We are looking for a Group Business Director to help lead our growing Eli Lilly partnership, shaping culturally relevant creative work for brands that impact people's health.
Position SummaryAs a Group Business Director, you will own the health, growth, and performance of a portfolio of Eli Lilly brands and workstreams. You will serve as a senior strategic partner to VP- and SVP-level marketing stakeholders, connecting brand priorities, patient needs, and cultural opportunities into a clear vision for the business.
You will make portfolio-level decisions with minimal executive oversight, lead and develop Business Directors and Business Supervisors, and co-own financial performance with Program Management. You will balance creative ambition with the rigor of a regulated category, bringing clear judgment to complex decisions and engaging executive leadership when significant risks or investments require alignment.
What You Will DoLead Portfolio Strategy and Growth- Partner with the Executive Director to drive portfolio performance and strengthen client relationships, setting priorities across assigned brands and workstreams and proactively addressing risks to the partnership.
- Develop and drive growth plans that connect unmet client needs with Translation's capabilities, expanding relationships and agency impact.
- Build a deep understanding of Lilly's business, patient audiences, and competitive dynamics; identify opportunities across brands and connect them into a broader business vision.
Build Senior Client Partnerships- Build trusted relationships with senior marketing leaders, shaping client agendas and influencing decisions through clear, proactive counsel.
- Navigate complex stakeholder needs, constructively challenge assumptions, and lead sensitive conversations about priorities, investment, and the work.
- Maintain a consistent pulse on client satisfaction, risks, and opportunities, aligning Lilly's brand teams, internal creative team, and agency partners.
Champion Strategic and Creative Excellence- Ensure work solves meaningful business problems and meets Translation's standards for strategic rigor, creative and cultural excellence, and client readiness.
- Guide Strategy, Context, Creative, and Analytics toward ambitious ideas grounded in audience insight, business objectives, and clear measures of success.
- Champion empathetic, accessible health communications that reflect real patient experiences, with alignment to client-provided medical, legal, and regulatory guidance.
Own Commercial Performance- Co-own portfolio financial performance with Program Management, including resource allocation, profitability, forecasting, and long-term growth.
- Lead senior client conversations on scopes, fees, changing needs, and investment; ensure commercial implications are addressed before commitments are made.
- Coach Business Directors on commercial judgment and make investment recommendations across the portfolio, balancing immediate needs with long-term opportunity.
Develop Teams and Align Delivery- Lead, mentor, and develop Business Directors and Business Supervisors through regular coaching, semi-annual performance reviews, and meaningful development opportunities.
- Establish clear roles, accountability, and development pathways, building teams that exercise sound judgment and collaborate effectively.
- Partner with Program Management, which leads operational planning and delivery, to align staffing, scope, schedules, and review requirements with business goals.
- Ensure seamless integration across Strategy, Context, Creative, and Production; confirm feasibility before major commitments and resolve competing portfolio priorities.
Strengthen the Agency- Partner with department leaders to shape Business Leadership standards, improve ways of working, and strengthen agency capabilities.
- Support new business pitches and represent Translation through relevant partnerships and industry participation.
- Help recruit and develop a strong pipeline of future Business Leadership talent.
Knowledge Skills and Abilities- Strong business judgment and strategic fluency, with the ability to turn complex client needs into clear priorities across multiple brands.
- Executive presence and exceptional communication skills, with the confidence to influence senior stakeholders and navigate difficult conversations.
- Commercial acumen across scopes, staffing, profitability, and forecasting, paired with a collaborative approach to Program Management.
- Ability to champion integrated creative work while respecting accuracy and medical, legal, and regulatory review requirements.
- A decisive, curious leadership style that develops other leaders and builds a culture of accountability and collaboration.
Minimum Qualifications- 12+ years of experience in an agency or communications-related industry, with a well-rounded understanding of marketing, media, creative, production, and agency finance.
- Proven success leading a portfolio of businesses or a complex multi-brand client relationship, with responsibility for financial performance and organic growth. Experience at a scale comparable to $6M-$10M+ in annual agency revenue.
- Demonstrated ability to advise VP- and SVP-level marketing clients and make consequential business decisions with limited executive oversight.
- Experience managing and developing senior account or Business Leadership talent and leading integrated, multi-channel campaigns and large-scale production.
Preferred Qualifications- Experience with pharmaceutical, healthcare, or other regulated brands and medical, legal, and regulatory review. Direct pharma experience is a plus, not a requirement; curiosity about the category and an eagerness to learn are valued.
- Experience with consumer health communications, patient storytelling, brand launches, or culturally relevant campaigns, including talent partnerships, social content, or experiential work.
- Experience partnering with in-house creative teams and working within a multi-agency environment.
- Bachelor's degree in marketing, business, or a related field.
Salary Hiring Range: $175,000 - $210,000
Our salary ranges are based on paying competitively for our size and industry, and are one part of many compensation, benefits and other reward opportunities we provide (e.g. bonus, stock options, 401(k) match, etc.)
Individual pay rate decisions are based on a number of factors, including qualifications for the role, experience level, skillset, and balancing internal equity relative to peers at the company. We expect the majority of the candidates who are offered roles at our company to fall healthily throughout the range based on these factors.
The range above is for the expectations as laid out in the job description, however we are often open to a wide variety of profiles, and recognize that the person we hire may be less experienced (or more senior) than this job description as posted. If that ends up being the case, the updated salary range will be communicated with you as a candidate.
The salary range above is for the NY/CA. As a company, we have a location based strategy, which means the salary range could be lower or higher than this if the role is hired in another location.
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