Associate Director, Digital Strategy (Pharma)

About the Role

The Associate Director, Digital Strategy develops and helps lead comprehensive omnichannel strategies for clients in the biopharma sector. This role brings modern, data-driven marketing to life across both brand-level initiatives and broader enterprise strategy, translating business objectives and audience needs into connected engagement plans across channels. The Associate Director is expected to independently own meaningful portions of client strategy and contribute to CG Life's new business efforts by shaping strategic narratives and supporting compelling digital strategy presentations in partnership with cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Builds trusted client relationships by owning day-to-day strategic workstreams, providing strategic counsel, and helping lead client conversations.
• Develops and owns omnichannel strategies that align brand objectives with audience needs and channel best practices, forming the foundation for measurable engagement.
• Applies data, insights, and analytics to recommend customer-centric marketing programs and helps clients translate strategic direction into activation.
• Supports the Account team in understanding client goals and offerings, helping shape marketing direction through innovative, insight-driven solutions.
• Translates strategic insights into actionable campaign roadmaps, leading omnichannel planning and ongoing optimization to ensure cohesive execution.
• Leads or co-facilitates workshops, client meetings, and presentations to shape strategic direction, communicate recommendations, and align cross-functional stakeholders.
• Communicates and supports strategic recommendations clearly and persuasively, building client understanding and buy-in.
• Applies expertise in omnichannel engagement planning—including journey mapping, segmentation, content strategy, and channel orchestration—to inform experience design.
• Partners with CXOE, technology, and analytics teams to guide or support implementation of CRM, marketing automation, and personalization platforms that enable scalable, data-driven engagement.
• Identifies opportunities to expand strategic services within existing client relationships and contributes to organic growth opportunities.
• Contributes to business proposals and pitch presentations by developing strategic thinking, narratives, and supporting materials.
• Collaborates with internal teams to develop single-minded strategies, creative briefs, and supporting materials rooted in discovery and research.
• Develops strategy decks and other deliverables that translate client needs and insights into clear, actionable plans.
• Stays current on evolving platforms, modern marketing trends, and implications for client strategies.
• Provides strategic guidance to internal teams based on the strategy, brief, and knowledge of the client and its industry.
• Collaborates with brand strategy, account, creative, content, analytics, CXOE, and technology teams to ensure cohesive and impactful strategy execution.
• Proactively fosters team cohesion and collaboration across the agency.
• Builds strong cross-functional relationships and partners effectively with both internal teams and clients.
• Mentors and supports junior strategy team members, providing feedback, guidance, and opportunities to build strategic skills.
• Helps junior team members take on increasingly challenging assignments aligned with their development and the needs of the business.
• Contributes to a strong team environment through active coaching, knowledge sharing, and thoughtful feedback.

Requirements

• 6-8 years of experience in omnichannel engagement strategy, customer experience, or digital marketing within pharma, ideally with experience at a healthcare agency serving as Agency of Record (AOR).
• Demonstrated experience independently developing and owning brand or enterprise-level strategies, with multiple examples of leading comprehensive, multichannel work rather than executing a single channel or tactic.
• Experience building strong client relationships, understanding client needs, and translating those needs into clear strategic recommendations and deliverables.
• Strong experience in omnichannel strategy and data-driven marketing approaches for life sciences or healthcare clients.
• Experience working on pharma launches.
• Experience in rare disease is highly valued; experience in specialized or complex disease categories is also relevant.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to clearly articulate and defend strategic recommendations.
• Demonstrated experience developing and implementing integrated engagement programs across multiple channels in healthcare and life sciences.
• Strong client-facing presence; experience working with senior client stakeholders is preferred.
• Must be able to support collaboration with East Coast-based client teams as needed.

Benefits

• Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance with a generous portion of employee contributions covered.
• 401K plan with a generous company match and immediate vesting.
• Generous paid parental leave.
• Annual professional development budget for workshops, webinars, associations, and other growth opportunities.
• Flexible time off.
• Life insurance and long-term disability (LTD).
• Robust employee assistance program.

Pay

The estimated salary range for this position is $120,000 - $140,000 USD. Offers are tailored within this range based on organizational needs, internal equity, market data, geographic zone, and the selected candidate’s experience, education, industry knowledge, location, technical and communication skills, and other relevant factors. This position is also eligible to participate in a discretionary bonus program.