Associate Director Client Services

The Opportunity

We are seeking an experienced Associate Client Services Director (ACSD) to join a leading medical communications agency and act as a strategic partner to clients across a diverse portfolio of accounts.

This is a senior client-facing role for someone who combines strong medical communications expertise with strategic and commercial thinking . You will lead client relationships, oversee account strategy and delivery, manage financial performance, identify growth opportunities, and develop high-performing teams.

The ideal candidate will be confident operating at a senior level with both clients and internal stakeholders, while remaining hands-on and solutions-focused in a fast-paced agency environment.

Key Responsibilities:

Client & Account Leadership

• Serve as a trusted senior advisor and strategic partner to clients, developing strong relationships and proactively anticipating their needs.
• Lead and oversee a diverse portfolio of medical communications accounts across multiple therapeutic areas and tactics.
• Bring strong industry, scientific, and commercial expertise to strategic client discussions and challenge thinking where appropriate.
• Provide strategic and operational direction to account teams, ensuring client objectives translate into effective execution.
• Partner closely with Scientific Leads to develop account strategy, identify opportunities, and ensure plans are strategically sound and operationally achievable.
• Act as a senior escalation point for clients and internal teams, proactively identifying risks and resolving challenges.
• Provide onsite client support where required.

Project & Team Leadership

• Provide overall leadership across complex projects and accounts, ensuring work is delivered to a high standard, on time, and within budget.
• Lead, delegate, and empower account teams while maintaining a hands-on approach when required.
• Drive alignment across cross-functional teams, including Scientific Services, Creative, Digital, and other agency disciplines.
• Ensure appropriate resourcing across accounts, proactively identifying and addressing capacity or capability challenges.
• Lead regular account and team meetings, maintaining clear priorities, actions, and accountability.
• Review and approve work in partnership with Scientific Leads, ensuring quality and consistency across deliverables.
• Drive continuous improvements in processes, efficiencies, and best practices.

Financial Management

• Own account financial performance, including budgets, forecasting, revenue, profitability, billability, and recoverability.
• Partner with senior leadership and Scientific Leads to establish realistic revenue targets and ensure financial performance aligns with business goals.
• Monitor account financials and proactively address variances, risks, and opportunities.
• Lead client conversations around annual budgets, scope changes, out-of-scope work, billing, and commercial considerations.
• Build strong relationships with senior client and procurement stakeholders and support commercial and MSA negotiations.
• Ensure accurate and timely financial administration across the account team.

Business Development & Growth

• Identify and proactively pursue organic growth opportunities across existing accounts.
• Build trusted client relationships that create opportunities for expanded partnerships and new business.
• Lead or contribute to pitches, proposals, and new business opportunities.
• Stay current on developments across the pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical communications landscape to identify emerging opportunities.
• Partner with internal teams to develop innovative solutions that address evolving client needs.

People Leadership

• Line manage and mentor account team members across varying levels of seniority.
• Provide regular, constructive feedback and support individual career development.
• Coach and develop high-performing teams, adapting leadership style to bring out the best in individuals.
• Contribute to wider agency leadership and culture initiatives.
• Build strong relationships with senior leadership and act as a trusted partner to the Business Unit Founder.

What We're Looking For

• Extensive experience within a medical communications agency with a strong understanding of the industry and client landscape.
• Proven experience managing senior-level client relationships and complex medical communications accounts.
• Broad experience across multiple therapeutic areas, clients, and medical communications tactics.
• Strong understanding of the pharmaceutical and biotech landscape, with the ability to translate industry knowledge into strategic client solutions.
• Demonstrated experience working cross-functionally with Scientific/Medical, Creative, Digital, and other agency teams.
• Strong commercial acumen, with hands-on experience managing budgets, forecasting, revenue, and recoverability.
• Proven people leadership experience, including line management, coaching, and mentoring.
• Excellent strategic, organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial agency environment where you can be both strategic and hands-on.
• Bachelor's degree in science, pharmacology, medicine, or a related field preferred, with the ability to apply and communicate strong scientific knowledge.