Senior Account Manager/Account Director, Automotive.

We are looking for someone currently operating at Senior Account Manager level who is ready to take the next step in their career, or a proven Account Director, with a track record in conceiving, planning and delivering integrated comms campaigns.
We have a reputation for creativity, dynamism and the successful delivery of first-class results for our portfolio of clients and we are looking for a proactive individual capable of managing a team across two busy accounts, with strong copywriting ability, a creative storytelling mind, an ability to newsjack and excellent client relationship management.

As the account lead for one of the UK’s largest car parts and accessories marketplaces, and for a collection of specialist vehicle manufacturers, the ideal candidate must be passionate about communications and able to understand the often-complex nature of our clients’ businesses.

Client management activities

• Build and manage effective client relationships.
• Develop, oversee and implement delivery of comms strategies, messaging, plans and timelines, driving forward key projects and ensuring objectives are met and budgets are adhered to.
• Devise innovative and engaging ways to drive positive media coverage across all media channels – print, broadcast and online.
• Continually drive creativity throughout the accounts and the wider company, delivering unique ideas for campaigns and activations that add value to the client proposition.
• Demonstrate an understanding of and act upon the needs of wider client departments to help enhance activations and ideas, including social media and marketing
• Creating Thought Leadership content with key global Execs.
• Ultimate responsibility for all aspects of quality control across each account.
• Managing team members to ensure they deliver the highest quality communications support.
• Plan, organise and prioritise workloads of team members, with a particular focus on ensuring that actual resources used for individual clients correspond to the contracted resources, flagging any issues to senior staff members.
• As circumstances require, be prepared to carry out other day-to-day account work. For example, writing press releases, setting up media opportunities, etc.
• Oversee and handle client budgets accurately.
• Become the go to contact between clients and key third-party stakeholders where relevant, providing clients and wider account team with regular progress updates whilst driving activity forward proactively
• Lead on pitching and presenting new ideas and project work to client teams confidently – bringing the client on a journey.
• Handling media duties directly with client team, including the facilitation of broadcast interviews.

Company management activities – team

• Provide professional guidance to junior team members to help them develop key skills and advance their careers.
• Undertake annual reviews and half-yearly appraisals for relevant team members.
• Act as solid and reliable support for senior team members.
• Solid communication skills with the ability to effectively manage upwards and down.
• Help to manage the team in producing market insights, including consumer, media and industry trends as well as being aware of competitor activity.

Company management activities – general

• Help to implement current processes and take initiative on improving processes within the team and wider company.
• Set up and run key meetings when required e.g. strategic planning sessions, brainstorms.
• Adopt a proactive approach to seeking out new business opportunities.
• Preparing and assisting with new business pitches/presentations, in collaboration with the agency’s leadership team.