Director, Advertising & Marketing

Overview

The Director of Advertising and Marketing is responsible for leading the development and execution of strategic advertising campaigns, marketing initiatives, and brand compliance efforts to drive brand awareness, volume growth, and enhance Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s reputation, visibility, and engagement. This role ensures the Institute’s brand is consistently applied across all platforms and communications through strategic and creative development, production, and media planning, while driving strategies to attract and retain patients.

Reporting to the Vice President of Marketing, the Director collaborates across departments to align with institutional priorities, manages budgets and vendor relationships, and leads a high-performing team. This position plays a critical role in advancing the Institute’s brand reputation and clinical volume and supports the Communications and Marketing Department's goal of positioning Dana-Farber as the premier cancer provider in the region and globally, as well as the partner, and employer of choice.

Located in Boston and the surrounding communities, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is a leader in life changing breakthroughs in cancer research and patient care. We are united in our mission of conquering cancer, HIV/AIDS, and related diseases. We strive to create an inclusive, diverse, and equitable environment where we provide compassionate and comprehensive care to patients of all backgrounds, and design programs to promote public health particularly among high-risk and underserved populations. We conduct groundbreaking research that advances treatment, we educate tomorrow's physician/researchers, and we work with amazing partners, including other Harvard Medical School-affiliated hospitals.

• Strategic Advertising: Oversee the development of integrated advertising strategies and the creation and execution of campaigns that align with institutional priorities and resonate with target audiences, including patients, influencers, and the broader community. Ensure campaigns are data-driven, leveraging insights to optimize performance and achieve strategic goals. Develop and implement strategies to enhance brand awareness, reputation, and equity at the local, regional, and national levels. Lead the strategic development and oversight of multi-campaign media planning, buying, implementation, and analytics to drive impact and continuous improvement.
• Patient/Consumer Marketing: Create and execute strategies to attract and retain patients, including targeted campaigns for specific cancer sub-specialties. Support regional campus initiatives through tailored marketing and advertising efforts and provide guidance to collaborative partnerships. Coordinate with cross-functional teams to ensure marketing strategies align with institutional priorities and goals.
• Budget and Vendor Oversight: Manage advertising and marketing budgets for national, regional and hyperlocal, ensuring responsible use of resources. Develop vendor agreements, scopes of work, and maintain strategic partnerships with creative and media agencies.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work collaboratively across the Communications & Marketing Department and with leaders in clinical, research, and business areas to align advertising and marketing strategies with broader organizational goals.
• Brand Compliance: Oversee and enforce brand compliance to ensure consistent application of the Institute’s visual identity, messaging, tone, and overall brand experience across all platforms and communications. Create and manage brand policies to maintain brand integrity and cohesion. Conduct regular audits and assessments of marketing materials and operations to ensure compliance with brand standards. Provide guidance and training to internal teams and external partners on brand guidelines and best practices. Collaborate with legal, marketing, and other departments to ensure brand consistency and alignment with institutional priorities.
• Leadership and Team Management: Supervises staff. Hires and develops team members with the capabilities to achieve organizational goals. Defines and communicates clear expectations, provides regular constructive feedback, and evaluates performance against objectives. Oversees team’s compliance with organizational policies and procedures. Monitors work for efficiency, effectiveness, and quality. Mentors and coaches staff, facilitating training opportunities and supporting career growth. Works with senior management and Human Resources to address performance issues, as appropriate. Promotes and fosters a healthy and productive work environment within the team and with groups across the Institute.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• This position will oversee a team of four.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree required in Advertising, Marketing, Business Administration or related field.
• Master's degree preferred.
• 10 years of progressive experience advertising and marketing, including strategic and creative development, production, and a strong understanding of the current media environment, media strategies, and healthcare regulations impacting advertising required.
• Experience in healthcare or patient advertising at a top-tier advertising agency or in patient marketing within a large healthcare organization or academic medical center preferred.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES REQUIRED:

• Strategic Advertising and Patient Marketing: Expertise in developing and executing integrated advertising campaigns across channels (digital, broadcast, paid search, paid social) to align with organizational goals. Strong knowledge of patient acquisition strategies and healthcare marketing trends, including targeted campaigns for sub-specialties to drive patient retention and institutional growth.
• Brand Management and Compliance: Proven ability to enforce brand standards across platforms, ensuring consistency in identity, messaging, and tone. Experience in strategic brand development, audits, and policy refinement to maintain alignment with institutional priorities and brand integrity.
• Leadership and Team Development: Demonstrated ability to lead and develop teams, fostering collaboration, accountability, and innovation. Skilled in mentoring, performance management, and cultivating a productive work environment to drive measurable impact and adaptability.
• Communication and Collaboration: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills to convey complex ideas clearly to diverse audiences. Strong ability to collaborate across departments and with external partners to align strategies and achieve cohesive, impactful initiatives.
• Analytical and Data-Driven Decision Making: Proficiency in analyzing data to optimize campaigns and inform strategies. Expertise in leveraging insights to drive performance, identify trends, and ensure alignment with organizational objectives.
• Healthcare and Oncology Insight: Knowledge of healthcare advertising trends, patient marketing strategies, and oncology-specific challenges. Ability to tailor strategies to healthcare consumers and translate scientific concepts into accessible messaging.
• Project and Resource Management: Strong organizational skills to manage priorities, deadlines, and cross-functional projects. Expertise in budget management, resource allocation, and vendor relationships to maximize efficiency and impact.

At Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, we work every day to create an innovative, caring, and inclusive environment where every patient, family, and staff member feels they belong. As relentless as we are in our mission to reduce the burden of cancer for all, we are committed to having faculty and staff who offer multifaceted experiences. Cancer knows no boundaries and when it comes to hiring the most dedicated and compassionate professionals, neither do we. If working in this kind of organization inspires you, we encourage you to apply.

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is an equal opportunity employer and affirms the right of every qualified applicant to receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, national origin, sexual orientation, genetic information, disability, age, ancestry, military service, protected veteran status, or other characteristics protected by law.

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Pay Transparency Statement

The hiring range is based on market pay structures, with individual salaries determined by factors such as business needs, market conditions, internal equity, and based on the candidate’s relevant experience, skills and qualifications.

For union positions, the pay range is determined by the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

$152,200.00 - $171,000.00