Commercial Strategist

Who We Are

VML is a global creative company that combines brand experience, customer experience, and commerce to create connected brands that drive growth. Guided by a Human First philosophy, VML is known for its innovative work for brands and consistently ranks among the world’s leading creative companies, including the WARC Creative 100. VML’s global network spans 55+ markets with principal offices in Buenos Aires, Kansas City, London, New York, São Paulo, Shanghai and Singapore.

VML is part of WPP, the trusted growth partner for the world's leading brands. Powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform WPP Open, WPP unites cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, creativity, production, enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel.

For more information, please visit and follow along on   LinkedIn #WeAreVML.

The Global Strategy Team

Within VML Health, the Global Strategy Team is home to a diverse collective of bold, curious strategic thinkers. Operating within an agile model, we partner seamlessly with clients and collaborate as part of integrated agency teams. All with a shared mission to unlock transformative impact in healthcare.

We are united by Radical Empathy, immersing ourselves in the lives and beliefs of the people we serve to uncover the unspoken tensions where the most powerful insights begin.

Our culture is supportive, entrepreneurial and growth focused. We collaborate across geographies and disciplines, take ownership with agency and continuously evolve our thinking to stay ahead of a dynamic healthcare landscape.

Our people and work thrive on integration across the strategy team, while also championing distinctive areas of expertise: Medical, Engagement, Brand and Commercial. Together, these disciplines create a connected approach that elevates every challenge we take on. This role sits within our Commercial Strategy team, based within the VML Health EU Hub .

Our Commercial Strategy team helps to shape how an asset, franchise, or portfolio creates sustainable competitive advantage—through early alignment on scientific narrative, unmet need, evidence and differentiation strategy, competitive foresight, and category context. We take a consultative approach to support clients through strategic programs with a particular focus on early commercialization, market readiness, category leadership and patient engagement and advocacy. Grounded in early cross-functional working, integration of the patient voice, and expert partnership, the team works with a variety of global clients, involving close collaboration with our creative, engagement, medical education and marketing teams to deliver creative solutions.

 

 

About the Position:

Title:                   Strategist, Commercial Strategy

Reports to:        Associate Director, Commercial Strategy

We are looking for a Commercial Strategist to provide rigorous research, analysis, and project support to enable high-quality delivery of Commercial Strategy engagements and new business pitches. Working under the guidance of the Commercial and Global Strategy Team leadership, this role helps transform complex scientific, clinical, and market information into clear strategic implications and client-ready outputs. This role also plays a key part in ensuring strong delivery excellence; owning workstream logistics, maintaining high-quality documentation, and supporting day-to-day client coordination to keep projects on track.

The Commercial Strategist will contribute across core Commercial Strategy workstreams, including unmet need and market assessment, competitive foresight, secondary research and insight synthesis, primary research (e.g., interviews, advisory boards, workshops), strategic scientific narrative and value architecture, evidence generation and differentiation, and market readiness/activation planning.

This role is based in our London office with close collaboration across our core hubs and strategic disciplines.

 

Requirements

Commercial Strategist should demonstrate strong foundational capabilities in strategy, research, and client delivery, including:

• Strong analytical capability and comfort working with scientific/clinical information in a commercialization context
• Ability to synthesize complexity into clear insights, implications, and well-structured content
• Strong written and verbal communication (including summarizing findings clearly for internal teams)
• Strong planning and organization skills; able to manage multiple tasks in a deadline-driven environment
• Collaborative team player with an ownership mindset; dependable and detail-oriented
• Professionalism in client communication and external stakeholder interactions
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (PowerPoint, Excel, Word)

 

Experience

• Experience in healthcare, life sciences, consulting, agency strategy, pharma/biotech, medical communications, clinical research, or scientific academia (level flexible; evidence of relevant skills is key)
• Demonstrated experience producing high-quality research outputs and translating findings into actionable recommendations
• Exposure to multi-stakeholder healthcare environments (e.g., clinicians, patients, payers, advocates, policymakers) is a plus
• Experience supporting workshops, interviews, advisory boards, or similar collaborative working sessions is desirable

 

Knowledge and skills

• Understanding of core commercialization concepts (e.g., competitive landscape, positioning/differentiation, evidence needs, stakeholder decision drivers)
• Ability to apply an adoption/value lens – connecting evidence, stakeholder needs, and market context to implications for uptake and differentiation
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to work with ambiguity
• Ability to apply structured thinking (hypotheses, frameworks) to build coherent strategic outputs
• Strong attention to detail (data accuracy, referencing, and consistency)
• Practical project support skills (tracking actions, coordinating inputs, maintaining clean working files)

 

Personal characteristics

• Proactive, curious, and learning-oriented
• Comfortable taking direction, asking smart questions, and iterating quickly
• High standards for quality and clarity
• Flexible and resilient in a fast-moving environment

 

Qualifications

• Degree-level qualification (Life Sciences, Pharmacy, Medicine, Public Health, or similar). Advanced degree is a plus but not required.

We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office an average of four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.

WPP (VML) is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.

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