Department Head, Client Services

Title: Department Head, Client Services

Location:

London, England, United Kingdom

Knutsford, England, United Kingdom

Type: Full-time

Workplace: Hybrid 

Job Description:

Accelerating Life-Changing Solutions to Global Healthcare Challenges is the vision that unites us through a shared sense of purpose, whatever the role.

It speaks to the significant challenges that exist within global healthcare, and how we, as one team, can help to deliver better solutions and outcomes for our partners and for patients everywhere, sooner. Your job description outlines the important role and responsibilities that you own in achieving this vision.

Importantly too is how we go about living our vision.  This is defined by the Prime mission:

Through a pioneering fusion of the finest expertise in science, strategy, evidence, technology and creativity we deliver the world-class outcomes that our global partners trust to achieve their goals.

It speaks to collaboration and to everyone’s responsibility to bring together the diverse expertise that exist across our team to deliver world-class outcomes.

On this foundation, we have defined four core values, these represent the shared principles that guide our behaviours every day, whatever your role:

Be Brave, Be Human, Be Passionate, Be Exceptional. 

At Prime these values are integral to who we are.  They are there to guide you in your role and support you on your personal journey to success.  They shape our culture and support us in achieving our vision together, as one global team.  

The role

The Department Head, Client Services is a senior commercial and operational leadership role responsible for providing strategic direction, operational oversight, and commercial leadership across the client services function.  Reporting to the VP, Medical Communications, the role ensures exceptional client delivery, strong cross-functional collaboration, and adherence to SOPs, while owning revenue performance and sustainable growth. As a senior strategic advisor to clients, the Department Head partners closely with the VP, Medical Communications and Group Director, Scientific Services to shape integrated communication strategies, build trusted long-term partnerships, and embed medical affairs, publications, and commercial thinking into account plans to deliver measurable impact. The role holds direct accountability for £7–10 million in revenue and contributes to long-term profitability and business unit performance. 

This position combines client leadership, financial accountability, people leadership, and innovation. The Department Head, Client Services leads and develops account leads and their teams, champions a high-performance, engaged culture, and ensures robust performance management, succession planning, and capability building across the function. With ownership of financial forecasting, resourcing, utilisation, and recoverability, the role proactively manages risk, opportunity, and delivery quality across accounts. Working closely with senior leadership and business development, the Department Head drives organic and new business growth, leads pitches and proposals, and embeds innovation, such as AI and omnichannel approaches, into client strategies, positioning the agency as a trusted, forward-thinking strategic partner. 

Requirements

• 10+ years’ relevant experience preferably in a full-service medical communications agency.

• Ideally, a life sciences degree, preferably combined with a master’s or PhD, or other relevant qualification.
• Drive strategic direction and business growth.
• Build and influence senior client relationships.
• Demonstrate strong commercial awareness, financial planning, forecasting, and utilization oversight.
• Lead, coach, and develop teams, ensuring effective succession planning.
• Communicate, negotiate, and present effectively.
• Model an innovation and continuous improvement mindset.
• Prioritize, multi-task, and deliver under pressure while maintaining quality.
• Deep understanding of the medical communications landscape, including medical affairs, publications, and scientific strategy.
• Expertise client budget management and industry pricing models.
• Advanced understanding of the pharmaceutical industry, drug development process, and compliance standards.
• Awareness of emerging industry trends (e.g. AI, omnichannel).

Benefits

• 33 days annual leave
• Birthday day off
• 5% pension contribution
• Private medical health insurance
• WORKsmart - allows employees to have flexibility around their start and finish time
• Hybrid working