dna Communications - Associate

dna Communications is an integrated medical communications agency. Part of the IPG DXTRA Healthcare ecosystem, the dna Communications Medical Education team offers clients high-level insights into the ever-changing commercial landscape through strategic, medical educational, behavioural change and engagement programmes. They pride themselves on their supportive team-led culture with a strong focus on work/life balance, team collaboration and proactive development and training for progression.

A snapshot of the role:

The Associate supports the execution of medical education activities and the delivery of world-class client service. The Associate has responsibility for a broad range of tasks including providing admin support across client accounts, developing basic written materials, liaising with the creative design team, overseeing the upload of materials on approval systems such as Veeva, and assisting with project and financial tracking. The Associate provides critical support, enabling the efficient functioning of the account team and is in turn supported to develop their medical education and healthcare communications knowledge and skills. The Associate has opportunities to contribute to creative ideas, support the health of the agency and hold senior staff members to account regarding the values of dna Communications. The Associate is a client contact, providing necessary deliverables such as meeting agendas and notes, responding to client requests for information (after consultation with the dna client team) and is required to build relationships with both clients and other external stakeholders such as vendors and suppliers.

What will you be doing?

• Takes responsibility for timely, effective and efficient organisational and administrative elements of their account work (status reports, actions lists, call notes, etc.)
• Works to activity plans and ensures understanding of detailed project requirements (including deadlines); takes initiative to liaise with supervisors and third parties to deliver specific actions to meet the overall brief
• Supports the Manager and the whole dna team in providing excellent and responsive client service
• Ensures cost and material development trackers are completed accurately and kept up to date
• Commissions suppliers, ensuring necessary policies are followed and any costs incurred have an associated client budget that can cover the cost.
• Tracks costs and liaises with suppliers to ensure work supplied meets required standards and that supplier invoices are paid
• Schedules meetings and supports the development of necessary meeting materials such as agendas and minutes
• Supports the approval of materials through managing approval platform processes and liaises with reviewers as required
• Quality control and attention to detail on client deliverables. Ensures spelling, grammar, etc. are correct and that deliverables meet the standard expected
• Builds a constructive relationship with the client and develops trust and credibility
• Acts in a professional and responsible manner at all times, helping to promote a positive perception of dna among all external stakeholders

Agency responsibilities:

• Sharing perspectives, opinions and experiences to help the agency to grow and provide a fun and supportive environment for everyone that is aligned to the dna values
• Ensuring time sheets are completed accurately and on time
• Supporting allocated internal agency work streams, e.g., marketing, internal comms, training, etc.
• Contributing to internal meetings and fully participating in activities that provide opportunities to develop knowledge and skills
• Consistently looking for opportunities for self-development and growth

Who are you?

• Excellent client service skills, showing full understanding of dna client service principles, policies and procedures
• Ability to create interesting and engaging copy in clear English
• Excellent content development skills, with an ability to format and guide design of deliverables to ensure these meet the required standard
• Attention to detail and ability to proof and edit deliverables to meet quality control requirements
• Ability to use Microsoft Office suite to create client deliverables to a high standard in terms of both content and format/aesthetic appeal
• Excellent written English, with the ability to adapt style and language for various audiences
• Excellent presentation skills, able to present proposals and the rationale behind them to both internal and external senior audiences. Includes excellent PowerPoint formatting skills
• Able to use Veeva/PromoMats and/or any other appropriate platform to enable the agency to support client approval of deliverables
• Able to undertake management of suppliers, including familiarity with financial policies, processes and procedures
• Able to provide and accept constructive feedback
• Emotional intelligence and ability to build relationships with colleagues
• Understanding of the dna business model and business health metrics
• Able to work under pressure, and demonstrate excellent time management skills
• Project management skills – being able to support the team to create the necessary materials and take the required steps to deliver projects on time and to budget, while at all times ensuring visibility for clients and senior team members

Preferred experience and qualifications:

• One year’s experience of healthcare communications or equivalent
• Experience working within the healthcare/pharmaceutical sector
• Experience in managing suppliers and budgets
• Experience in client service and administrative tasks
• Undergraduate scientific degree or equivalent experience