Technology Director

Description

GSW is looking for an experienced Technology Director to lead our technology initiatives for our Santa Monica, CA office. This critical leadership role involves overseeing technology and platform strategy, directing technological solutions, and managing developers both within the agency as well as in collaboration with our shared production studio team. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in pharma advertising and a deep understanding of the technologies that drive our clients' web and omnichannel content.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and implement forward-thinking technology strategies that align with client objective and agency goals.
• Evaluate and recommend emerging technologies and platforms — such as GenAI solutions — to enhance service offerings.
• Oversee platform selection, integration, and optimization to ensure efficient project delivery.

Team Management

• Coordinate with off-shore and on-shore development teams to ensure alignment and productivity.
• Establish best practices in development processes, code quality, and deployment methodologies.

Client Management

• Serve as the technical liaison for clients, translating complex technical concepts into clear, understandable language.
• Participate in client meetings, pitches, and presentations to provide technical expertise and build strong client relationships.
• Proactively identify client needs and propose innovative technical solutions.

Cross-Department Collaboration

• Collaborate closely with Account Management, Project Management, Creative, Strategy, and IT teams to deliver integrated solutions.
• Facilitate effective communication between technical and non-technical team members.
• Promote and maintain collaborative operational processes that ensure timely involvement of Technology during project kickoffs and scoping.
• Contribute to project planning, budgeting, and resource allocation.

Technical Oversight

• Oversee all phases of project development, including requirements gathering, architecture design, development, testing, and deployment.
• Ensure compliance with industry standards, regulatory requirements, and best practices — particularly within the pharma sector.
• Implement robust QA processes to maintain high-quality deliverables.

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or related field.
• Minimum of 6 years experience in technical roles, with at least 3 years in a position within the pharma advertising industry or related field.

Technical Expertise

• Extensive experience with Veeva CRM and Veeva Vault, including PromoMats.
• Familiarity with FDA regulations, HIPAA compliance, and pharma marketing guidelines.
• Understanding of ADA accessibility standards for accessible design.

GenAI & Emerging Tech

• Demonstrated working knowledge of Large Language Models (LLMs) and their application within digital product development and agency workflows.
• Strong understanding of the Model Context Protocol (MCP) and its role in safely integrating AI into enterprise environments.
• Hands-on experience with AI-assisted development tools (e.g., VS Code Copilot, Cursor, and similar platforms) to enhance coding efficiency and architectural planning.
• Ability to evaluate, recommend, and operationalize AI solutions that improve team productivity, technical delivery, and client outcomes.
• Awareness of ethical, privacy, and regulatory considerations related to AI use within healthcare and pharma.

Content Management Systems (CMS)

• Proficiency in Adobe Experience Manager (AEM), specifically in website and content management.
• Experience with Sitecore, Drupal, or other enterprise-level CMS platforms is a plus.

Web Technologies

• Strong knowledge of the LAMP stack (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP).
• Expertise in modern JavaScript frameworks such as React, Angular, or
• Understanding of HTML5, CSS3, and responsive design principles.

Omnichannel Marketing

• Top-level understanding of omnichannel content delivery, personalization, and customer journey mapping.
• Experience with marketing automation tools like Marketo, Eloqua, or HubSpot is a plus.

Cloud & Infrastructure

• Familiarity with AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud Platform services.
• Knowledge of DevOps practices, including CI/CD pipelines using tools like Jenkins, GitLab, or Bitbucket Pipelines.

Data & Analytics

• Experience with web analytics tools such as Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, or Tableau.
• Understanding of SEO/SEM best practices and their technical implementation.

Leadership & Communication

• Proven ability to lead and manage teams in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to articulate technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders effectively.
• Strong problem-solving skills and a strategic mindset.
• Demonstrated ability to foster a positive, collaborative, and inclusive team culture.

Project Management

• Proficiency in Agile and Scrum methodologies.
• Experience with project management tools like JIRA, Asana, or Wrike.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously while meeting deadlines and budget constraints.

Additional Requirements

• Willingness to travel occasionally if working remotely.
• High level of professionalism, integrity, and commitment to quality.
• Passion for staying current with emerging technologies and industry trends.

At GSW, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace. If your past experience doesn't align perfectly, we encourage you to apply anyway. At times, we will consider transferable skills from previous roles. We also encourage you to join our Talent Network to stay connected to additional career opportunities.

GSW is a full-service healthcare communications agency that goes beyond advertising to create personalized brand experiences that involve, inspire, educate and activate people through ongoing brand journeys. As one of the world's ten most-awarded healthcare advertising agencies, GSW is hell-bent not to replace the same old with the same old. This is achieved through a provocative premise — if other brands communicated the way healthcare brands do, how many customers would they have? GSW turns against this premise through discovery of beneath-the-surface customer insights that we impact with stories, simplicity and authenticity.

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Syneos Health companies are affirmative action/equal opportunity employers (Minorities/Females/Veterans/Disabled)

Syneos Health has a voluntary COVID-19 vaccination policy. We strongly encourage all employees to be fully vaccinated. Additionally, certain local governments or Syneos Health customers may have vaccine requirements that apply to some of our employees. These employees are required to submit proof of vaccination to Syneos Health and maintain compliance with these requirements.

At Syneos Health, we believe in providing an environment and culture in which Our People can thrive, develop and advance. We reward and recognize our people by providing valuable benefits and a quality-of-life balance. The benefits for this position will include a competitive compensation package, Health benefits to include Medical, Dental and Vision, Company match 401k, flexible paid time off (PTO) and sick time. Because certain states and municipalities have regulated paid sick time requirements, eligibility for paid sick time may vary depending on where you work. Syneos Health complies with all applicable federal, state, and municipal paid sick time requirements.