Job Description

Who We Are

VML, part of WPP, is a leading creative company that combines brand experience, customer experience, and commerce, creating connected brands to drive growth. VML is celebrated for its innovative and human first, award-winning work for blue chip client partners including AstraZeneca, Colgate-Palmolive, Dell, Ford, Microsoft, Nestlé, The Coca-Cola Company, and Wendy's. The agency is recognized by the Forrester Wave™ Reports, as a Leader among Marketing Creative and Content Service Providers, Commerce Services, Global Digital Experience Services, Global Marketing Services and, most recently, Marketing Measurement & Optimization. In addition, VML’s specialist health network, VML Health, is one of the world’s largest and most awarded health agencies. VML’s global network is powered by 26,000 talented people across 55+ markets, with principal offices in Kansas City, New York, Detroit, London, São Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore, and Sydney.

About WPP

WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. We unite cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel in a single company – powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open, to help our clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth. For more information, visit WPP.com

About VML Health:

VML HEALTH is a global healthcare agency that partners with healthcare clients across a broad definition of health, from high science to wellness and everything in between. It operates fluidly within the VML agency, as a core group of health specialists (a ‘vertical’) that has the benefit of autonomy in management, but with support of non-health expertise. 

At the heart of health is the story of life – all the highs and lows, ambitions, and possibilities. But facing a health challenge can suddenly pull people away from these stories, knocking them off course.

Our purpose is to bridge this gap, bringing people closer to life and all its meaning. We gain a deeper understanding of Healthcare Professionals’ and patients’ needs, behaviors and lived experiences through what we call ‘radical empathy’.

VML Health creates connected brands that get to the heart, bringing people closer to the lives they want to live.  Get to the heart. Connect for life.

International Meetings and Science (IMsci), a division of VML Health, works with companies to build world-class healthcare and pharmaceutical brands among medical professionals and consumers, with a transmedia storytelling approach that covers medical education strategies.

Who we are looking for:

As a Senior Vice President, Medical Director you will lead multiple science teams for various clients and brands and will champion the scientific integrity of our work product. You will have overall scientific accountability for all aspects of the finished products and must understand the strategy for the brand(s) and projects and ensure the science is used to support this strategic direction. As a senior member, you are accountable for client satisfaction, scientific rigor and accuracy, and strategic excellence of all projects for which you are responsible. Furthermore, you are part of the company management team, and thus will participate in management meetings and work with other senior managers to develop business opportunities, manage day-to-day functions related to operational procedures, and achieve company goals.

What you’ll do:

Management/Leadership

• Serve as the primary point of contact for senior client medical officers
• Provide scientific leadership on all projects for multiple accounts
• Act as mentor to the individuals in the science group and identify opportunities for individual growth and experiences by setting goals and coaching, when appropriate
• Share ideas and best practices across account teams
• Understand, execute, and drive strategic direction in partnership with account services teams and identify and help resolve people/departmental conflicts with practical solutions
• Keep management informed of client activity/issues/opportunities
• Ensure your science teams are adhering to internal processes and working in the most efficient and fiscally responsible manner as content pieces are developed
• Maintain a positive working relationship with all inter-departmental teams
• Assist in recruitment of new team members when necessary
• Be a steward of company culture and environment
• Be a team player and help fellow senior managers when necessary
• Structure, plan, resource, and lead new business team through the pitch process
• Drive both new and organic business
• Network and work in partnership across VML Health and WPP, when appropriate
• Foster and maintain a wide network of valuable relationships in the medical education communications and pharma business sectors (ie, follow clients to new company, keep relationships ongoing with key opinion leaders [KOLs])

Scientific Execution and Marketing Savvy

• Be a brand champion by ensuring all agency efforts and projects are in the best interest of the brand and maximize scientific data to meet the overall strategic imperatives, positioning, and long-term vision
• Be the scientific point-person for all matters relating to content and be skilled in the translation of basic and clinical science into strategic and educational content
• Demonstrate scientific leadership at internal and external meetings
• Possess an intimate knowledge of the therapeutic markets to which the brands belong and stay abreast of market trends and new product entries
• Delegate, supervise, and review scientific pieces to ensure high-level deliverables (ie, provide references and direction, answer questions, review outlines, develop draft content, and review/critique drafts)
• Review scientific content for accuracy
• Actively participate in strategic development and ensure that communication plans have alignment between issues, strategies, and programming and challenge those that do not
• Proactively suggest new and innovative ways to present data
• Establish good working relationships with KOLs

Client Relationships

• Instill confidence in the client such that counsel on issues of content and strategy in educational and promotional materials is sought out and followed
• Develop and maintain harmonious relationships with all levels of client teams
• Demonstrate a knowledge of the therapeutic market and share timely information about changes in the market
• Provide proactive written recommendations to client on a regular basis
• Take responsibility for client satisfaction and identify new ways/solutions to strengthen relationships
• Identify and resolves client conflicts quickly and efficiently
• Engage in client interaction including running teleconferences and client meetings, answering questions regarding content, attend meetings, and demonstrate knowledge of content

Creative and External Resources

• Participate in the development of breakthrough creative and innovative programs founded in strong science
• Ensure high-quality agency output, reflective of consistently superior creative and innovative products, and constructively reject materials that do not meet this standard
• Ensure quality standards of medical writing freelancers

What you’ll need:

• Advanced degree in biomedical sciences (MD, PhD)
• 7+ years previous experience in medical communications agency
• Experience in multiple therapeutic areas
• Experience managing multiple teams and client accounts
• Multiple, successful new business pitches
• Advanced skills in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Adobe Acrobat, Pubmed

What we offer:

• Passionate, driven people | We champion a culture of people that do extraordinary work.
• Consciously cultivated culture | We aim to embody the behaviors to build an inclusive community that is in it together, bringing both positivity and active listening into the workplace as we simultaneously strive to empower creative bravery.
• Competitive benefits | What we offer full time hires ranges from the full spectrum of group health coverage options (medical, dental, vision) to a generous 401k match (100% dollar-for-dollar match, up to 5% of salary contribution), and a variety of paid time off offerings that reflect our investment in all aspects of your overall life balance and wellness.
• Growth-minded opportunities | We aim to nurture a culture of real-time feedback, growth-oriented mindset, and plenty of training opportunities through VML and WPP, so you can continue to grow personally and professionally.

#vmlhealthcareers

The base salary range for this position at the time of this posting is indicated below. Individual compensation varies based on job-related factors, including location, business needs, level of responsibility, experience, and qualifications. We offer a competitive benefits package, click WPP Benefits for more details.

_ $125,000—$295,000 USD

We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office an average of four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.

WPP (VML) is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.

VML is a WPP agency (NYSE: WPP). For more information, please visit   www.vml.com, and follow along on Instagram,  LinkedIn, and  X

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