Senior Account Director, Pharma PR (up to £70K DOE)

About us:

Virgo Health is a specialist health communications agency, part of the GOLIN group and the wider IPG network of companies with more than 200 offices around the world as well as hubs in London, New York and Chicago.

We are passionate about helping people to make better decisions around health and wellbeing. Whether it's clinicians selecting the best treatment, patients understanding their disease better or empowering consumers to self-treat, we always make sure that the human aspect is at the heart of what we do. We work with pharmaceutical, diagnostic and consumer health companies, industry bodies, public and private health providers as well as patient organisations.

When we choose to work in healthcare, we choose to work in an industry with people at its heart; we celebrate our differences and how we complement each other. But at Virgo, 'Being Human' is what unites us, and it's fundamental to our culture. We show empathy and support for each other to grow our skills. embracing inclusive and flexible ways of working and rejecting outdated workplace culture. We have a brilliant team that works well together to deliver effective content and to celebrate our successes.

What is the role?

As a Senior Account Director, you will be a key overseer of the account, providing oversight, strategy and guidance, while still getting stuck in with content development and review. You will be involved in strategic planning and issues management, providing solid guidance to the team and to clients. You will coordinate actions, managing both up and down, to ensure we are delivering high standards of work to deadlines, ensuring strategy and insight are embedded throughout, and having a solid understanding of the broader environment and implications for the team and account

Key Responsibilities

• Financial management, including capacity planning and forecasting, review of finance trackers and control of overspend, investment and potential overservicing
• Oversight of all account projects, ensuring they are kept to time and flagging potential future issues or barriers with up and down delegation as needed
• Draft high-level client and competitor materials, including Q&As, with rapid and accurate turnaround, including full and accurate scientific referencing
• Review of first drafts of materials from junior team members, including briefing and training
• Drive strategic plans with a strong understanding of SWOT, which includes annual congress/data planning
• Attend congresses and client events (virtual/in-person, based on needs), write up scientific sessions, and manage issues, booths, and events live, while gaining competitor intelligence
• Play a key role in client communications strategy to ensure clients view Virgo as a strategic advisor, constructively negotiating where appropriate to ensure our programme is as effective as possible
• Recognise and seek out opportunities to build relationships with the wider client team and generate organic growth opportunities
• Clearly articulate ideas and plans to inspire the team and enlist their support to achieve company and division goals
• Line manage and contribute to broader company training, e.g. running expertise/specialist skill sessions

Skills/requirements:

• Several years' experience in pharmaceutical PR with an understanding of data and regulatory communications
• Good experience working in an agency and with global accounts
• Good organisational skills and the ability to delegate effectively both up and down
• Excellent people-management and leadership skills
• Ability to gain client trust along with the confidence to lead client management as the lead day-to-day person
• Good financial oversight to build and manage client budgets, owning the financial management of an account
• Excellent negotiating and influencing skills
• Experience in building and growing businesses as a management team member
• Experience delivering new business pitches

What do we offer?

• Competitive salary and benefits
• Hybrid working, 2 days/week in the office
• 6 weeks annual leave
• Monthly well-being allowance
• A fantastic office space in Shoreditch
• Industry-leading gender neutral family friendly policies
• Clear career progression and excellent training programmes developed by our L&D Director

+ many other perks!

At IPG we are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer . We are committed to equality of opportunity for all staff and applications from individuals are encouraged regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships.