Consulting Director (Medical)

VML Health is a global healthcare agency with a vision to make the world of health human-centric with connected brands. VML Health has offices across the world and three global healthcare hubs in London, New York, and Milan. VML Health is a WPP company.

Within VML Health is the Global Strategy Team, home to a diverse set of strategic thinkers and consultants. It represents the highest levels of strategic competency and consulting acumen under an agile business model, working independently with clients or as part of an integrated agency team. The Global Strategy Team brings together four key disciplines to build brands and shape the healthcare environment from as early as pipeline development through to loss of exclusivity: Medical Strategy, Engagement Strategy, Brand Strategy, and Medical Consulting. This role sits within the Medical Consulting discipline.

The Medical Consulting team focuses on early engagement across a range of disciplines including Commercial, Medical Affairs, HEOR, Market Access, Clinical Development, Patient Advocacy & Policy, Development and Regulatory teams. Our clients include pharmaceutical, medical device and diagnostics companies alongside patient advocacy and academic organizations.

The Medical Consulting team supports organizations to achieve more effective decision making through a focus on early cross-functional working, enhanced focus on patient engagement, and integrated planning and execution of value-based development, commercialisation projects and disease leadership programmes. The team runs a variety of global client accounts involving close collaboration with our creative, digital, medical education and marketing teams to bring creative solutions for clients as they move forward in development and launch of their assets.

We are looking for an established director-level candidate with excellent client engagement and people management skills to provide strategic leadership for key large accounts. Seeking a candidate who understands the healthcare, pharmaceutical client and consulting environment, who can drive cross-functional teams to deliver against a range of commercialization needs for our clients. This candidate must have a solid understanding of the complexities of the healthcare and pharmaceutical landscape and experience working with the variety of stakeholders involved.

Director should be experienced in delivering across multiple disciplines, which could include commercial, access, policy, public affairs, and patient engagement. Working with cross-functional teams across strategy, creative, digital & consulting to lead programs of work, you will manage both internal & client teams to shape, develop and deliver effective and high-quality deliverables that meet client objectives, budgets, and timelines. In addition, you will contribute to the strategic development of VML Health and the Medical Consulting team through mentoring, coaching and development of team members, and direct contribution to business development through proposals and pitching. This role is based in our London office with close collaboration across our core hubs and domestic teams.

Requirements

• Director should have extensive (10+ years) of consulting experience, including all aspects of asset commercialization across a wide range of disease areas.
• Proven track record of owning & leading account teams & programs of work to a high standard with a multistakeholder team and audience.
• Solid experience of delivering against client commercialization needs from insight generation/research, development of strategic recommendations, building communication strategies & messaging through to management of tactical execution.
• Global and Regional client experience is required across a broad range of disease areas.
• Strong evidence of leadership and ability to network, within a company, clients and healthcare systems, including experience engaging with and developing content for senior leadership.
• In-depth knowledge of the healthcare environment and healthcare systems, with understanding of a broad range of stakeholders including clinicians, patients, advocates, and policymakers.
• In-depth knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry, and demonstrated ability to understand client’s strategic needs and work with senior-level clients, including conflict resolution.
• Proven ability to work and lead teams effectively in a busy, deadline-driven environment.
• Commercial acumen to ensure business goals are met.
• Can-do attitude, leadership and management agility, and ability to deliver and manage issues and deadlines with teams.
• Outstanding leadership and role model behaviours and ability to motivate and lead teams.

Experience

• Extensive business development experience (circa £1M / year direct wins).
• Leadership of large, multi-faceted projects, programs and teams, providing both strategic direction & leading teams to successful execution.
• Building and maintaining relationships with a variety of healthcare stakeholders (HCPs, patients, advocates, policy makers/payers).
• Running and managing client/customer meetings and deputising for exec management.
• Extensive facilitation experience and ability to moderate senior stakeholders from a variety of backgrounds (KOLs, patient experts, etc.).
• Communications experience and thought leadership track record.
• Negotiation skills.
• Market insight and research skills.
• Strong line management and coaching experience.
• Talent magnet for recruitment and retention – experience of identifying and attracting top talent.

Knowledge and skills

• Ability to think outside the box and solve problems.
• Understanding of consulting frameworks and approaches and ability to apply these to overcome client challenges.
• Microsoft Office skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication including presentations, pitch decks, budgets and report writing.
• Interpretation of information and data to create meaningful solutions for clients.
• Facilitation skills to support advisory board and workshop activities.
• Excellent knowledge and understanding of Pharmaceutical Industry.
• Excellent knowledge and understanding of the health and social care systems across major global markets.

Personal characteristics

• Planning resources and time efficiently to keep to timelines.
• Client image and style awareness.
• Ability to work on own initiative.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Enthusiastic and motivated.
• Travel to pharmaceutical industry clients and health service providers in and around the UK, EU and USA.

Qualifications

• Qualified to Degree level (Medicine, Pharmacy, Life Sciences).