---
title: '21GRAMS- VP, Account Director at Real Chemistry'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/21grams-vp-account-director-real-chemistry-boston-1hha9hbbnt74'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-15'
---

# 21GRAMS- VP, Account Director at Real Chemistry

- **Company:** Real Chemistry
- **Location:** Boston, MA / Carmel, IN / Chicago, IL / Lambertville, NJ / United States
- **Posted:** 2026-10-09
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-15
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/realchemistry/jobs/5445797008

## Job description

At Real Chemistry, making the world a healthier place isn’t just an aspiration—it’s our everyday reality. Our drive to transform healthcare is informed by our blend of deep scientific expertise, human-centred creativity, and AI-driven insights, fostering a unique environment where innovation thrives and our people are impact-obsessed. As a global agency, we provide a full suite of services across healthcare communications and marketing to our clients, including top players in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries.

Our #LifeatRealChem culture is rooted in our people—we believe we are best together and are committed to excellence for both our clients and colleagues. Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting your career, if you share our passion for healthcare and connection, we invite you to explore our opportunities.

Discover your purpose. Embrace innovation. Experience #LifeatRealChem.

Job Summary:

Real Chemistry is looking for a VP, Account Director to join our growing team!

21GRAMS, part of Real Chemistry, is a full-service healthcare advertising agency built on the belief that healthcare should feel more human. We combine bold creativity, strategic rigor, and deep scientific understanding to create work that changes behavior, improves outcomes, and makes a meaningful impact on people's lives. Our culture is grounded in collaboration, curiosity, and a shared commitment to doing exceptional work. We believe in being good to each other while pushing ourselves to deliver ideas that move audiences, brands, and healthcare forward.

This role can be remote within the United States or based in any of our U.S. office locations, including New York City, Boston, Chicago, Lambertville, NJ, San Francisco, or Carmel, IN.

What you’ll do:

- Lead interactions and relationships with clients by balancing objectives, timelines, negotiations, and challenges to drive agency success
- Articulate strategies and demonstrate knowledge and understanding of customers and driven markets.
- Proactively direct a team (or multiple teams) that include account, staff, and clients
- Coordinate and implement strategic plans, including development of strategically sound agendas for key events
- Connect with various groups including internal senior managers, scientific services, medical professionals, and finances to ensure happiness, business development, and income potential.
- Develops of a range of materials including client memos, press releases, articles, strategies and presentations
- Coordinate contract and budget development as well as their approval

This position is a perfect fit for you if:

- Our Company values, Best Together, Impact Obsessed, Excellence Expected, Evolve Always, and Accountability with an "I", genuinely resonate with how you work and lead.
- You demonstrate the Real Chemistry Can mindset by approaching challenges with optimism, accountability, creativity, and a solutions-oriented attitude, always looking for ways to make a meaningful impact for our clients, colleagues, and communities.
- You are adaptable, resilient, and comfortable adjusting your scope, responsibilities, and priorities in a fast-paced, evolving environment. As our business grows and changes, so do we.
- You are proactive, driven, and resourceful, with strong prioritization skills, intellectual curiosity, and a desire to leverage data to inform decisions and drive outcomes.
- You are energized by innovation and the transformative potential of AI, actively exploring new technologies, identifying opportunities to work smarter, and championing practical, responsible AI adoption that drives meaningful business impact.

What you should have:

- Bachelors degree
- 6-8 years of meaningful experience in supervisory roles and experience in the health and wellness industry
- Demonstrate written and verbal communication skills in a positive and professional manner.
- Emphasizes on visions, values, and dedication to perfection/output
- Inspiring, diplomatic, compassionate leader that establishes and maintains rapport and teamwork

Pay Range: $160,000-$170,000 The anticipated salary range for this position is listed above. Consistent with applicable law, compensation will be determined based on job-related, non-discriminatory factors including but not limited to experience, skills, qualifications, geographic location, and internal parity.

In addition to base salary, Real Chemistry offers a comprehensive benefits package and a variety of programs designed to support our employees' well-being, growth, and success.

Real Chemistry reserves the right to update compensation and benefits programs at any time.

Real Chemistry is proud to be Great Place to Work® certified; check out what our people shared about our culture and workplace on our Great Places to Work Profile [here](https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.greatplacetowork.com%2Fcertified-company%2F7038366&data=05%7C02%7Cclehmar%40realchemistry.com%7C1f18aaed4326491b3efc08ddd690f025%7C6fa5bfc4f95843f8bb395d382689654b%7C0%7C0%7C638902640185888156%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=pwvaCn37QXkjVQ0p6u92Oz4FA4j5NQZoNJL0ffy01qs%3D&reserved=0).

We believe we can do our best when feeling our best, which is why we’ve put together a benefits program designed to give you the support you and your family need at every stage of life. Real Chemistry offers a comprehensive benefit program and perks, tailored to your region. Globally, this includes offices in our key markets with free snacks to keep you running all day long, generous holiday and paid time off, options for private medical, dental, and vison plans, and support in saving for the future. Other perks include mental wellness coaching and support and access to more than 13,000 online classes with LinkedIn Learning.  Learn more about our great benefits and perks and search specific offerings in your region at: [www.realchemistrybenefits.com](https://www.realchemistrybenefits.com).

At Real Chemistry, we believe we're at our best when we're connected. Our Real Hybrid and Regional Teams (Real HART) approach is designed to foster collaboration, learning, innovation, and meaningful relationships while providing flexibility where appropriate. Because our workforce spans multiple countries, regions, and client needs, work arrangements may vary by role and location. Some positions offer hybrid or remote flexibility, while others require regular in-office presence. For example, certain teams and regions, including some of our UK operations, have office-based requirements. Your recruiter will discuss the specific expectations for the role you're pursuing during the interview process and keep you informed throughout the hiring journey. For employees located within a one-hour commute of a Real Chemistry office, we require in-person attendance two days per week, either from a Real Chemistry office or when working onsite with clients. Employees in regions without a nearby office may work remotely and come together throughout the year for collaboration, culture-building, learning, and team connection opportunities. While these guidelines reflect our current workplace model, we understand that everyone’s circumstances are unique. If you require additional flexibility, we welcome an open conversation with your recruiter and our HR team to discuss your needs and determine what may be possible.

Real Chemistry is an Equal Opportunity employer. We continually strive to build and sustain an inclusive and equitable work environment where our employees feel empowered to leverage all they bring from their personal lived experience and professional expertise, to make our team the best in the industry. We encourage motivated and qualified applicants to apply without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, ethnic or national origin, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, marital information, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local employment discrimination laws where Real Chemistry operates. Should you require accommodations throughout the interview process please let your recruiter know.

*Notice: Real Chemistry and its affiliates' names are being misused by scammers through messaging services, fake websites, and apps. Do not share personal or financial information or make payments to any unverified sources claiming to be connected to Real Chemistry. We are working to stop these unauthorized activities and protect our community. Read more [here](https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realchemistry.com%2Fscam-alert&data=05%7C02%7Cclehmar%40realchemistry.com%7C1f18aaed4326491b3efc08ddd690f025%7C6fa5bfc4f95843f8bb395d382689654b%7C0%7C0%7C638902640185967986%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=vBa1KYjD6TUHgTF3FdPRQZvM8E8WUgHZqu9yHevh1%2BI%3D&reserved=0).

## About Real Chemistry

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Real Chemistry is a global healthcare communications network that connects the world of science with world-class storytellers to help life-changing medicines and therapies reach their full market potential.
- **Entity Type**: Private
- **Headquarters**: New York, USA (with major hubs in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dubai, Edinburgh, Indianapolis, Lambertville, London, Los Angeles, Manchester, Munich, San Francisco, Toronto, and Washington, D.C.)
- **Founded**: 1999 (25+ years in operation)
- **Founders**: Jim Weiss

## Core Business
- **Primary industry/industries**: Healthcare communications, marketing, medical affairs, data & analytics, and digital transformation services for the life sciences industry.
- **Target customers**: B2B, primarily pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies (0 of the top 20 pharma companies work with them).
- **Mission or purpose statement**: To help life-changing medicines and therapies reach their full market potential by translating complex science into sharable narratives and results.

## Products & Services
- **Analytics & Insights**: Best-in-class data and analytics accessible to every capability and client, including AI-integrated solutions (used since Watson).
- **Creative Effectiveness**: Breakthrough creative that moves audiences to act, ranked No. 2 Most Creative Healthcare Network in the world per Cannes in 2025.
- **Medical Affairs**: Hundreds of PhDs, MDs, and PharmDs providing deep expertise across therapeutic areas.
- **Omnichannel Marketing**: Integrated, multi-channel campaigns for pharmaceutical brands.
- **Precision Medicine Strategies**: Tailored approaches for bringing molecules to market.
- **Global Inclusion and Health Equity**: Specialized services for equitable healthcare access.
- **Regulatory Compliant AI**: AI solutions designed for the highly regulated healthcare environment.
- **Advocacy Relations**: Patient and stakeholder advocacy programs.
- **Trial Site Selection and Recruitment Acceleration**: Services to speed up clinical trials.
- **RepAction**: A proprietary offering (likely a reputation management or action-oriented platform).

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly available (private company).
- **Key Metric**: Revenue not publicly disclosed; company states that clients who worked with Real Chemistry experienced double the rate of growth compared to those who did not.
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Not publicly available (private company). CEO Shankar Narayanan previously held senior roles at McKinsey & Company, Cognizant, and Equian.
- **Growth Signals**:
  - Named **Healthcare Network of the Year by MM+M** in 2025.
  - Ranked **No. 2 Most Creative Healthcare Network in the world** per Cannes in 2025; won the first-ever Gold Lion awarded for a branded pharmaceutical product.
  - **Great Place To Work® certified for 5 consecutive years** in the US & UK.
  - Works with **56 of the top 100 pharmaceutical brands** by revenue (since 2023).
  - Global presence with offices in **20+ countries** and **30+ languages spoken** across the network.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Integrated, full-service network**: Combines medical expertise, AI, marketing, creative, and data analytics under one roof—unlike many specialized agencies.
- **Deep regulatory expertise**: Proven ability to navigate the highly regulated pharmaceutical environment, including regulatory-compliant AI.
- **Top-tier talent**: Hundreds of advanced-degree professionals (PhDs, MDs, PharmDs) and a network of thousands of in-house experts.
- **Proven ROI**: Clients see double the growth rate compared to non-clients, per their internal data.
- **Award-winning creative**: Ranked among the world’s most creative healthcare networks, bridging the gap between science and brand storytelling.

## Strategic Focus
- **AI integration**: Embedding AI across all capabilities, with a history of using AI since the Watson era.
- **Global expansion**: Maintaining a "local mindset" with offices and partner networks spanning the globe.
- **Tier-one commercialization partner**: Aiming to be the go-to partner for bringing molecules to market efficiently.
- **Transforming healthcare**: Driven by CEO Shankar Narayanan’s mission to transform healthcare "from what it is into what it should be."

## Why Work Here
- **Culture & Values**: Employees cite "Best Together," "Impact Obsessed," "Excellence Expected," "Evolve, Always," and "Accountability with an 'I'" as core values. The company emphasizes diversity, inclusion, and collaboration.
- **Work Model**: Hybrid and Regional Teams (HART) approach—employees within a 1-hour commute of an office are encouraged to go in at least two days per week; regional teams connect quarterly for collaboration.
- **Benefits** (US Employees):
  - Flexible PTO, paid safe/sick leave, and winter break closure (Dec 25–New Year’s Day).
  - Health & wellness coverage (medical, dental, vision), mental healthcare, and a "lifestyle & wellness wallet."
  - Generous, gender-neutral parental leave, fertility/surrogacy/adoption support, and family-backup care.
  - Student loan support (up to $500/year).
  - Access to LinkedIn Learning with 13,000+ courses.
  - "Road Rules" program: employees can apply for exclusive training opportunities at another global office.
- **Recognition**: Great Place To Work® certified for 5 years running (US & UK).
- **Growth & Development**: Continuous learning culture with self-paced programs and mentorship opportunities.
- **Internships**: Summer internship program for students from US universities.

## Sources
1. [realchemistry.com](https://www.realchemistry.com/)
2. [realchemistry.com - About/Who We Are](https://www.realchemistry.com/about/who-we-are/)
3. [realchemistry.com - Careers/Working at RC](https://www.realchemistry.com/careers/working-at-rc/)
4. [realchemistry.com - Our Expertise](https://www.realchemistry.com/what-we-do/expertise/)
5. [Greenhouse - Jobs at Real Chemistry](http://job-boards.greenhouse.io/realchemistry)

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