Lead Director, Creative Strategy

We’re building a world of health around every individual — shaping a more connected, convenient and compassionate health experience. At CVS Health®, you’ll be surrounded by passionate colleagues who care deeply, innovate with purpose, hold ourselves accountable and prioritize safety and quality in everything we do. Join us and be part of something bigger – helping to simplify health care one person, one family and one community at a time.

Role Summary:

The Lead Director, Creative Strategy sets the creative strategy and narrative direction for priority Aetna marketing initiatives. This leader translates business goals and customer insights into clear, actionable creative direction that improves speed to market, elevates creative quality, and drives measurable results across channels in a regulated environment.

Key Responsibilities:

• Strategic alignment: Own creative strategy for priority campaigns and brand moments, defining the narrative, messaging direction, and creative approach. Ensure all creative direction and decisions are aligned with Aetna’s brand strategy and business objectives.
• Insight activation: Lead research learning agenda and competitive creative intelligence to inform positioning, messaging, testing and creative strategy across a portfolio of initiatives. Translate insights and business objectives into clear creative briefs, test-and-learn plans, and actionable guidance for internal teams and agencies
• Creative direction: Provide hands-on creative direction for high-visibility work (e.g., annual campaigns, major launches), while building a repeatable system or guidance that scales. Partner with channel and activation teams (e.g., digital, social, media) to ensure strategy is translated into cohesive execution.
• Creative partner oversight: Lead agency and internal partner performance by setting direction, raising quality, and reducing revision cycles. Oversee selection of and collaboration with creative partners (internal and external) to guide execution of creative product.
• Process and craft improvement: Establish and run an effective strategy-to-brief-to-review operating rhythm that improves throughput and stakeholder confidence. Coach and develop strategic marketing talent; provide clear feedback and raise creative strategy craft across the team.
• Influence and alignment: Influences senior stakeholders through structured thinking, clear recommendations, and strong judgment. Build durable partnerships with Brand, Product, Sales, Digital and other stakeholders.

Required Qualifications:

• 10+ years experience leading creative strategy, brand strategy, and integrated campaign development in complex organizations.

• Significant experience partnering directly with agencies and/or in-house creative teams to deliver high-quality work.
• Proven ability to turn insights into clear creative direction and strong briefs that drive execution.
• Strong facilitation, stakeholder management, and executive-ready communication skills.
• Demonstrated success operating in a matrix and influencing without direct authority.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience leading strategy and/or creative direction in agency environment
• Experience in healthcare, insurance, financial services, or other regulated categories.
• Experience building operating rhythms and improving creative throughput and quality.

Education

Bachelor’s degree required, MBA preferred

Pay Range

The typical pay range for this role is:

This pay range represents the base hourly rate or base annual full-time salary for all positions in the job grade within which this position falls.  The actual base salary offer will depend on a variety of factors including experience, education, geography and other relevant factors.  This position is eligible for a CVS Health bonus, commission or short-term incentive program in addition to the base pay range listed above.  This position also includes an award target in the company’s equity award program. 
 

Our people fuel our future. Our teams reflect the customers, patients, members and communities we serve and we are committed to fostering a workplace where every colleague feels valued and that they belong.

Great benefits for great people

We take pride in offering a comprehensive and competitive mix of pay and benefits that reflects our commitment to our colleagues and their families.

Additional details about available benefits are provided during the application process and on Benefits Moments.

Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with all federal, state and local laws.