Director, Media Planning

Department: Strategy, Media Planning

Director, Integrated Media Planning

The Director, Media Planning leads integrated, compliant, and data-driven media strategy for pharmaceutical brands across HCP and DTC/Patient

Description

This role sits at the intersection of strategy, execution, and client leadership—owning omnichannel planning, guiding investment decisions, and ensuring media drives real business outcomes across launch and lifecycle. This is a senior agency role for someone who can set direction, pressure-test thinking, and collaborate across teams while remaining close to the work.

Key Responsibilities

Lead Media Strategy-

• Own media strategy across launch readiness and lifecycle management, translating brand goals into clear, actionable plans

• Define channel roles, audience approaches, and investment frameworks that drive engagement, adoption, and Rx lift

• Bring a strong point of view rooted in data, experience, and market understanding

• Lead integrated planning across digital (programmatic, social, search, endemic) and traditional (TV, print, OOH) channels

• Ensure media plans reflect the full patient and HCP journey, not siloed tactics

Be a Senior Client Partner-

• Serve as a trusted advisor

• Present media strategy with confidence, clarity, and conviction

• Partner closely with media activation, strategy, client services, and project management teams to ensure alignment and impact

• Set a high bar for strategic thinking, rigor, and accountability

Manage Agencies, Budgets & Performance-

• Oversee external media partners to ensure high quality, efficient, and on strategy execution

• Own large media budgets, optimizing investment to maximize investment spend

• Partner with strategy and media activation teams to interpret performance and drive inflight optimization

Innovate-

• Stay ahead of media, data, and platform evolution in pharma

• Leverage and adopt smarter, more effective ways to reach and engage audiences

What You Bring-

• 8+ years of media planning experience, with deep pharma expertise (HCP + DTC)

• Strong media agency background with proven client facing leadership

• Fluency in MLR/FDA requirements and pharma media realities

• Expertise across digital channels, data partners and media research tools

• Clear, confident communicator who can influence senior stakeholders

• Bachelor’s degree required, MBA a plus

Core Strengths-

• Integrated, omnichannel media leadership

• Data driven decision-making and optimization

• Pharma compliance fluency

• Client partnership and strategic influence

 Underscore Marketing is a woman-owned, independent agency specializing in life sciences. Since 2002, we've helped clients gain a competitive edge through bold, data-driven promotional strategies that deliver measurable results.  

Our team comprises media, strategy, and omnichannel analytics experts who thrive on collaboration, innovation, and results. When you join Underscore, you become part of a dynamic environment where your ideas matter, your growth is supported, and your work helps elevate brands in a competitive healthcare landscape.  

If you're passionate about making a difference and want to be part of a team that values integrity, creativity, and results, if that sounds like you, we invite you to share.  

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement  Underscore is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law. We believe that diversity drives innovation and success, and we welcome candidates from all backgrounds to apply.