Director, Business Leadership

About R/GA

In our 40-year history, we’ve changed a lot—from a culture-defining film title studio (Superman, Alien, Ghostbusters); to an interactive advertising agency; to an award-winning product and marketing agency with design, technology, communications, ventures and IP practices. We like change, and like to navigate our clients through it too.

Our approach to work is always human first. This unwavering focus helps us create meaningful and memorable experiences that live across digital platforms and often blur the line between the digital and real worlds. We believe disruptive thinking happens when you collide experts in design, technology and culture.

About the Role

Our Business Leadership team serves as the first line of contact with our clients. They identify client needs and work strategically to provide thoughtful solutions with measurable results. We set the bar high at R/GA. We don’t just strive to solve our client’s problems; we challenge ourselves to transform their entire category. 

The Director, Business Leadership is accountable for managing medium scale client engagements, is a key partner to Managers/Director level clients, and is actively leading projects and teams to drive positive outcomes. You set day-to-day directives for teams across your projects, and look for ways to push our craft, elevate our relationships and grow our business.

This role requires recent experience in regulated industries—specifically pharmaceutical marketing—with a deep understanding of legal, regulatory, and medical review (MLR) processes and systems such as Veeva and Scope Deliver. You bring strong operational discipline, marketing fluency across channels (ie. TVC/Online video, digital and social), and a passion for helping teams do their best work in complex, fast-paced environments.

Here’s what you should know if you want to be a Director, Business Leadership at R/GA: 

On any given day you might 

• Lead and navigate Integrated Agency Team (IAT) meetings, ensuring alignment across partner agencies and driving toward cohesive strategic and creative outputs
• Manage complex pharmaceutical workflows, including cross-functional coordination, medical/legal/regulatory (MLR) submissions, and Veeva Vault PromoMat processes
• Translate pharmaceutical business objectives into full-funnel marketing strategies—including 360 campaigns, CRM, social-first content, creator/influencer content and branded experiences
• Engage directly with senior-most clients, acting as a trusted advisor and bringing clarity, confidence, and leadership to every interaction
• Operate with ease in highly regulated environments, proactively identifying risks and navigating complexities with sound judgment and expertise
• Lead client and internal teams with a strategic, big-picture mindset—driving high-impact conversations, prioritizing efforts, and maintaining momentum aligned to broader business goals
• Guide clients through the full project lifecycle, from creative concepting and strategic planning through production and delivery, ensuring alignment and excellence at every stage
• Oversee a range of integrated productions, from social-first campaigns and digital experiences to large-scale content - TVC, social, branded platforms, and cross-channel activations
• Lead internal creative, strategy and production reviews, providing clear and business-driven feedback to elevate strategic and creative output
• Act as an extension of the client’s team, offering a strategic POV across core and adjacent workstreams grounded in business understanding
• Shape and lead multidisciplinary project teams, working closely with Talent Management to align resourcing with business needs and broader talent strategy
• Know when to bring in R/GA leadership to navigate key relationship or conflict moments
• Own forecasting in partnership with Program Management and manage hours across disciplines
• Understand scope deeply, estimating time and run rate, managing against allocations, and flagging scope creep early with solutions
• Drive the creation and delivery of Quarterly Business Reviews and financial flash analyses
• Support your Client Lead in ensuring profitability across your business, in context with broader organizational goals
• Partner with the Marketing team to support thought leadership and elevate R/GA’s point of view
• Work across Client and Practice Leads to understand how decisions in your business impact others

The ideal person 

• Can confidently step in for strategic or creative delivery when needed
• Navigates conversations about incremental project fees without oversight
• Brings fresh perspective and challenges norms by applying expertise from past roles
• Stays active in the industry through events, talks, and ongoing engagement with the broader creative and business community
• Stays three steps ahead to position strategic and creative work for success
• Has outstanding public speaking skills and experience 
• Can foster strong, cohesive working interdisciplinary teams 
• Uses alternative analytical approaches to solve digital/interactive/marketing problems 
• Can define solutions that generate measurable results for our clients
• Exhibits a passion for digital marketing and the creative process 
• Can communicate across levels and disciplines and is always a team player

You Bring 

• 10–12 years of client engagement experience in an integrated or digital agency environment, including 2+ years in a client leadership role with direct experience in pharmaceutical marketing supporting HCP or DTC audiences.
• Expertise in full-funnel marketing—from brand campaigns to performance and CRM—across omnichannel ecosystems including social-first, web, experiential, influencer and mobile
• Proven experience leading pharmaceutical campaigns, with a strong grasp of regulatory processes and a focus on patient-centric messaging
• Hands-on experience with Veeva Vault PromoMat and fluency in navigating medical/legal/regulatory (MLR) review processes
• Experience leading Integrated Agency Team (IAT) meetings
• Demonstrated success managing complex businesses or portfolios totaling $2M–$5M+, with strong financial and operational oversight
• Deep experience with innovative production models, spanning social-first content, large-scale brand systems, and emerging technology activations
• Proven ability to lead integrated, tech-enabled campaigns, including AI-powered solutions, talent/influencer partnerships, and co-creation with platforms or vendors
• Familiarity with in-market activations and experiential tactics that drive measurable engagement and behavior change
• RFP experience, with the ability to evaluate opportunities, identify talent needs, and develop compelling go-to-market approaches
• A track record of thriving in fast-paced, creatively driven environments and managing multiple workstreams simultaneously
• Proficiency in core business tools, including MS Office, Google Drive, Zoom, Slack etc. 
• Experience partnering with interdisciplinary teams on projects from conception to execution

*This role is based in NYC. Candidates must be located in the tri-state area (NY, NJ, or CT) or willing to relocate. This position offers a hybrid work model, with regular in-person collaboration, team / client workshops and client travel expected.

The hiring range for this position is $135,000 to $185,000. Where an employee or prospective employee is paid within this range will depend on, among other factors, actual ranges for current/former employees in the subject position; budgetary considerations; tenure and standing with the company (applicable to current employees); as well as the employee’s/applicant’s applicable skills, pertinent experience, and qualifications.