Senior Strategist - Brand; Health

Who We Are:

At VML, we are a beacon of innovation and growth in an ever-evolving world. Our heritage is built upon a century of combined expertise, where creativity meets technology, and diverse perspectives ignite inspiration. With the merger of VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson, we have forged a new path as a growth partner that is part creative agency, part consultancy, and part technology powerhouse.

Our global family now encompasses over 30,000 employees across 150+ offices in 64 markets, each contributing to a culture that values connection, belonging, and the power of differences.

Our expertise spans the entire customer journey, offering deep insights in communications, commerce, consultancy, CRM, CX, data, production, and technology. We deliver end-to-end solutions that result in revolutionary work.

About VML Health:

VML HEALTH is a global healthcare agency that partners with healthcare clients across a broad definition of health, from high science to wellness and everything in between. It operates fluidly within the VML agency, as a core group of health specialists (a ‘vertical’) that has the benefit of autonomy in management, but with support of non-health expertise.

At the heart of health is the story of life – all the highs and lows, ambitions, and possibilities. But facing a health challenge can suddenly pull people away from these stories, knocking them off course.

Our purpose is to bridge this gap, bringing people closer to life and all its meaning. We gain a deeper understanding of Healthcare Professionals’ and patients’ needs, behaviors and lived experiences through what we call ‘radical empathy’.

VML Health creates connected brands that get to the heart, bringing people closer to the lives they want to live. Get to the heart. Connect for life.

What We’re Looking For:

A Senior Strategist to support Directors/Group Directors in research, launch projects, and strategic development. This role requires a highly collaborative individual with strong analytical skills, experience in healthcare marketing, and a passion for driving impactful change.

What You'll Do:

• Prioritize research objectives, recommend methodologies, and manage logistics. Develop research proposals, screeners, and discussion guides.
• Analyze research findings, summarize insights, and identify implications.
• Create category/competitive analyses highlighting trends, success factors, and recommended actions.
• Develop customer journeys, identify key pain points, and uncover customer attitudes and behaviors.
• Generate insights to inform positioning, strategy, and communication.
• Develop a strong understanding of positioning fundamentals and formulate positioning statements.
• Draft creative briefs and background briefing documents with guidance.
• Participate in creative review meetings and provide constructive feedback.
• Prepare workshop proposals and materials, manage logistics, and draft summaries of outcomes.
• Identify research needs, generate customer insights, and contribute to pitch deck development.

Who You Are:

• A critical and analytical thinker, innovator, and visionary who inspires creativity.
• Highly collaborative and effective across internal and external stakeholders.
• Excellent written and verbal communicator.

What You'll Need:

• 3+ years of experience in market research and strategic planning, with a focus on the healthcare industry.
• Demonstrated experience in conducting and analyzing qualitative and quantitative research, including developing research proposals, screeners, and discussion guides.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to synthesize complex information and develop actionable insights.
• Proven ability to develop customer journeys, identify pain points, and uncover customer attitudes and behaviors.
• Experience in developing positioning statements and creative briefs.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to effectively convey strategic recommendations to clients and internal teams.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, particularly PowerPoint and Excel, for creating presentations and analyzing data.
• A collaborative and team-oriented approach to work, with the ability to work effectively…