Group Director Strategy at VML in New York City, NY

Who We Are VML, part of WPP, is a leading creative company that combines brand experience, customer experience, and commerce, creating connected brands to drive growth. VML is celebrated for its innovative and human first, award-winning work for blue chip client partners including AstraZeneca, Colgate-Palmolive, Dell, Ford, Microsoft, Nestlé, The Coca-Cola Company, and Wendy's. The agency is recognized by the Forrester Wave™ Reports, as a Leader among Marketing Creative and Content Service Providers, Commerce Services, Global Digital Experience Services, Global Marketing Services and, most recently, Marketing Measurement & Optimization. In addition, VML’s specialist health network, VML Health, is one of the world’s largest and most awarded health agencies. VML’s global network is powered by 26,000 talented people across 55+ markets, with principal offices in Kansas City, New York, Detroit, London, São Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore, and Sydney. About WPP WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. We unite cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel in a single company – powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open, to help our clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth. For more information, visit WPP.com. About VML Health: VML HEALTH is a global healthcare agency that partners with healthcare clients across a broad definition of health, from high science to wellness and everything in between. It operates fluidly within the VML agency, as a core group of health specialists (a ‘vertical’) that has the benefit of autonomy in management, but with support of non-health expertise. At the heart of health is the story of life – all the highs and lows, ambitions, and possibilities. But facing a health challenge can suddenly pull people away from these stories, knocking them off course. Our purpose is to bridge this gap, bringing people closer to life and all its meaning. We gain a deeper understanding of Healthcare Professionals’ and patients’ needs, behaviors and lived experiences through what we call ‘radical empathy’. VML Health creates connected brands that get to the heart, bringing people closer to the lives they want to live.  Get to the heart. Connect for life. What We're Looking For: A Group Director, Brand Strategy, to manage a team of strategists and cross-functional teams, driving projects and collaborating closely with creative teams. This role requires a strategic leader with extensive experience in brand launches and client relationship management. What you’ll do: Collaborate with clients to understand business needs, identify problems, and propose solutions. Analyze research results, uncover insights, draw conclusions, and make recommendations. Create research briefs and assist the team in identifying implications and recommending actions. Supervise junior strategists in research design and implementation. Determine assessment needs and set expectations for junior strategists. Guide the team in developing customer journeys and identifying pain points. Craft insights that inform strategy and guide junior strategists in identifying impactful insights. Guide and refine positioning statements, ensuring they are thoughtful and evidence-based. Participate in and lead positioning workshops with clients. Draft and review creative briefs and background briefing documents. Partner with creatives to ensure alignment with the brief and optimize creative options. Interface with clients to understand needs, design workshop approaches, and develop proposals. Supervise logistics and materials. Lead background analyses and research for pitches, developing customer insights and story arcs. Prepare critical sections of pitch decks. Who You Are: A critical and analytical thinker, innovator, and visionary who inspires creativity. Extensive experience in brand launches and adept at building strong client relationships. Highly collaborative and effective across internal and external stakeholders. Excellent written and verbal communicator. What You'll Need: 8-10 years of experience in market research and strategic planning, with a demonstrated track record of success in the healthcare industry. Proven experience in managing and mentoring teams, fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation. Deep understanding of brand strategy and the ability to translate complex business challenges into actionable marketing strategies. Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively convey strategic recommendations to clients and internal teams. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to synthesize information from multiple sources and draw data-driven conclusions. Experience in developing and facilitating workshops and training programs for junior team members. A collaborative and team-oriented approach to work, with the ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams, including creative, medical, and client engagement. A proactive and self-motivated work style, with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and meet deadlines efficiently. What We Offer: Passionate, driven people: We champion a culture of people who do extraordinary work. Consciously cultivated culture: We aim to embody the behaviors to build an inclusive community that is in it together, bringing both positivity and active listening into the workplace as we simultaneously strive to empower creative bravery. Competitive benefits: What we offer full-time hires ranges from the full spectrum of group health coverage options (medical, dental, vision) to a generous 401k match (100% dollar-for-dollar match, up to 5% of salary contribution), and a variety of paid time off offerings that reflect our investment in all aspects of your overall life balance and wellness. Growth-minded opportunities: We aim to nurture a culture of real-time feedback, a growth-oriented mindset, and plenty of training opportunities through VML and WPP so you can continue to grow personally and professionally. #vmlhealthcareers We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office an average of four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process. WPP (VML) is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers. VML is a WPP agency (NYSE: WPP). For more information, please visit www.vml.com, and follow along on Instagram, LinkedIn, and X. When you click "Submit Application", this will send any information you add below to VML. Before you do this, we think it's a good idea to read through our Recruitment Privacy Policy. California residents should read our California Recruitment Privacy Notice. This explains what we do with your personal data when you apply for a role with us, and, how you can update the information you have provided us with or how to remove it.