Account Director - Integrated campaigns

My client is an award-winning creative comms agency of 30 people with an enviable client list comprising some of the UK’s leading consumer brands and exciting challengers.  The core of their work is earned first – big integrated campaigns, media relations and influencer marketing – all of which also run through earned and paid digital channels.  Their work is designed to create powerful, emotional connections between brands and audiences. 

This is an exciting opportunity for an Account Director who enjoys the mix of running big campaigns as well as smashing the KPIs on the press office front.

Role & responsibilities

As an Account Director, you’ll be responsible for the successful delivery of client programmes – whether press office or a creative campaign. You’ll be committed to ensuring work is delivered within budget and on time. You’ll be adept at planning in advance and commercially savvy; responsible for budget management, capacity planning and helping to grow your accounts or identify new revenue streams. You’ll have experience working on big, multi-layered brand campaigns as well as running efficient press offices and influencer programmes. 

• Your role as senior account lead is pivotal. You must have a 360-awareness of what’s happening across your mix of client accounts at all times, ensuring the smooth running of every project, and that all work is moving forward in a timely fashion
• An efficient and strategic forward planner, you’ll know how to keep one eye on the detail and one on the bigger picture to pre-empt challenges, navigate the media and cultural landscape, guide your team and identify opportunities for clients and new business 
• You must be a proficient client handler, confident in giving accurate counsel and role modelling strong client relationships, striking that all important balance between firm and friendly 
• Being commercially savvy and having an understanding of the financial workings of an agency means you’ll assist in capacity planning and monitoring account resource. An awareness of revenue targets across your clients will see you provide support to your Associates on account growth plans 
• Your experience will mean you’re confident in handling campaign curveballs and client challenges proactively and professionally, modelling a solutions focussed approach and knowing when it’s time to escalate to your Associates
• Bring positive energy, fresh thinking and approach all aspects of your role with vim and vigor; inspiring and motivating your colleagues to follow suit – even when the going gets tough 
• Employ a tenacious approach to delivering great work. You won’t settle for less than exceptional – be that delivering campaign results that smash KPIs, or ensuring work that leaves your desk has been through your rigorous quality control and is client ready 
• A confident coach and mentor, you’ll be responsible for developing your junior team and a self-starter when it comes to your own development 
• Your knowledge of PR and the wider comms mix will mean you understand how to deliver an integrated campaign, including working with influencers, third party agency teams and stakeholders, and putting the PESO model at the heart of all work 

The keys clients you will immediately be working on range across sectors though all very much in the consumer space – entertainment, FMCG, a huge brand house and an online lifestyle portal for example; many will involve big partnerships with well-known talent and inter-agency meetings which need strong elbows and tenacity to be the PR comms voice for the client.  

They mostly all have multi-layered offerings, so your understanding of an integrated campaign really is imperative.  Understanding cultures; what’s current, identifying audiences and how to reach those specific audiences is really key for this role. The clients are a mix of retained and project based – and quite often to short deadlines.

There are many exciting, interesting campaigns and clients to get your teeth stuck into!  Does this truly excite you?

Skills & experience 

• Excellent writing skills. From crafting a compelling news story, to succinct social copy and client comms. Great attention to detail is a must, especially when it comes to spotting spelling mistakes and grammatical errors 
• Creative thinking skills to identify proactive ideas, problem solves, newsjacking opportunities, press office tactics and influencer activations
• Great organisational skills; juggling your own actions and helping your team members to do the same. Overseeing weekly work planning set by AM and ensuring that team members are clear on their responsibilities
• Outstanding media relations and an eye for a good story. Watertight knowledge of the media landscape, the ability to spot opportunities for reactive news hijacking – and the passion to make it happen 
• Agency environments can occasionally be stressful, so the ability to work well under pressure and previous experience working in a fast-paced, agency environment is essential
• Strong IT skills across Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint – my clients use Mac books FYI.
• Good communications and interpersonal skills at every level, and a high regard for confidentiality when needed
• Essentially, looking for someone smart, organised and driven - with a proactive attitude who is not afraid to roll their sleeves up and get stuck in

Agency’ Values & behaviours 

They are proud of their dynamic, fun, friendly, down-to-earth and supportive culture – and it’s important that all of their employees believe in their values and demonstrate these through their behaviour.  As such you’ll be expected to exhibit:

• Inclusivity: they’re a non-judgmental, supportive bunch and they care about their team, their clients and their work.  They share their highs (and lows), embrace the strength in their differences and empower each other to thrive both in and out of the office 
• Insightfulness & creativity:   they’re known for their award-winning, creative thinking which is always rooted in insight.  This shows up everywhere as a focus on finding imaginative ways to solve any problem
• Tenacity:  They never stop at the first knockback. They have an inherent desire to keep going until they have delivered the best result
• Nimbleness:  They’re quick-thinking and quick-acting and go about their work with the minimum of fuss.  Being independent, their entrepreneurial spirits flourish and they’re open to changing course, systems or approach where there’s a better way forward
• Passion:  They have fire in their bellies, and we put their heart and soul into everything we do
• Enterprise:  They have an innate drive to continually learn, develop and innovate
• Straight-talking:  They’re no drama, easy-to-work-with and honest. They get straight to the heart of the matter - they neither avoid, hide or elaborate anything that needs to be addressed

If you would like to find out more, please get in touch at your earliest convenience.