Account Director Public Relations - Pharma Health & Wellness

Who we are:

GCI Health, part of WPP, is the leading global health impact agency built to realize the future of health. We turn client innovation into health impact through engagements that transcend traditional communications. From molecules to the masses, we embrace the entire healthcare spectrum in every corner of the world, spanning North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. Our services include pipeline and product communications, brand marketing, corporate and enterprise communications, medical affairs and clinical trial marketing.

GCI Health is a celebrated, highly respected healthcare agency with industry honors that include PRWeek Best Place to Work, PRWeek Global International Agency of the Year, MM+M PR Agency of the Year, PRovoke Media Global Healthcare PR Agency of the Year and PRovoke Media Agency of the Decade. 

WPP (LSE/NYSE: WPP) is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. We unite cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel in a single company – powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open, to help our clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth. For more information, visit WPP.com. 

More about the role:

Burson Group India is looking for an Account Director – Pharma, Health & Wellness for their Bengaluru office.  As an Account Director you are expected to manage a portfolio of clients, work on new business development and support the senior management to manage and develop strong teams. You are expected to support our corporate strategy and your practice or office to help ensure superior client service, a winning culture and profitability.  For this requirement we are looking for an Account Director with good understanding of the Healthcare sector.

Burson's healthcare communications expertise in India is delivered through GCI Health India, part of the global integrated healthcare communications agency, GCI Health. It is the only global health-dedicated communications agency with a strong presence in the Asia-Pacific region.

What you'll do:

Client Service:

• Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of the clients’ business and industry, stay current on news, trends, and issues, and take an active interest in the client’s business to pre-empt issues and provide strategic counsel.
• Act as a client leader and maintain a clear and consistent communication channel between the client and the account team and resolve misunderstandings if they occur.
• Manage quality implementation for the client portfolio within budget and timelines.
• Timely Decision Making – The ability to identify a problem and find solutions. Makes decisions in a timely manner, using available information and under tight deadlines.
• Support senior management on crisis management issues if required.
• Be a seasoned writer and able to write for senior management level audiences.
• Conduct formal presentations in a variety of settings and able to persuade and influence decision makers within client and prospective client companies.
• Build relationships with media members and influencers who are key to your clients’ industries and businesses.
• Incorporate digital and social strategies into IC programs to support client objectives and work with digital innovations group to develop and execute digital strategies.
• Stay updated on social media trends and build relationships with key influencers and community contacts to optimize channels.
• You must possess a strong familiarity with how Generative AI tools are used across communications programmes, especially in planning, research, ideation, content creation, and daily operations.
• Embeds Burson proprietary AI tools as a core part of the marketing workflow — applying them to competitor research, content development, campaign performance analysis, and audience strategy to make marketing decisions faster and more informed.

 Business Development:

• Work with senior leaders to identify opportunities to grow existing accounts.
• Use social media to constantly watch for and track opportunities that could lead to new business.
• Participate in new business brainstorms and take ownership of portions of new business proposals under the guidance of senior management.

 Talent Management:

• Coach, mentor, and delegate responsibilities to junior staff helping them identify their areas of development and consistently serve as a positive role model fostering teamwork.
• Create an inclusive and welcoming environment that engages all individuals without bias and demonstrate flexibility in a changing work environment.
• Provide continuous constructive feedback- not just during performance reviews- and keep immediate superiors briefed on team member performance ensuring recognition of good performance and resolution of concerns in a timely manner.
• Provide on the job training to team members on account management to develop team’s expertise on client business and conduct formal training sessions when required.
• Guide and inspire junior staff to develop media contacts and strategies.

Experience that contributes to success:

• Minimum 8 to 10 years of work experience in public relations or the communications industry. good understanding of the healthcare sector.

You belong at GCI Health:

Our vision is for GCI, a Burson Group company, to be the leading ‘academy company’ for creative communications professionals and emerging leaders. We provide a dynamic environment where ambitious colleagues come to elevate their skills, expand their networks, and ultimately, produce the best solutions for today’s leading brands. Our commitment to your growth is reflected in our robust benefits and people programs, which include professional development opportunities, mentorship programs with industry leaders, a vibrant and inclusive company culture fostering collaboration and innovation and packages designed to reward and retain top talent. We invest in our people because we believe their success is our success.

We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office around four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.

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