Consulting Director (Medical)

About VML Health

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 & three global healthcare hubs in London, New York, & 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 focus 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.

About the role

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, as well as:

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 – importantly leading teams to deliver to high standards across these areas
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)

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