Associate Principal Writer

As an Associate Principal Writer (PW) you will lead a team of 2–3 healthcare writers in creating high quality copy and concepts across a variety of channels and audiences. You will demonstrate a passion and skill for writing and ideas, and help inspire others to do so. You will support the Copy Leadership Team and possess the ability to work synergistically with individuals and cross-functional teams, while keeping calm and resolute in the face of pressure and deadlines. An APW endeavors to ensure their team of writers receive the guidance, direction, and support they need. Furthermore, you should contribute to the development and smooth-running of the copy department.

Key Capabilities

Passionate about healthcare writing and communicates this enthusiasm to others

Champions ‘unexpected work’ (UW) and seeks creative solutions to briefs

Always approachable

Proactive and solution orientated

Has strong relationships with clients and internal agency teams

Champion of editorial processes and working practices

Position Requirements

Creativity

Can translate clinical data into compelling, medically accurate, approvable copy
Writes powerful, emotive ‘storyselling’ copy
Increasingly able to create ‘award-worthy’, UW-driven ideas with an Art Director/Designer or other team member
Creatively thinks about the client’s business, to identify new business opportunities
Increasingly able to lead idea generation at a tactical and concept level
Demonstrates passion for creativity and ideas
Inputs into briefs and pushes back on them when appropriate
Exercises excellent creative judgement and increasingly able to push ideas further
Knowledgeable about different types of creative awards, entry requirements and the judging process

Productivity

Increasingly inputs into systems and processes, and challenges them to improve the functioning and output of the copy department
Remains calm under pressure, does not pass stress on to co-workers
Contributes to the smooth-running of the copy department and the agency
Has strong time management skills, and is increasingly able to prioritise and delegate tasks efficiently within their writing team
Increasingly able to manage the day-to-day workload of their writing team with a member of the Copy Leadership Team, traffic department, project managers and key account people
Has a high degree of accuracy and reliability with everything they do, empowering their writing team to do the same
Ensures a high level of accuracy in using client reference systems, taking responsibility for their writing team
Learning how to work with Accounts and Project Managers to make sure that jobs in their writing team are on track and on budget, and encourages more junior members to do the same

Relationships/Communication

Develops and maintains strong relationships with clients and agency counterparts; increasingly earning their trust and respect
Cultivates strong working relationships with Art Directors, Designers and other cross-functional agency team members; increasingly earning their trust and respect
Contributes to creating an inclusive and inspiring environment
Acts as an ambassador for DDBR, actively promoting its culture both at work and outside of work
Upholds the four freedoms and ensures other team members do

Knowledge & Skills

Possesses excellent healthcare writing skills and capable of developing talents of their linees
Increasingly able to works with their strategy counterpart to help create and shape brand strategy, applying it skilfully, to unlock great ideas
Understands external regulatory/approval processes and codes of practice
Understands a brand’s clinical data, and is able to source it and appraise it
Presents work confidently, professionally and persuasively to clients
Shares knowledge regularly and passionately
Seeks out new data and new messages
Has good knowledge of different companies and individual brands language and lexicon
Helps others build an understanding of client’s business, brands and category
Developing a reputation for expert knowledge, strategic understanding and for overseeing quality creative and medical writing

Management & Leadership

Takes ownership of their writing team and responsibility for the output and behaviour of their linees
Increasingly able to manage and motivate their writing team effectively and empathetically
Looks for ways to grow and develop their linees
Increasingly able to inspire copy colleagues to create or contribute to UW-driven, ‘award-worthy’ ideas and copy
Capable of being the lead writer on an account or a pitch
Growing in confidence to be able to positively challenge the status quo to improve the way we work or the quality of our work

Qualifications And Skills

Desirable

Extensive previous relevant healthcare agency experience
Thorough understanding of relevant UK and International code – e.g. ABPI
Maintains awareness of developments in relevant therapeutic areas and disciplines
Experience managing 1–2 people
Highly competent using Veeva/other client referencing software systems

Essential

Science graduate or equivalent
Can lead sections of client meetings
Professional, client-focused communication at all times
Encourages teamwork and innovation
Able to give and receive feedback in a constructive manner
Confident presenter
Excellent time management and organisational skills
Excellent proofreading and QC skills