Company Overview
Our client is an independent, founder owned healthcare communications agency serving pharmaceutical and life sciences brands, with nearly two decades of history built on the quality of its work and the depth of its client relationships. The agency has grown primarily through referrals and word of mouth, expanding around 70 percent annually to a fully remote team of more than 100 people across the United States. Its people first culture values sustainable workloads, long term development, and shared ownership of the work, and leadership is focused on building something lasting rather than chasing short term profit. As the agency prepares for greater market visibility and expands the services it offers clients, it is investing in the technology and talent to compete with much larger organizations, and this leader will set the direction for that effort.
Position Overview
This is a rare opportunity to step into a newly created executive role that will define how a fast growing agency approaches digital, technology, and AI for the next decade. Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer and partnering closely with the founder and senior leadership team, the Head of Digital Strategy & Innovation will set the vision and roadmap for AI and digital across the organization. First, this leader will hold true ownership of AI and digital strategy, with direct access to ownership, a receptive leadership team, and the authority to build the function in a way that suits their strengths. Second, the role carries a significant build opportunity, bringing outsourced digital production in house to support a growing pipeline of new websites and digital advertising while shaping the Innovation Services team from the ground up with approved headcount for dedicated technology and AI hires. Third, it offers a visible, client facing platform, as digital strategy becomes a larger part of how the agency wins and grows client relationships and how prospective clients perceive its capabilities. Depending on how the organization evolves, the scope may extend to enterprise systems and data and analytics. The role is fully remote within the United States.
Position Responsibilities
- Define and lead the agency’s innovation and AI strategy and roadmap, aligning priorities with business growth and client demand and partnering with the founder and executive team to embed innovation into broader business plans.
- Build an in house digital practice that brings website development, digital advertising, and related production under agency control, setting the operating model, vendor strategy, and quality standards needed to deliver work quickly and reliably at scale.
- Present and sell digital strategy to clients, shaping offerings, scope, and pricing that become a growing part of the agency’s value proposition, and translate technical possibilities into clear business outcomes.
- Build and lead the Innovation Services team, including selecting an AI enablement leader and other specialists, and define roles, accountabilities, and collaboration models across AI, digital, creative, and existing department leadership.
- Own, in partnership with executive leadership, a strategic talent and resourcing plan tied to the innovation and AI roadmap, revising it as the technology landscape evolves.
- Guide the organization through AI adoption with clear communication of the why, the what, and the how, building confidence through practical value and reinforcing that human judgment remains central.
- Evaluate emerging technologies, develop business cases for significant investments, and guide initiatives from pilot through scale, with sound judgment on when to build, buy, or partner.
- Establish governance for responsible AI use that accounts for security, privacy, compliance, intellectual property, and client requirements in a highly regulated industry.
- Partner with creative, strategy, account, and IT stakeholders to ensure digital work meets the agency’s quality bar and that the frameworks, systems, and infrastructure behind digital and AI initiatives are in place.
- Represent the agency externally as a credible voice on digital and AI in healthcare communications, define how the business impact of innovation is measured, and advise leadership on broader technology goals.
Position Qualifications
Required
- Proven track record of leading AI adoption within the last several years and executing innovation or technology strategy across a complex organization, with concrete examples of business outcomes.
- 10 or more years of progressive leadership experience in digital, technology, innovation, or digital transformation.
- Agency experience, with a digital shop or a healthcare or pharmaceutical advertising agency strongly preferred.
- Experience building or scaling digital production capabilities such as web development, digital advertising, or related services.
- Experience leading and developing teams that combine technical, creative, and strategic talent, with a background in either AI, machine learning, and data or broader technology and digital leadership with AI integrated into the role.
Preferred
- A track record in healthcare advertising and a professional reputation that carries weight with healthcare and life sciences marketers, including the ability to speak to the competitive landscape with specific examples and familiarity with confidential information and websites that collect patient data.
- Thrives in a smaller, high growth environment, is comfortable wearing many hats, values building and developing people, and respects an established culture before seeking to change it.
- Communicates a clear vision for AI and digital that resonates with creatives, executives, and clients, and leads change with empathy and credibility.
Call to Action
If you are a digital and AI leader ready to build a function from the ground up at a growing healthcare communications agency, apply now. A member of Talentfoot’s recruitment team will be in touch should your track record of success, experience, skills, and qualifications match our client’s requirements.
Talentfoot Overview
Talentfoot Executive Search specializes in future proofing organizations by securing forward-thinking leaders across sales, marketing, eCommerce, product, data, operations, finance, and technology with a track record of accelerating growth, innovation, and profitability. Since 2010, we’ve partnered with more than 2,500 companies and lead the industry with a 98% client success rate. Learn more at Talentfoot.com