Associate Account Director

Reset your expectations of a health and wellness agency. From our inception, Fingerpaint has been driven by an unstoppable collective spirit of possibility. It’s that curiosity that’s at the heart of everything we do. From our legendary people-first culture to the hundreds of Fingerpainters who define us, we’ve reimagined what it means to be a healthcare and wellness advertising agency. Here, creativity happens naturally—we attract top talent and give them a space to grow and collaborate.

Fingerpaint Group’s medical communications solutions, Fingerpaint Medical, help pharmaceutical and biotech companies communicate complex scientific data effectively, enabling healthcare providers to make informed decisions that advance patient care. Our targeted educational programs and strategic communications support product adoption and drive commercial success in competitive therapeutic areas.

Objectives of this role:

The Associate Account Director serves as a key strategic partner and primary day-to-day liaison for our clients. You'll be responsible for the oversight of medical communications projects from concept to completion, while also cultivating strong client relationships and driving business growth. This role requires a balance of client-service skills, meticulous project management, and a developing understanding of account strategy and organic growth.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Client & Account Management

• Lead client relationships as the primary point of contact, ensuring the agency's resources are deployed effectively to meet their best interests.


• Contribute to the development of strategic communication plans for medical communications deliverables.


• Identify and pursue opportunities to expand agency business within and across client accounts.


• Demonstrate understanding of the brand’s strengths/weaknesses and continue to learn and apply knowledge to reviews of content and materials. Guide and advise the account team on developing and presenting new proposals, including innovative


• Anticipate and meet client needs, frequently communicating with them regarding project direction and updates.

Project & Financial Management

• Lead the budgeting process for accounts and projects.


• Collaborate with leadership to prepare annual client budgets and ensure they're kept up to date.


• Oversee project execution (quality/estimates/timelines), manage account team workload, and partner with the client to ensure tactics meet a defined need.


• Manage account financials, including client financial reporting and discussions; monitor, manage, and report on key financial metrics according to processes set by AD.


• Manage account revenue and write-offs, keeping the AD informed of any issues.


• Ensure that all creative and scientific output is on strategy, on message, and exceeds client expectations.


• Review all project documents and content, including client/brand backgrounders and briefing documents.


• Ensure project teams are planning projects within the project management platform from start to completion, involving budget, milestones, and tasks.


• Oversee staff resourcing to ensure adequate coverage across all active project work, collaborating with Operations to find necessary coverage when internal resources are limited.


• Enforce agency processes within the team to ensure consistency and efficiency.


• Initiate and attend all key meetings where strategies and plans are discussed.

Personnel Management

• Supervise, train, and develop Account Executives, Senior Account Executives, and Account Supervisors.


• Conduct annual performance reviews and identify developmental opportunities for team members.


• Ability to define their role within the team and demonstrate understanding of where their position brings the most value to the team and account; acts as a role model in collaboration with agency departments.


• Manage team members' billable hours to meet their goals (e.g., 1800/year).


• Collaborate with P&C and the AD to recruit and hire new account team members.


• Ensure internal relationships between the account group and other agency departments are productive.

Agency & Growth

• Identify areas for improvement within the agency and collaborate with leadership to identify and implement 


• Actively identify and follow up on organic growth and new business leads.


• Support new business efforts by assisting with the development and delivery of client pitches and RFPs.


• Provide the AD with recommendations to improve the agency or better customize services for clients.


• Conduct regular, in-person client meetings (as needed) to drive strategic alignment and manage project direction.


• Provide research direction to Account Supervisors and senior account executives.


• Utilize the expertise of internal team members responsibly to ensure high-quality output and time efficiency.

Qualification Requirements

• Education: Bachelor’s degree (minimum), preferably in health sciences, marketing, or communications field; an advanced degree (PharmD, BSN, PhD, MS) is a plus.

• Experience: 5-7 years of pharmaceutical and/or medical communications agency experience.

• Skills:


• Extensive experience with estimating costs, developing budgets, and managing project finances. 


• Excellent organizational skills, attention to detail, and follow-through.


• Prior supervisory experience and the ability to mentor and motivate a team.


• Strong knowledge of the pharmaceutical and agency industries.


• A thorough understanding of communications planning and scientific messaging.


• Excellent organizational skills, attention to detail, and follow-through.


• Superior oral and written communication skills, with excellent presentation and interpersonal abilities.


• Moderate experience with and knowledge of digital projects.


• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.


• Ability to travel at least 3-5 times per year to meet with clients.