The Associate Director of Digital & Social Media is a senior, client-facing role responsible for leading social media and influencer marketing programs for pharmaceutical and healthcare clients within a highly regulated environment. This role partners closely with client stakeholders and internal cross-functional teams to deliver compliant, insight-driven digital strategies that drive engagement with both patient and HCP audiences.
The ideal candidate brings deep pharma or healthcare experience, strong influencer marketing expertise, and the ability to lead complex programs across multiple brands and clients
Key Responsibilities
Client & Influencer Strategy Leadership
- Lead the strategy, development, and execution of influencer, patient ambassador, and advocacy programs on behalf of pharmaceutical and healthcare clients.
- Oversee influencer identification, vetting, contracting, and relationship management involving creators, patient advocates, and KOLs/DOLs.
- Serve as a trusted client advisor, guiding best practices for compliant influencer engagement and long-term partnership models.
- Ensure all social, digital, and influencer content meets FDA regulations, fair balance requirements, adverse event (AE) reporting standards, and client-specific MLR/RAMP processes.
- Act as a compliance subject-matter expert, collaborating with client Legal, Medical, and Regulatory teams to balance innovation with risk mitigation.
- Lead paid and organic social media strategies across platforms including TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
- Integrate social and influencer programs into broader omnichannel marketing plans supporting patient and HCP journeys.
- Partner with internal analytics, media, creative, and strategy teams to ensure cohesive, high-impact executions.
- Define success metrics and KPIs aligned to client business objectives.
- Leverage tools such as Sprinklr, Khoros, and Google Analytics to track performance, measure ROI, and deliver actionable insights.
- Translate data into strategic recommendations that optimize campaign performance and inform future planning.
- Lead day-to-day client relationships and manage agency resources across accounts.
- Oversee creative and media partners to ensure work meets strategic, regulatory, and quality expectations.
- Mentor and develop junior team members, establishing best practices in account leadership, digital strategy, and compliance.
- Experience: 6–10+ years of digital and social media marketing experience, with a strong focus on pharmaceutical, biotech, or healthcare clients.
- Influencer Expertise: Proven experience managing healthcare influencers, patient advocates, and KOL-driven programs in regulated environments.
- Platform & Tools Knowledge: Expertise across major social platforms and familiarity with tools such as Sprinklr or Khoros.
- Regulatory Acumen: Deep understanding of FDA regulations, fair balance, AE reporting, and MLR review processes.
- Client Leadership: Strong presentation, communication, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence senior client partners.
- Agency experience supporting multiple pharmaceutical or life sciences brands
- Experience working across both patient and HCP marketing initiatives
- Ability to lead complex programs across multiple workstreams and timelines
Skills Required
- 6-10+ years of digital and social media marketing experience
- Proven experience managing healthcare influencers and patient advocate programs in regulated environments
- Expertise across major social platforms and familiarity with tools such as Sprinklr or Khoros
- Deep understanding of FDA regulations and MLR review processes
- Strong presentation, communication, and stakeholder management skills
What We Do
For more than 25 years, Sam Brown, a Blue Matter Company, has been a leading healthcare-focused corporate, clinical, and commercial communications agency for the life sciences industry. Sam Brown provides broad strategic communications services to a wide range of biotechnology, biopharmaceutical, and venture capital companies whose cutting-edge science and innovation impact human health. Sam Brown has built a strong reputation as a healthcare communications agency that delivers smart strategy, creative solutions and outstanding client service. Our unique approach consistently sets new standards of collaboration, quality and value for clients. Each program and/or campaign created by the Sam Brown team is designed and tailored specifically to meet client business objectives by effectively reaching target markets including investors, customers, and/or employees. Sam Brown's communications capabilities span and integrate corporate communications, public, investor and media relations, clinical communications, brand/commercial PR and digital/social media communications. Contact Laura Liotta ([email protected]) to discuss how we may be able to help with your needs.







