Senior Director, Brand Strategy; pharma

Company description

Publicis is an omni-channel communications agency with over 600 employees across our Canadian operations.

The office is the largest in our industry in Canada and boasts talent across various disciplines of marketing and advertising expertise. Publicis carries a balanced split of Canadian, U.S. and Global clients for which we are Agency of Record. Publicis supports a range of D&I actions through our Driving Change team as well as giving back to the community through a long-standing participation in the Out of the Cold Program.

With a strong, active and familial culture, Pub United is the agency’s social club, hosting events as wide reaching as Curling, Trivia Nights and more.

This is an 18-month contract - start date March 2026. Position sits in Montreal or Toronto Publicis Health office (hybrid 3 times/week in office)

You see the white space before others do. You write creative briefs that ignite ideas, not just align teams. And you translate complex science into human stories that move markets, HCPs, and patients.

As Senior Director of Brand Strategy
, you’ll lead the strategic thinking behind breakthrough work for pharma and life sciences brands. You’ll turn insight into action, data into differentiation, and clinical complexity into clear, compelling brand strategy.

You’re a big-picture thinker with a sharp eye for detail. Fluent in healthcare for HCP and DTC across Canada and US. Trusted by clients. And a true partner to creative, account, and medical teams.

• Lead brand strategy from insight to execution, developing positioning platforms, messaging architectures, and strategic narratives
• Craft insight-driven creative briefs that inspire breakthrough work
• Serve as the day-to-day strategic lead and trusted client advisor
• Support tactical and integrated channel planning efforts
• Market research collaboration:
  Collaborate with internal and client teams on
• Translate complex medical and scientific information into clear strategic frameworks
• Lead workshops and strategic sessions that push thinking forward
• Ensure strategy connects across creative, content, and activation
• Contribute to new business pitches and growth initiatives
• Mentor and develop junior strategists while raising the bar for strategic thinking

• Lead brand strategy from insight through execution—developing positioning platforms, messaging architectures, and strategic narratives grounded in research, data, and real human insight

• Own strategic direction for assigned brands, ensuring every recommendation is clear, compelling, and aligned to client business objectives

• Craft insight-driven creative briefs that inspire breakthrough work and give creative teams true strategic clarity

• Serve as the day-to-day strategic lead and trusted client counselor, translating complex insights into actionable communication roadmaps

• Lead workshops, stakeholder interviews, and strategic sessions that push thinking forward—not just document what exists

• Ensure strategy connects across all key touchpoints, from creative development and content planning to activation and optimization

• Contribute meaningfully to new business efforts—shaping strategic approaches, crafting pitch narratives, and presenting with confidence

• Stay ahead of industry trends, market dynamics, and emerging opportunities while keeping teams grounded in marketing fundamentals and human behavior

• Actasasubjectmatterauthorityonclientbrands,therapeuticareas,andcompetitivelandscapesandaudiences(HCP,patient,DTC)
• Translatecomplexmedical,scientific,andclinicalinformationintoclearstrategicframeworksthatguidecreativeandcommunicationplanning
• Applydeepknowledgeofbiopharmaandlifesciences—especiallyinrareorhard-to-treatdiseases—tocreatepositioningthattrulybreaksthrough

Lead Through Collaboration

• Partner closely with account, creative, medical, digital, and client teams to ensure strategic alignment from kickoff to delivery
• Elevate internal thinking by clarifying brand ambition, audience insight, and strategic opportunity
• Build strong, productive relationships that enable great work and shared…