The Senior Director, Brand Strategy will establish and lead brand strategy, serving as the connective tissue across account, medical, and creative teams. The Senior Director, Brand Strategy will be responsible for building the strategic foundation of our work—shaping brand narratives, translating science into compelling platforms, and helping our clients bring transformative therapies to market. The Senior Director, Brand Strategy will bridge rigorous medical insights with creative ambition, ensuring our work changes behavior and delivers impact in the real world.Job DutiesRole and ResponsibilitiesServe as the lead strategic partner on client accounts, guiding positioning, messaging, and brand expressionLead the development of brand strategy across client accounts, from early-stage positioning through launch and lifecycle managementPartner closely with accounts, creative, and medical teams to ensure strategic alignment and excellence in execution, translating complex science into clear, motivating brand platforms and campaign strategiesCollaborate with accounts, medical, and creative teams to shape briefs that deliver market-shifting creative solutionsCraft differentiated brand narratives and strategic platforms that align with client objectives and resonate with target audiences, including HCPs, patients, and consumersServe as a trusted strategic advisor to clients, guiding them through product launches, brand evolutions, and market-shaping initiativesDrive the strategic narrative through market research, developing insights into actionable strategies through messages, channels, projects, and deliverablesPartner closely with cross-functional department leads in establishing pre-kickoff project plansDevelop, refine, and apply brand planning approaches and tools: positioning workshops, journey mapping, segmentation, insights mining, and competitive assessmentsContribute to business development efforts, including pitches and proposals, as necessaryIdentify opportunities for brand growth and differentiation through proactive strategic thinkingFoster ongoing collaboration with client teams to mitigate issues and identify new business opportunitiesEnsure cross-functional collaboration among internal departments to drive innovative and client-centered solutionsMentor and grow talent, building a high-performing team as the function expandsEstablish and evolve best practices, frameworks, and processes for brand planning within SynchronyInternal and External RelationshipsRepresent the organization in an appropriate mannerBe a positive force for enhancing the work culture, consensus-building, and internal communicationsFacilitate communication between team members and clients necessary to maintain strong relationships and effective account managementResolve conflict and celebrate success; set clear team priorities; explain client/brand objectives and strategies; define success in terms of the whole teamKeep senior management apprised of critical client and internal issues, concerns, and opportunitiesKey Competencies Effective leadership skills, with strong focus on account services, strategic pharmaceutical marketing, and business processesAbility to work seamlessly between big-picture thinking and hands-on execution, across multiple clients and accountsStrong facilitation skills: workshops, co-creation sessions, and client presentationsCollaborative, entrepreneurial spirit with a passion for building new capabilitiesExcellent communication skills—able to distill complex data/science into clear, compelling storiesHigh level of integrity, confidentiality, and accountabilityWell-defined sense of diplomacy, including solid negotiation, conflict resolution, and people management skillsAbility to manage outcomes to win-win resolutionAbility to provide management direction and developmental support to direct reports in preparation for future positions; provide challenging and stretching assignments; push tasks down to empower others; share ownership and visibilityDemonstrated ability to manage key constituent relationshipsAble to identify key issues; creatively and strategically overcome challenges or obstaclesEffective attention to detail and a high degree of accuracySound analytical thinking, planning, prioritization, and execution skillsExpert communicator both verbally and in writingStrong presentation and persuasion skills: Can develop a clear point of view and tell a meaningful "story"; is effective in a variety of settings and group sizes with clients, peers, subordinates, and management; confidently expresses both data/facts, plus more controversial topics; commands attention and can manage group dynamics
