Account management is an important role within a healthcare communications agency, and it requires organised, knowledgeable and personable individuals at all levels to ensure the agency meets its client’s brief and expectations, on time and to budget.
With responsibility for the day-to-day running of an account or project, a medical account manager is the main point of contact for the client and is also required to liaise closely with other staff and departments within the agency. Therefore, great communications skills are a must! Account managers have to be very organised and keep a cool head under pressure, as they are often required to juggle more than one client account or project at a time.
A Healthcare Communications account manager needs to understand the field the agency specialises in (whether that be medical education, PR, branding, advertising, digital etc) and the strategic direction of each account to be able to successfully deliver communications strategies based their client requirements. They will often be expected to contribute to the development of accounts, looking for opportunities to grow the Client’s business with the agency too.
Account managers need to have a head for numbers as budget and financial control is in their remit, and as they move through the ranks at an agency, they may also be required to manage and develop junior staff members.
Medical account managers are employed in a variety of different healthcare communications agencies, including PR, branding, advertising and market access consultancies. They are normally based in the agency’s main office, but will also be required to travel regularly to client meetings.
Jobs in account management include account executive and account manager, and progress up to account director and client services director roles, which require more strategic vision and often a bigger involvement in business development and winning new clients.
Salaries normally start at around £26,000 for an entry level account executive and moves up to around £45,000 for more senior account managers and £50-65,000+ for account director and senior account director level roles. Each company structures their salary and benefits differently and some of the perks are fantastic!
As a specialist recruiter, Paramount works with a variety of healthcare communications agencies from established consultancies to boutique agencies to start-ups in locations such as UK, Europe, US and Asia.
Check out our latest Account Management jobs, view our recent Healthcare Communications Salary Survey report or send us your CV.