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Planning Director

Chicago, Illinois

Summary 

At AbelsonTaylor Group, work that makes you feel good isn’t just what we do—it’s who we are. We believe that when you feel good about your work, and where you work, you bring your best self to it. That’s why we create an environment where creativity thrives, teamwork flourishes, and inclusivity is more than just a value—it’s a way of life.

Here, you’ll help propel brands that inspire health and brighter futures, all while finding the support, inspiration, and growth opportunities to reach your own potential. Together, we dream boldly, collaborate deeply, and make a meaningful difference—one idea at a time.

Now, we are on an unstoppable mission for a Planning Director to join our team. The Planning Director is a managerial position that requires leading brands, supervising more junior members of the team, and thought leadership that introduces new ideas and approaches to the department.  

The Planning Director serves as an Integrated Strategist supporting brands as a core team member, coordinating strategic efforts across the Integrated Strategy dept: Planning, Engagement, Media, Marketing Intelligence, Social. The Planning Director provides high level Planning skills and a broad understanding of the role the other disciplines play, adeptly bringing in subject matter experts to support projects as needed.   

Ready to make a difference and be a part of something extraordinary? Join us on this journey toward a healthier, happier world! Apply now!  

What You'll Do 

  • Target Identification: Deep understanding of target attitudes, beliefs, and behavior; creative approaches to presenting target learnings
  • Insight Mining: Expertise and creativity in ways to uncover and utilize target insights
  • Market Research: Pragmatic approach to problem-solving, viewing research as a means to an end; ability to identify alternate strategic/research routes for a given problem/category/brand
  • Storytelling & Creative Inspiration: Excellent verbal, writing, and presentation skills
  • Pharma-Proficiency: Thorough mastery of brand mechanisms, disease states, and audience attitudes, preferences, and motivators for both owned and supervised accounts
  • New Business Pitches: Act as the Planning lead on new business pitches
  • Thought leadership: Introduce new ideas and thinking on Planning related topics 
  • Planning Projects: Lead planning-focused projects on supported brands, including market research, insight mining, audience narratives, customer journeys, and positioning development
  • Integrated Strategist: Seamlessly coordinate the integration of multiple disciplines, including Engagement, Media, Marketing Intelligence, and Social.
  • Workshops: Lead insight, positioning, and messaging workshops
  • Creative Briefs: Author inspiring creative briefs, approaching brand challenges from fresh perspectives
  • Creative Briefings: Lead inspiring creative briefings
  • Creative Evaluation: Evaluate creative output through the lens of the target audience
  • Thought Leadership: Contribute to thought leadership departmental initiatives, introducing novel approaches

Team Management and Mentorship

  • Leadership Skills: Lead by example, maintaining composure and professionalism in challenging situations, serving as a role model for junior team members
  • Hire, Coach, and Develop Team Members: Assign projects to balance workloads and challenge team members' skills, ensuring projects showcase the agency's capabilities
  • Provide Regular Feedback: Offer both formal and informal feedback to direct reports to help grow their creative sensibilities and progress in their craft
  • Perform Team Evaluations: Participate in performance reviews for any direct reports and provide coaching to create growth plans for team members as needed
  • Team Motivation: Foster team motivation and maintain a positive attitude that inspires others
  • Infuse Psychological Safety into Teams: Facilitate participation, inclusion, and diversity of perspectives on your team and throughout the agency 

What Makes You A Great Fit

  • Experience: 9-12 years prior agency experience  
  • Education: Bachelor’s degree [preference for social sciences, marketing, communication, sciences] 
  • Pharmaceutical Experience: Pharmaceutical experience is highly preferred
  • Curiosity: Must be innately curious about human behavior
  • Interest in Health & Wellness: Must have an interest in health and wellness

Benefits and Perks:

  • Medical, Dental and Vision coverage
  • 401k with Company match of 50% on the first 6%
  • Adoption Assistance – Up to $2,500 of financial assistance
  • Company Paid Life Insurance, Short-Term and Long-Term Disability
  • Short-Term Disability providing 100% of salary coverage
  • Paid Parental Leave for birth and non-birth parents (4 weeks)
  • Summer Fridays
  • Flexible Time Off (FTO)
  • 11 Holidays and End of Year Office Closure
  • Company provided Learning and Development opportunities
  • Free lunch Wednesdays
  • Wellness Program

Compensation Range: $130k–170k. The starting salary offer will depend on the candidate’s skills, qualifications, and experience. The company reserves the right to adjust this pay range at any time. 

At AbelsonTaylor Group (ATG), we love science, art, and data. Since our beginnings in 1981, ATG has been singularly focused on health, wellness, and pharma products – not sneakers, beer, or cars (though we like those things, too). Besides being passionate about our purpose, we are dedicated to our people and their professional growth and fulfillment. We value a diverse and inclusive workforce and strive to bring together people with unique skills and varied backgrounds to work toward common goals. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without discrimination regarding age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

This position follows a hybrid schedule, requiring employees to be onsite Tuesday-Thursday each week in our Chicago office. We make reasonable accommodations for employees and applicants with disabilities who require schedule accommodations.

We are an E-Verify employer

https://www.abelsontaylorgroup.com/pdfs/IER_RightToWorkPoster_Eng_Es.pdf 
https://www.abelsontaylorgroup.com/pdfs/E-Verify_Participation_Poster_Eng_Es.pdf

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