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About the Opportunity
Our client is a Chicago-area healthcare strategy and marketing firm that partners with life sciences companies on brand strategy and related strategic work. The firm is known for senior-level talent, deep healthcare expertise, and a hands-on, strategy-first approach that sets it apart from large network agencies. It is in active growth mode and building out its strategic planning team; this search is a key hire in that expansion.
Our client is seeking a Director or Senior Strategic Planner to serve as the senior strategic lead on a significant specialty pharmaceutical account. This person will own client relationships, drive brand strategy, and serve as the day-to-day strategic authority, supported by a junior team member who will report to them. It is a high-visibility, high-autonomy role for someone ready to step into a senior seat and deliver from day one, reporting directly to the EVP.
What This Person Will Do
• Serve as the primary strategic lead and senior client contact on a major specialty pharma account; own the relationship and drive the strategic agenda.
• Lead brand strategy development, including positioning, messaging, audience segmentation, competitive landscape, and annual brand planning.
• Translate strategy into executional pull-through: evaluate tactics for strategic alignment, guide content and creative teams, and participate in POA planning.
• Lead and facilitate client workshops, advisory boards, and strategy sessions.
• Develop and present high-quality strategic deliverables independently — this is not a support role.
• Mentor and direct one junior strategic team member.
• Contribute to new business development and proposal writing as opportunities arise.
Ideal Candidate Profile
Our client is open to strong candidates from multiple backgrounds. What matters most is strategic depth, client leadership capability, and culture fit. They are actively considering pharma brand-side strategists (brand management, market access, commercial strategy), consultants with healthcare/pharma client experience and strong strategic frameworks, and agency-side strategists with genuine strategic planning depth; not primarily account management or production backgrounds.
Required
• 7–12+ years of relevant experience; able to operate independently at a senior level from day one.
• Demonstrated experience leading client relationships and presenting strategic recommendations directly to brand teams.
• Strong working knowledge of pharmaceutical brand marketing, promotional strategy, and the HCP/patient audience landscape — specific therapeutic-area knowledge is acquirable.
• Experience with strategic pull-through: evaluating a tactic or piece of content for strategic alignment, contributing to POA planning, and connecting executional work to brand objectives.
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills; strong PowerPoint proficiency.
• High EQ and collaborative instincts — the firm operates without hierarchy or ego.
Not the Right Fit
• Backgrounds that are primarily account management or project delivery rather than strategic planning.
• Candidates seeking to replicate a large-agency model — this is a strategy-first hybrid firm with a distinct approach.
• Anyone who needs a runway to get up to speed on client leadership — this role requires immediate contribution.
Culture & What Makes This Firm Different
This is not a typical pharma marketing agency. The firm operates at the intersection of strategy consulting and marketing execution. Team members are expected to think independently, push clients forward, and bring a point of view rather than simply responding to briefs. The team is senior-heavy, highly collaborative, and operates without large bureaucratic layers, so this person will have real ownership and visibility. The culture rewards curiosity, directness, and people who take pride in the quality of their thinking.
Core values: passion for the work at all levels · strategically grounded quality · superior client service · trust and empowerment · a collaborative spirit with no ego.
Process & Contact
This is a confidential, direct-hire search conducted by Glory Group RS. The client’s identity is shared with candidates only after a 1st Round Interview is scheduled. Typical process: Glory Group RS pre-screen, multi-round interviews, a working session or case presentation with leadership, in-office meet, and an offer. The client moves quickly for the right candidate.