Director, Strategic Planning

About you

A hungry, strategic, creative, collaborative strategy leader who wants to make a difference on the accounts you work on and the agency you join. You have an outlook that is:

• Team oriented: “we” over “I”
• Positive and inspirational
• Energized and charismatic
• Humble and inquisitive
• Agile and adaptable

About us

A fast-growing, small agency with big reach. We exist at the cross-section of modern health marketing and scientific communications. From big creative campaigns to data milestones and product approvals, from scientific communications platforms to medical congress support, and everything in between, dna supports companies and brands at all stages of their development and lifecycle – from early-stage biotechs to top 10 pharmaceutical companies. We are made up of:

• Conversation-starters
• Storytellers
• Strategists
• Digital natives
• PhD-level scientists
• Writers
• Designers
• Builders

The Director, Strategic Planning will be responsible for being the primary strategic planner, leading day-to-day strategic planning for clients working closely with a cross-functional team of people across dna and the broader IPG network, with guidance from senior strategic planning leadership. Will be responsible for working with client teams and specialty functions across the agency to push work forward, deliver data-driven and inspiring strategies to drive breakthrough programs that capture attention and dive business results.

Hard Skills:

• Write inspirational, actionable, strategically sound briefs
• Delivers powerful insight and strategies that helps inspire great creative and activations
• Deep business acumen with the ability to negotiate and define business objectives, and translate them into marketing and comms objectives
• Research aficionado – knows the right types and balance of research to derive insights, validate ideas, prove results
• Can take research and extract key messages
• Demonstrated experience with analytics and analyzing data – and collaborating with analytics and insight team partners to contextualize data into insight
• Demonstrated ability to lead and promote a culture of collaboration and teamwork across organizational functions
• Leadership experience in training, managing and mentoring
• Construct a single narrative, cohesive, business driving plan
• Understanding of consumer journeys and how to best leverage inflection points for impact Soft Skills

Soft Skills

• Business leader in the client relationship
• Can position and frame ideas to client in a strategic way
• Quickly dives in and understands brand, business, and category – high “get it factor”
• Creative, building it with business grounded feedback
• Charismatic and captivating ability to set up creative ideas
• Empathetic understanding of consumers, patients, and audiences – what motivates, drives, inspires, influences
• Great storytelling and presentation skills
• Agility in working style – demonstrated ability to work against tight timelines and to work collaboratively with Creatives
• Collaborates to deliver the best campaign
• Ability to drive a conversation when needed, but have the self-awareness to know when someone else needs to take the lead

dna was recently the winner of MM+M small healthcare agency of the year.

dna prides itself on delivering a difference making employee experience. We invest in our team and put culture front and center through a variety of programs, policies and events. It’s all about growth and opportunity. If you are looking for a company where you will have the chance to contribute, grow and set a career path that meets your interests and delivers on your ambitions, dna is an ideal employer.

We are small meets big – giving our clients and employees the benefits of both. As a global agency, we have staff in 10 markets on four continents. Yet, our close-knit agency environment will ensure that you will have ample opportunity for visibility with senior management who will make a personal investment in your career. And, as part of a large global IPG network with seamless integration with our sister agencies, such as Weber Shandwick and large advertising agencies, you’ll have access to world class resources and endless exposure to the most cutting-edge marketing approaches. If you are ambitious, energetic and excited to have a voice in shaping an agency and the future of healthcare communications, we hope you’ll join us. We’re an agency whose fast pace of growth and influence, is matched only by the advancement opportunities we offer our employees. dna – Health Means Everything.

The legal info

dna is proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. dna recruits qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, age, ethnic or national origin, protected veteran status, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status or citizenship status.
We make our careers website accessible to any and all users. If you need an accommodation to participate in the application process, please contact us at [email protected]. This email address is not for general employment inquiries or vendors; rather it is strictly for applicants who require special assistance accessing our employment website. Due to volume, messages sent to this email address that are not related to an accommodation cannot be answered.

The Weber Shandwick Collective recognizes that your health and wellbeing are a priority. This is why we offer a full suite of benefits including:

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• 401k (with employer match)
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Juice Money - $60 monthly reimbursement to be used towards purchases that nourish your health, mind, body, and soul
• MyDays – Flexible holiday schedules
• Short-Term Disability
• Paid Employee Family Leave
• Family Building Benefit

NYC Salary range: $105,000 - $130,000

Where an employee or prospective employee is paid within this range will depend on, among other factors, actual ranges for current/former employees in the subject position; market considerations; budgetary considerations; tenure and standing with the company (applicable to current employees); as well as the employee’s/applicant’s background, pertinent experience, and qualifications.

Weber Shandwick is proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. Weber Shandwick recruits qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, age, ethnic or national origin, protected veteran status, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status or citizenship status.