Director, Media Planning

Underscore Marketing

• $125K — $150K *
US-AnywhereRemote in United States
Pharmaceuticals & Biotech
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 8+ years of media planning experience in pharma (HCP + DTC)
  • Strong media agency background with proven leadership
  • Fluency in MLR/FDA requirements and pharma media standards
  • Expertise in digital channels, data partners, and media research tools
  • Clear and confident communicator capable of influencing senior stakeholders
  • Bachelor's degree required, MBA preferred

Responsibilities

  • Own media strategy for launch readiness and lifecycle management
  • Define audience strategies and investment frameworks that enhance engagement
  • Lead integrated media planning across digital and traditional channels
  • Ensure comprehensive media plans that reflect the entire patient and HCP journey
  • Serve as a trusted advisor and present media strategy with clarity
  • Oversee external media partnerships for effective execution
  • Manage media budgets, optimizing performance for maximum ROI
  • Stay updated on media and data evolution in pharmaceutical marketing

Benefits

  • Dynamic, supportive work environment
  • Opportunities for personal and professional growth
  • Employee-driven ideas valued and prioritized
  • Focus on integrity, creativity, and measurable results
Full Job Description
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

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