Senior Principal Writer
Reports To:Associate Creative Director
Location:12 Bishop's Bridge Rd, Greater, London W2 6AA
About DDB Remedy:
We're a bunch of creative, Intelligent, friendly, Interesting, Interested, diverse and happy people (and dogs). Surprising and delighting our clients and ourselves is what gets us out of bed In the morning.
We have a simple belief — Unexpected Works. Meaning that the best idea is the one you that you could never see coming. And the only way to get there is through genuine creativity. The kind of creativity that scares and excites us at the same time because it’s so different. We even get goosebumps just thinking about it. This kind of work takes guts, luckily, we’ve got plenty of that here.
We’re one of the leading Healthcare Communications agencies and our goal is simple, to improve people’s health and wellbeing. We develop strategic solutions, create identities, produce beautiful content, and create experiences for HCPs, patients, salesforces, and consumers across multiple channels.
We’re proud of what we do, creating unexpected work that makes a difference.
Our commitment:
DDB Remedy is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate individuality and diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment and a sense of belonging for all employees without regard to race, age, sex, disability, neurodiversity, sexual orientation, gender identity or religion.
Everyone has the right to be themselves. That’s why we cherish 4 important ‘freedoms’, that protect our rights to be creative, to experiment, to be who we are and to feel included and safe at work. These inform our every word, every action and every result, every day. They are Freedom from fear, Freedom to fail, Freedom from Chaos and Freedom to be.
For us, inclusivity and diversity aren’t “nice-to-have” – they’re central to our business strategy. The more inclusive we are, the more people feel they can bring their whole selves to work, the better our work will be.
We are committed to providing reasonable adjustments for employees with disabilities and for candidates in our application process. If you need assistance or adjustment due to a disability, please contact us.
Position Summary:
The Senior Principal Writer, guides, supports and produces outstanding, medically accurate, pharmaceutical and healthcare campaign material, which reflects the client’s brand strategy. Working as part of a multi-disciplinary team, and as the copy lead, you inspire and motivate other writers, as well as knowing how to delegate and manage resources adequately in order to meet deadlines. In addition to having responsibility for the copy output of the account you lead, you will contribute to strategic thinking across your key brand(s). Attending client meetings, you will present professionally to medical and marketing clients, providing a rationale for the content and how it supports the brand strategy.
Key Capabilities:
- Passionate about medical & copy writing and communicates this enthusiasm to others
- Always delivers ‘great stuff’ and ensures their team delivers ‘great stuff’
- Always approachable, always helpful, always mindful of the ‘bigger picture’
- Focused on providing strategic solutions and functioning of their copy team
- Forms strong relationships with clients and internal agency teams
- Champion of copy processes and working practices
Responsibilities:
To consistently ensure the delivery of ‘great stuff’
- Writes and manages delivery of scientific content for promotional medical communications activities that meet client needs, internal standards and timelines
- Is the Lead Writer for a major account
- Manages numerous projects in a timely manner
- Provides main point of contact on matters of scientific and copy content for the client and medical experts
- Forms close working relationships with clients and is recognised as the expert by the client
- Undertakes line management responsibility and provides ongoing mentoring and support to other writers, especially those in their ‘pillar’
- Considers line reports development and provides appropriate development plans
- Oversees copy delivery for themselves and other copy team members
- Discusses briefs with clients and follows agency processes impeccably
- Able to create a brand story beyond the clinical data
- Has an excellent understanding of the brand development process and is able to input into this process and contribute in strategic and tactical planning
- Confidently presents ideas and defends work both internally and externally
- Delivers masterclasses on their particular copy strength periodically
Demonstrates teamwork at all times
- Works closely with agency partners to generate original creative thinking
- Reviews colleagues work and provides constructive feedback including peers, junior team members and freelancers
- Identifies training needs and contributes to training others as required
- Works with Client Services to take responsibility for development of plans to maximise opportunities for developing the account
- Always follows the Agency Standard Operating Procedure
- Acts as a role model ensuring good teamwork
- Works with the Associate Creative Directors and the Traffic and Resource Manager to make resourcing recommendations and manage freelance assistance
Understands our work, our Network and our Clients
- Understands and can communicate to the client the product facts (and the facts and context surrounding them), the legal liability (what we can/can’t say in communication), and the competitive landscape
- Uses strategic insight to provide practical input to communication programmes
- Can provide strategic medical knowledge/expertise across the relevant therapeutic areas and can quickly develop expertise in new therapeutic areas required by new indications etc.
- Demonstrate innovation and creativity beyond client ideas in brainstorm sessions/when developing campaigns/programmes
- Leads and supports the wider team on prospective business
- Has thorough knowledge and understanding of agency processes and the time required to complete each stage
- Proactively seeks and pursues new opportunities within key accounts
- Acts as an advocate and supporter of DDB Remedy in all interactions with the client or external suppliers
Position Requirements:
Creativity
- Demonstrates passionate for creativity and ideas in the broadest sense
- Fosters an environment, internally and with the client, in which powerful ideas and great creative work can be sold and can flourish
- Goes beyond the clinical data to create stories that resonate emotionally and bring the brand to life
- Creatively thinks about the client’s business and demonstrates initiative to identify new business opportunities – proffering (and encouraging their team to proffer) innovative deliverables outside of the normal scope of work
- Seeks ways and offers solutions to improve agency processes and ways of working
Strategic thinking
- Works with senior stakeholders on both the agency and client side to help develop the brand plan
- Takes a lead on being able to interpret learnings in a way that best benefits the creative work, making it better and more effective.
- Takes responsibility for identifying the best story to tell in any awards submission
- Looks beyond the commonly accepted approach and seeks opportunities for modifying or adapting existing practices – where possible, pursues new ideas or innovative approaches
- Demonstrates versatility and flexibility and can shift directions as new information or feedback becomes available that suggests a different approach is needed
Productivity
- Is able to think through client’s business problems and identify or create solutions
- Remains calm under pressure, does not pass stress on to co-workers
- Is solution-orientated and focused on successful results; sees challenges as opportunities
- Has strong time management skills and knows how to prioritise tasks efficiently
- Has a high degree of accuracy and reliability
Relationships/Communication
- Develops and maintains strong relationships with clients and agency counterparts; has earned their trust and respect
- Regularly engages with the agency team, management, and client partners to ensure on-going communication of client needs and concerns
- Liaises with account directors, planners and traffic to ensure projects are delivered in an efficient and timely manner
- Persuasive and inspiring presentation, negotiation and writing skills
- Acts as an ambassador for DDB and its culture in and outside the Agency
Knowledge and Skills
- Has an excellent understanding of their client’s business, brands and category
- Provides medical knowledge/expertise across many therapeutic areas and demonstrates ability to quickly develop expertise in new therapeutic areas/indications
- Champions processes and tools that make the team more effective
- Possesses an excellent understanding of all integrated communication disciplines (direct, digital, etc.) and an ability to recognise and implement accordingly
- Motivated to always continue learning and sharing knowledge
- Strong facilitation and presentation skills both in preparing materials required and in delivery of said materials
- Excellent writing skills
Qualifications
Desirable:
- MSc or PhD
- Maintains awareness of developments in relevant therapeutic areas and disciplines
Essential:
- BSc
- Extensive previous relevant medical information, communications or marketing writing experience
- Excellent understanding of relevant UK and International code – e.g. ABPI
- Can lead client update meetings
- Professional, client-focused communication at all times
- Able to talk confidently about concepts and creative work
- Encourages teamwork and innovation
- Able to give and receive feedback in a constructive manner
- Confident presenter
- Excellent time management and organisational skills
