MANAGING PARTNER: HIGH STAKES FILMS
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR
We are looking for an Agency Leader to run and lead High Stakes Films, our Culture Driven Film & Stills Production Agency. This role would join the Board of ZAK Media Group Ltd, which includes ZAK and SELFHOOD agency brands.
The role would report into our group Co-Founder & CEO and would be the 4th and final position in our Board Commercial team, alongside our other Managing Partners in ZAK and SELFHOOD.
High Stakes Films is a start-up and will play a very important role in our business plan for the next 5+ years.
The work is fresh and culturally relevant, ranging from traditional TV and OOH productions to social content, product shots and storytelling documentaries, predominantly for fashion, sport, alcohol and FMCG brands and their agencies.
We need someone who matches the energy and ambition of the team, working as ride or die with our Board Commercial team, as well as our High Stakes Films core team of Creative Partner, Creative Production Director and Executive Producer, who were all honoured with Production Agency of the Year at the Brand Film EMEA Awards.
ABOUT YOU
You must have at least 15 years’ experience growing and running an agency and/or agency team with production at its core.
You will set the Vision, own the Business Strategy & Plan and deliver against our commercial targets.
You will have proven experience winning new business, growing accounts and developing relationships, (agency and brand).
You thrive in building and leading teams in the production, advertising and/or creative agency space.
You are an excellent communicator and highly organised, with huge career hunger and drive.
You are entrepreneurial by nature, a great team player, who thrives in developing teams and driving agency growth.
ABOUT US
We are an independent creative business with c25 permanent staff and a vast range of freelancers and consultants who support us on live jobs, across 3 agency brands:-
ZAK: Cultural Capital for Brands
https://www.zakagency.com/
Creative Strategy Partners, who create and build dynamic cultural universes for brands.
SELFHOOD: Global Culture & Insight Community
https://www.thisisselfhood.com/
37K strong Gen Z-Gen X community, offering Research & Insight and Community & Cultural Activation services to clients.
High Stakes Films: Culture Driven Film & Stills
https://www.highstakesfilms.com/
Working with a mixture of brand and agency clients, High Stakes Films are agile, commercially smart and hyper creative, capturing content all over the world.
We recruit against our own values of Courageous & Confident; Curious & Conscious; Spirited & Positive. Our culture is dynamic, fast-moving, supportive, down-to-earth, fun and professional.
We are entrepreneurial by nature and are committed to creating the best work environment and packages for agency staff. We do this by investing in every single team member via our ZAKademy training and development programme, which we run in consultation with the IPA.
We believe in work/life balance and giving staff the autonomy and trust to work wherever they need to, to get the job done.
With that in mind, we operate a hybrid working model of 2 days per week in our London offices on Wed and Thu (White City / Wood Lane tubes), 3 days WFH with the ability to work up to 2 x 5-day weeks abroad across the year (WFW / Work From Wherever).
PERKS & BENEFITS
Salary: £TBC, dependent on experience
Bonus: discretionary bonus for 2025 (performance related)
Octopus Electric Car Scheme: salary sacrifice for tax efficient car ownership
Pension: up to 3% contributory pension
Travel Loan: to help spread the cost of commuting
EOT Scheme: to go live 2026/27 (tax efficient management buy-out where the current business owners are bought out by the profits over time, assume 5 years, and the "new" team share equity and ownership ongoing)
CULTURE
Culture Club: monthly tickets to interesting cultural events and exhibitions
Film Club: quarterly tickets to the latest Hollywood blockbuster or cult classic
Birthday: £75 voucher of choice
Most Valuable Player: £100 cash prize every month for the agency winner
ZAKMAS: our annual Christmas knees-up
ZAKMAS Annual Awards: cash prizes for winners of our 5 categories
ZAKROCK: 2 days,1 night out of the City to reset and recharge
Socials: monthly department breakfasts or lunches for team bonding
LONG SERVICE RECOGNITION
Anniversary: £100 cash every year
Extra hols: 1 extra day off for every year worked from year 4 to year 8
Sabbatical: 1 month’s paid sabbatical once you’ve hit 5 years’ service
WELLBEING
Paid Leave: up to 41 days paid leave annually (1 day birthday / "U Day", 7 days Christmas Close, 21 days holiday, 8 days UK Bank holidays, 4 days Passion Projects - see below)
White City House Membership: gym, pools, sauna, steam room
BUPA
1pm Fridays: work allowing, staff can finish work at 1pm on a Friday with no reduction in pay
Work From Wherever (WFW): the flex to work up to 2 x 5 days consecutively abroad
ZAKROCK: 2 days,1 night out of the City to reset and recharge as a team (as above)
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
Appraisals: bi-annual 360 appraisals
Check-ins: bi-monthly line manager check-ins
Passion Projects: 1 day per quarter paid leave to pursue a passion project, side hustle or charity endeavour
ZAKademy: ZAK’s personalised training and development plan
IPA membership: access to ongoing learning and development
PROCESS
30min chemistry call with Co-Founder & CEO
45min interview with CFO & HR Partner
1.5hr interview with Co-Founder & CEO, Co-Founder & CCO, CFO, HR Partner, Managing Partner ZAK, Creative Partner HSF to present task
Start date: ASAP