Vice President, Account Director; Media)

Overview

The Vice President, Account Director serves as the senior strategic lead across one or more brands, driving excellence in media planning, client partnership, and integrated team performance. Reporting to the EVP, Media Lead, this role is responsible for ensuring the delivery of high-quality work across cross‑functional teams, fostering trusted client relationships, and finding opportunities to drive organic growth. The VP, Account Director acts as a key advisor to clients and internal collaborators, championing critical thinking, operational excellence, and business results while helping to shape the future growth of the agency’s media practice.

• Pharma media experience across a diverse set of conditions, disease states, and audiences (DTC, HCP, Payer, etc.)
• Perspective beyond Pharma to bring guidelines for media across audiences and channels (e.g. CPG, retail)
• Understands the total marketing process and the strategic role of media
• Provides insights on industry trends and client’s business
• Contributes to thought leadership in the form of POV’s and articles
• Proactively self‑educates on Heartbeat Media, Publicis Groupe, and client business functions, capabilities, tools, and processes

• Builds trust, models inclusion, and shows respect for all employees
• Exerts some lateral influence to manage cross‑functional employees
• Provides clear communication on business initiatives and client requests
• Ensures teams are properly trained on tools and processes
• Drives adherence processes and guidelines
• Participates in formal development process, including performance management, goal‑setting, mid‑ and yearly reviews
• Nurtures and develops mid‑level and lower‑level talent
• Participates in Heartbeat’s interviewing efforts
• Contributes to the agency culture

• Drives the planning process
• Responsible for the overall approach, and plan on each account
• Collaborates with internal cross‑functional leaders to ensure strategic alignment of deliverables with client needs
• Pushes for continuous improvement of self, team, and client deliverables
  
  Provides a point of escalation

• Assists EVP in setting organic growth goals
• Helps EVP drive adherence to organic growth roadmaps and business plans
• Encourages team to incorporate new agency initiatives into recommendations
• Assists EVP in finding opportunities to upsell and cross‑sell to existing clients
• Scopes client work with Project or Business Management partner

• Responsible for relationships with clients and agency partners
• Conveys passion for clients and their businesses
• Works with clients to shape their marketing priorities and new client relationships
• Drives professional, impactful standards within team for all written and verbal contact with clients; ‘gold‑standard’ writer and presenter
• Serves as point of escalation for client concerns

• Proven ability to lead people (mentoring and developing) and projects
• Proven ability to develop talent
• Proven ability to earn the respect of clients, internal partners, and peers
• Strong innovation and creativity skills

• 10+ years of media experience
• 6+ years management experience preferred
• Deep cross‑channel media knowledge and experience
• Pharmaceutical industry preferred
• BA/BS; advanced degree a plus

Publicis Groupe provides robust and inclusive benefit programs and policies to support the evolving and diverse needs of our talent and enable every person to grow and thrive. Benefits include medical coverage, dental, vision, disability, 401K, as well as parental and family care leave, family forming assistance, tuition reimbursement, and flexible time off.

All…