Vice President Earned Media

About Burson:

Burson is the global communications leader built to create value for clients through reputation. With highly specialized teams, industry-leading technologies and breakthrough creative, we help brands and businesses redefine reputation as a competitive advantage so they can lead today and into the future. Burson operates under WPP (NYSE: WPP), the creative transformation company. Learn more at www.bursonglobal.com.

The Role

We are looking for a Vice President of Earned Media to join our growing Health & Wellness practice. This person will lead earned media strategy, and execution for our health and wellness client inclusive of pharmaceutical, biotech, and other wellness clients. This role is perfect for someone with strong media relationships, a passion for telling impactful stories, and a desire to be part of an integrated team.

This role involves leading media relations, developing comprehensive media strategies, and managing crisis communications, while ensuring compliance with regulatory standards (FDA). The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in healthcare communications, a proven ability to secure high-impact media placements, and the leadership skills to guide teams and deliver results.

The Team

The Health & Wellness team at Burson is one of the largest and most innovative groups in the space. We have pushed the limits of traditional healthcare communications with a complete 360-degree integrated offer for our clients; social, digital, data, brands, celebrity, science, corporate, consumer, etc. We are a group of people who work hard as a team to continue building our reputation as visionaries in the industry. We are looking for individuals who want to challenge both themselves and the status quo.

What you will do

• Develop and lead earned media strategies for healthcare clients, ensuring alignment with client goals and industry trends.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with top-tier healthcare reporters, editors, and key media outlets.
• Proactively pitch a range of stories from complex science stories, to product approvals/launches and clinical trial results to more consumer facing celebrity partnerships, disease awareness campaigns and thought leadership.
• Advise clients on media engagement strategies, providing counsel on positioning, messaging, and press outreach to enhance visibility and credibility.
• Serve as the senior earned media expert for clients, offering high-level strategic guidance on media opportunities, crisis management, and regulatory-compliant communications.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (account, digital, creative) to integrate earned media into broader communications campaigns, ensuring cohesive messaging across all channels.
• Develop long-term earned media plans and establish KPIs for success, continuously measuring and optimizing efforts to meet client objectives.
• Lead and mentor a team of media relations specialists, ensuring they have the resources and guidance to execute high-quality earned media campaigns.
• Foster a collaborative environment within the team, encouraging innovation, continuous learning, and best practices in media relations.
• Provide regular training and development opportunities to junior team members, helping them build expertise in healthcare communications.
• Lead media monitoring and reporting efforts, tracking earned media coverage across traditional, digital, and trade media outlets.
• Analyze media performance metrics (reach, engagement, sentiment) and present data-driven insights to clients, demonstrating the value and impact of earned media campaigns.
• Continuously evaluate and refine earned media strategies based on performance data, ensuring optimal outcomes for clients.

Requirements

Who you are

• 10+ years of experience in public relations, with a focus on earned media in the health & wellness sectors.
• Proven success in securing top-tier media coverage for clients, including product launches, clinical trials, regulatory milestones, disease awareness campaigns, and celebrity partnerships.
• Strong relationships with healthcare journalists and editors, with a deep understanding of the media landscape in these industries.
• Extensive knowledge of FDA guidelines for pharmaceutical communications.
• Exceptional leadership and team management skills, with a track record of mentoring and developing high-performing teams.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to simplify complex healthcare information for various audiences.
• Strong analytical skills, with experience using media monitoring tools and reporting on earned media performance.

• Familiarity with digital healthcare communications, including social media and influencer engagement.
• Desire to work in a diverse and inclusive organization as an active participant in culture initiatives, training opportunities and employee resource groups.

Benefits

Burson Perks:

• Hybrid work environment that offers the flexibility and balance of working from home and going into the office.
• Career growth opportunities through continued education, training & development courses, and Burson s Career Pathing program.
• Employee Resource Groups that provide our employees the platform to network, build key leadership skills, gain greater visibility and access to senior leadership, have an impact at Burson and the outside community and accelerate their careers.
• Paid time off for vacation, sick and personal days, as well as Summer Fridays. Our Flexible Holiday Policy includes 9 paid holidays inclusive of Juneteenth and World Mental Health Day, with the option to swap out a company holiday for another personally significant day. We also offer paid time off for voting, jury duty, bereavement and school leave. In addition, our offices are closed for Winter Break between Christmas Eve and New Year s Day.
• 12 weeks paid Parental Leave to bond with your new child, also inclusive of adoption and foster care
• Wellness benefits including healthcare, vision, dental and pet insurance, as well as free virtual or in-person counselling for mental health.
• 401K Savings and Investment Plans
• Commuter benefits using pre-tax dollars per month to pay for eligible commuting & parking expenses
• WPP Employee Discount Program based on client roster
• More information on benefits can be found Here.

At Burson, diversity, equity and inclusion are not just values; they are strategic imperatives that fuel our future in an industry built on the art of understanding, connecting and developing relationships. We believe that a diverse workforce is essential for inspiring bold ideas, fostering constructive dialogue and cultivating meaningful experiences that drive innovation and creativity. It also enables our agency to thrive and deliver brilliant work.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, Burson does not discriminate against applicants or employees because of their race, creed, color, age, religion, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, marital status, military status, national origin, or ancestry.

For more information, visit www.bursonglobal.com.

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Recruitment Privacy Notice https://www.bursonglobal.com/p/recruitment-privacy-notice

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The base salary for this position at the time of this posting may range from $75,000 to $180,000. Individual compensation varies based on job-related factors, including business needs, experience, level of responsibility and qualifications. We offer a competitive benefits package, click here for more details - https://mybenefits.wpp.com/.

Our careers page is designed to be accessible to everyone. If you need any specific accommodations during the application process, feel free to reach out to us at [email protected]. Please note that this email is for applicants needing special assistance, so we may not be able to reply to other inquiries.

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