Vice President, Strategic Planning - Healthcare

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Published

01/02/2025

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VP, STRATEGIC PLANNING, HEALTHCARE

If you’re an amazing creative strategist with a passion for health and want be a part of a team who is reinventing the playbook for earned-first healthcare communications, we should talk. Weber Shandwick is looking for a VP of Strategic Planning, Healthcare to steer the strategy for multiple high-profile healthcare accounts, from a pharma company with innovative oncology treatments to first-to-market leaders in vaccines and rare disease.

About you:

You are endlessly curious about consumer mindsets and the drivers of behavior change. You love working on health and want to set new standards for what good health ideas look like. You think and write clearly, and you understand diverse media platforms and technology. You are able to frame a problem, develop succinct insights and strategies, and explain what it all means in a compelling story. You’re open-minded, battle-tested, inclusive and empathetic. You have a high level of cultural fluency, and while you’re by no means a scientist, you think science is cool.

 

CLIENT AND WORK

Leads integrated teams to create and implement flawless execution plans informed by strategic vision, with very limited support from senior strategic planning leadership

Responsible for all strategic planning for a limited number of clients

Leads the strategic process, from start to finish

Oversee the crafting and evaluation of primary and secondary research plans to segment audiences, and understand the cultural, societal, business and media context impacting a business to uncover business insights

Leads engagement with confidence and commitment to high quality, data-driven strategic brand recommendations, tactical plans and programs

Focuses on the strategic vision driving the detailed execution and performance evaluation

Ensures the plan is strategically sound, accurately addresses interesting insights and opportunities informed by research/ analytics findings in partnership with Global Intelligence

 

LEADERSHIP AND TALENT MANAGEMENT

Manages account engagements independently, with minimal guidance

Guides planning resources, assignment of strategic planning staff

Establishes interpersonal relationships within and outside of department, with focus on building inclusive culture and mentoring colleagues outside of personal relationships

Promotes the development and advancement of underrepresented groups in team through professional development trainings

Mentors, coaches and develops direct reports to deliver high performance while supporting personal and professional development goals

Actively participates in the hiring and onboarding of talent; Supports and develops processes to enhance inclusive hiring practices for team

Participate in trainings build own cultural competency and ability to lead, coach and develop diverse teams

Actively participates in office or agency DEI initiatives to attract and retain diverse talent

 

GROWTH AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Responsible for identifying opportunities to expand client engagements in partnership with integrated teams

Responsible for net new business opportunities

 

BUSINESS ACUMEN

Responsible for reviewing, approving draft scopes, allocations and comparison against actuals

 

Chicago Salary Range: $117,000.00 – $150,000.00

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.

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

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

#LI-JR1

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 JobAppAccommodation@ipgdxtra.com. 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.

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Washington, District of Columbia, United States

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We are looking for a strategic leader who sees business problems from the eyes of real people, and uses data, keen cultural observation and experience to create strategies that will engage audiences and delivering measurable value. With an emphasis on developing compelling insights, this person will be an active member on two high-profile client teams and a large contributor to new business opportunities. They will be responsible for challenging conventional thought and providing a sound and fresh point-of-view for communications strategy and planning. Our ideal candidate should have experience building brand and creative strategies that deliver ideas across channels, tactics and content, and possess the ability to guide measurement that is aligned with strategy. Must enjoy the variety of working across a range of clients, from global brands to government agencies, and have experience driving strategy for social and influencer campaigns.

 

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Lead and drive the quality of strategic output for two key clients, developing creative strategy to inform social, influencer and earned media campaigns within inter-agency teams.
  • Create a culture of insight, ensuring strategic insights are embedded into our client delivery and that the broader agency is educated on brand and communication strategy fundamentals.
  • Collaborate with CX leads to guide key clients and provide consistent thought leadership.
  • Champion and enhance the methods by which teams uncover insights and measures results.
  • Lead, motivate and grow a team of planners, analysts and subject matter experts.
  • Serve as an opinion leader by sharing best practices, case studies and thought leadership.

 

QUALIFICATIONS

  • 10+ years of experience in strategic planning, preferably at an agency.
  • Experience in consumer health, legacy brands and global strategy stewardship a bonus.
  • Understanding of digital campaigns (owned social, influencer) and earned activations is preferred.
  • Persuasive presenter and speaker, able to create decks and tell a story based on data and hypothesis.
  • Experience building, managing and mentoring a team.
  • Self-motivated, fun, a quick study, entrepreneurial and endlessly curious.

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

Washington DC Salary range: $124,000 – $165,000

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, colour, religion, gender, age, ethnic or national origin, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status or citizenship status.

#LI-RJ1 

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 JobAppAccommodation@ipgdxtra.com. 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.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Senior Vice President, Strategic Planning

Senior Vice President, Strategic Planning – Full Time, Permanent 

IPG DXTRA (Canada), Inc, d/b/a Weber Shandwick is looking for a strategic leader who sees business problems from the eyes of real people, using data, observation and experience to create strategies that will benefit a client’s brand and drive business impact by engaging audiences and delivering measurable value. With a focus on developing compelling insights, this person will be an active member among cross-functional teams – including strategy, creative, integrated media – and also a large contributor to new business opportunities. They will be responsible for challenging conventional thought and providing a neutral point-of-view for communications strategy and planning.  

In this role, you will turn data and insights into strategies working in lock-step with creative to solve business challenges to drive results. You will also need to be adaptive and responsive, monitoring campaign performance effectively in order to action real time amplification or course correction to push for maximum impact. 

This role is a full time, permanent position working on a hybrid basis from our Toronto office, at 351 King St. E, Suite 800, Toronto, ON, M5A 0L6. Employees will be required to work from the office a minimum of two days per week.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES 

  • Lead, motivate and grow a team of strategy experts including strategic planners, analysts and subject matter experts and guide the quality of strategic output of key global clients including client stewardship, briefs, strategic narratives, trend mapping and POVs. 
  • Contribute to the management and decision making, resource allocation, and other departmental operations to ensure efficient and effective strategy development.  
  • Create a culture of insight, ensuring the practice is embedded into our client delivery and that the broader agency is educated on brand and communication strategy fundamentals. 
  • Collaborate with account leads to guide global key clients and provide consistent thought leadership. 
  • Champion and enhance the methods by which teams uncover key audience insights and trends to guide strategic programming and client solutions as well as measuring the impact of these programs. 
  • Serve as an opinion leader by sharing best practices, case studies and thought leadership. 
  • Participate in industry events at conferences, industry associations etc. to help position Weber Shandwick as a strategic leader. 

MANDATORY QUALIFICATIONS 

  • 10+ years of client-facing, global brand experience in strategic planning, a multi-national agency (PR, advertising, media or digital – social, content, influencer) with a strong background in leading integrated, multi-channel strategies. This includes developing brand strategies, conducting competitive and audience analysis, and guiding cross-functional teams across campaign planning and execution. 
  • 5+ years of experience leading global integrated projects, with a proven track record of translating business objectives into communication strategies and delivering measurable results. Experience in key areas of strategic planning, such as brand positioning, market entry, audience segmentation, and engagement frameworks is essential, along with a solid understanding of data analytics and performance metrics to inform strategy.  
  • Strong persuasive presentation and storytelling skills, able to translate complex data and insights into compelling narratives that influence client decision-making. Proven ability to influence decision-making with clients and experience presenting to large and small audiences, including at client meetings, conferences, and industry events. 
  • Experience building, managing and mentoring a team of 10+ planners, analysts and subject matter experts. 
  • Experience in new business development including contributing to and leading pitches, developing customized strategic presentations, and showcasing value through data-driven insights and innovative strategies. Proven ability to identify growth opportunities, engage industry contacts, and convert prospective clients. 
  • Deep credibility and network within the industry demonstrated through developing/publishing thought leadership, presenting/participation in conferences, memberships at relevant industry organizations, guest lecturing etc
  • Minimum Bachelor’s Degree in psychology, anthropology, ethnography, sociology, or related fields. Master’s degree preferred. 
  • Self-motivated, fun, entrepreneurial and endlessly curious. 

The salary range for this position is $149,000 to $228,000 + bonus. 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. Any bonus is discretionary and related to the achievement of individual and company objectives for the given period.

IPG DXTRA (Canada), Inc, d/b/a Weber Shandwick recognizes that your health and wellbeing are a priority. This is why we offer a full suite of benefits including: 

  • Medical 
  • Dental 
  • Vision 
  • RRSP (with employer match) 
  • Tuition Reimbursement 
  • Juice Money – $60 monthly reimbursement to be used towards purchases that nourish your health, mind, body, and soul 
  • Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) – $50 monthly cell phone reimbursement 
  • Hybrid working model 
  • Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) 
  • Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
  • MyDays – Flexible time off
  • Short-Term Disability  
  • Paid Parental Leave Policy  

IPG DXTRA (Canada), Inc, d/b/a Weber Shandwick is proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. Weber Shandwick recruits qualified applicants without regard to race, colour, religion, gender, age, ethnic or national origin, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status or citizenship status. 

IPG DXTRA (Canada), Inc, d/b/a Weber Shandwick 
351 King St. E, Suite 800  
Toronto, ON 
M5A 0L6  
416-642-7963 
stefanie.korn+canada@webershandwick.com  

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 JobAppAccommodation@ipgdxtra.com. 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.