Associate Director, Strategy

Position Title: Associate Director, Strategy

• Department: Strategic Solutions
• Reports To: VP, Strategy
• Location: Remote
• Employment Type: Full-time

Position Overview

Underscore Marketing is seeking an Associate Director, Strategy to join our team within a small, fast-paced media agency specializing in pharmaceutical media advertising. This role is ideal for an analytically minded, self-motivated individual who can independently manage performance reporting, uncover actionable insights, and make strategic optimization recommendations for our pharmaceutical clients.

In addition to day-to-day reporting and analysis, this role will contribute to bringing to life the agency’s data analytics vision—executing against our roadmap towards smarter, more automated, and AI-enhanced data solutions to drive organic growth and differentiation. The ideal candidate will work cross-functionally across teams (strategy, planning, analytics, client services, data science & technology, and media execution) to identify and implement both analytics & overall process improvements, ensuring data-driven decision-making is at the core of our client and internal strategies.

Key Responsibilities

Performance Reporting & Insights

Own and manage regular media performance reporting for multiple pharmaceutical accounts, ensuring accuracy, clarity, and timeliness

Analyze marketing and media performance data to identify trends, insights, and optimization opportunities

Translate complex datasets into clear narratives and actionable recommendations for internal teams and clients, bringing the data to life in a powerful way

Develop dashboards, visualizations, and scorecards using relevant tools (e.g. Tableau, Power BI, Google Looker Studio)

Strategic & Analytical Methodologies

Experience working with third-party health data providers, with clear understanding of approaches and methodologies used

Ability to apply analytical frameworks and understanding of attribution methodologies, test/control analyses, and other marketing effectiveness measurement approaches to evaluate performance and guide media strategy

Support the design and interpretation of A/B tests, pilots, and controlled experiments

Contribute to modeling and predictive analysis projects

Data Vision, AI & Process Improvement

Collaborate cross-functionally with internal agency teams and leadership to develop and refine the agency’s reporting and analytics offerings and roadmap

Support & execute against opportunities identified within the agency to integrate or leverage AI and automation to improve reporting speed, accuracy, and insights generation

Work cross-functionally with media, account, and technology teams to enhance data flows, reporting templates, and processes

Document and communicate best practices for analytics and performance optimization

Qualifications & Skills Required

Education & Experience

Bachelor’s degree in a related field (e.g., Data Science, Statistics, Marketing Analytics, Applied Mathematics, or a similar discipline)

2–3 years of professional experience (including internships) in marketing analytics, performance reporting, or related analytical roles

Experience in or exposure to pharmaceutical media advertising across digital and traditional channels required

Strong presentation skills, with experience presenting deliverables to clients and ensuring delivery excellence

Technical Skills

Proficiency with data visualization

Working knowledge of SQL, Python, or R for data manipulation and analysis is a plus

Understanding of media measurement frameworks (e.g., attribution modeling, MMM, lift studies)

Familiarity with AI/ML concepts and tools for reporting or analytics automation is advantageous

Core Competencies

Strong analytical thinking and problem-solving skills

Excellent communication skills—able to translate data into clear, actionable insights for non-technical audiences

High attention to detail, accuracy, and data integrity

Ability to manage multiple projects independently in a fast-paced, client-driven environment

A proactive, curious mindset with a passion for learning and innovation

• Why Join Us?
• At Underscore Marketing, we value our team and invest in their success. We offer competitive compensation and benefits, including health coverage, retirement plans, paid time off, and professional growth opportunities. Our goal is to ensure you feel supported both personally and professionally while contributing to meaningful work in a dynamic, collaborative environment.

Underscore Marketing is a woman-owned, independent agency specializing in life sciences. Since 2002, we've helped clients gain a competitive edge through bold, data-driven promotional strategies that deliver measurable results.

Our team comprises media, strategy, and omnichannel analytics experts who thrive on collaboration, innovation, and results. When you join Underscore, you become part of a dynamic environment where your ideas matter, your growth is supported, and your work helps elevate brands in a competitive healthcare landscape.

If you're passionate about making a difference and want to be part of a team that values integrity, creativity, and results, if that sounds like you, we invite you to share.

• Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
• Underscore is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law. We believe that diversity drives innovation and success, and we welcome candidates from all backgrounds to apply.