)
• Direct report personnel management
• Fulfills management duties as a senior member of management team

Marketing Excellence

• Leads client in identifying and understanding brand barriers and strategic vision in collaboration with strategy and creative leads; challenges strategies and directions not aligned with the brand objectives
• Leads clients to provide an environment for ultimate agency strategic and creative communication value
• Strategic planning and consultation with senior-level clients
• Identifies and manages integrated Syneos services opportunities for the client
• Partners with creative, strategic and operational leadership team for maximum client and agency value
• Oversees relationships with other marketing partners of clients, as required
• Addresses conflict and celebrates success; sets clear team priorities, explains brand objectives and strategies
• Defines success in terms of the whole team; pushes tasks down to empower others; shares ownership and visibility

Agency Profitability

• Manages a book of business, optimizing individual accounts and business as an aggregate
• Financial reporting and staffing
• Manages profitability and conducts fee negotiations.
• Manages gross income, maximizes profitability, and staff

New Business

• Cultivation of new business opportunities
• Syneos cross-selling, new business development, and revenue growth—for both new and existing clients
• Obtains new business from existing and prospective accounts
• Stays current with industry news and competitive environment to continually expand knowledge
• Participates and leads new business opportunities as assigned

Job Requirements

At Syneos Health, 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.  

• Bachelor’s degree required; MBA or advanced degree preferred
• 12+ years’ relevant client and/or agency experience in marketing or other related disciplines, with 5 years in a senior management position; experience in managing and developing direct reports; proven track record and completed significant work as a VP or equivalent
• Oncology/immunology or rare disease experience preferred
• Performed at a director-level position or above in previous position
• Experience working on any and all of the following: pharmaceutical brand launch; professional marketing (e.g. direct-to-physician, managed care/healthcare plans, devices, pharmacies, etc.); and consumer marketing (e.g. direct-to-patient, relationship marketing, consumer)
• Effectiveness with top management: Can deal comfortably with senior executives; understands how top executives think and process; can determine the best way to get things done with executives by talking their language and responding to their needs
• Negotiation skills: Can negotiate skillfully in tough situations with both internal and external groups; can win concessions without damaging relationships; can be both direct and forceful as well as diplomatic; gains trust quickly; has a good sense of timing
• Strategic acumen: Brings forth strategic problem solving across business needs
• Business development experience and demonstrated success; comprehensive knowledge of Syneos solutions and application to all aspects of pharmaceutical marketing, research, and sales

GSW turns against the premise of doing the “same old.” Our culture is focused on collaborative, meaningful advertising and day-to-day interpersonal interaction. We value the diverse backgrounds of our team members, and everyone has the opportunity to provide input and be heard. GSW is comprised of creative, motivated individuals who are all here for a reason. We welcome those who strive to work above and beyond their role, who voice their opinion and who are engaged in all aspects of the agency.

GSW is part of Syneos Health Communications, a purpose-built collective of agencies focused on supporting health and biopharmaceutical innovators. We work in scalable, collaborative teams that partner across disciplines and geographies to deliver integrated communications strategies that accelerate brand performance. In today’s fast-changing and complex environment, success lies in making connections: between science, emotion, and technology; between data, design and human insight. We’re able to make those connections because our medical communications, digital, advertising, public relations, data science, research and market access specialists work closely with each other and with healthcare experts, including physicians, pharmacists and advocates. Together, we are the connected healthcare partner tapping rich insights to drive innovation, change behavior and pioneer a new era of accountable marketing.

Syneos Health Communications is powered by Syneos Health, a global professional services organization designed to help the biopharmaceutical industry shorten the distance from lab to life.

WORK HERE MATTERS EVERYWHERE | How will you accelerate bringing new therapies to patients?

Syneos Health is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer (Minorities/Females/Vet/Disabled)

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, eligibility to participate in Employee Stock Purchase Plan and 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 complies with all applicable federal, state, and municipal paid sick time requirements.   

The annual base salary for this position ranges from $131,400 to $277,000.  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.

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 tosubmit proof of vaccination to Syneos Health and maintain compliance with these requirements.