WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
We are thrilled to be recruiting an experienced Account Director who will lead some of our biggest clients across Formula 1 and Formula E.
Our ideal candidate would have a knowledge and interest in motorsport and be passionate about creating impactful work with brands and properties.
You will lead the sponsorship and rightsholder relationships, as well as the delivery of activations, campaigns and assets across various channels for your client group.
From day one, you’ll be tasked with building and leveraging multiple relationships at all levels, so experience of stakeholder management is essential. Alongside this, you’ll work closely with our internal teams across creative, planning and hospitality, so you’ll need to possess a strong understanding and appreciation of creative and planning processes and output.
To your team, you’ll provide strong leadership and direction, accompanied with a supportive and nurturing approach to enable them to thrive and produce the best possible work. Leading by example, you’ll inspire the team to meet your own high standards. Across the rest of the agency, you’ll manage and galvanise multi-discipline teams to deliver client projects to the highest possible standard. You will report into a Group Director.
There will be opportunities to work across other growth clients within the business on an ad-hoc basis.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Account leadership
Overseeing and driving financial health of account: maximizing long and short-term profit opportunities, remaining financially aware and ensuring that the company’s profit margin is achieved
Closely overseeing financial tracking, reconciliation and reporting; providing strategically-driven forecasting, leading in budget negotiations and opportunity recognition
Setting the standard for team operations, running of the account to ensure that projects and deliverables are in-line with strategic imperatives and delivered on time, within budget and to the highest possible standard
Identifying and effectively handling any budget or client challenges swiftly and responsibly
Relationship management
Building solid, unshakeable relationships with clients – gaining their respect at all levels and demonstrating a strong understanding and appreciation of their business
Serving as senior client partner, demonstrating the relevant expertise, gravitas and charisma to be seen and respected as a trusted leader and point-person by the client
Developing strong relationships from cross-agency departments, understanding how to best leverage and optimize the services and specialisms available while ensuring resource are used profitably.
Championing effective ways of working
Leading from the front with a ‘can do’ attitude and proactive ownership of projects and process, upholding the highest quality standards, both in service and deliverables
Delegating effectively with enthusiasm and context; sharing and instilling understanding and eagerness within the team and wider agency
Embodying a dynamic, positive, energetic and personable attitude – inspiring others and remaining calm under pressure
Appreciating and adhering to agency and client procedures and systems, educating your team as required.
Team development
Effectively managing direct reports, inspiring loyalty and commitment, providing relevant level of support while instilling confidence, motivation and empowerment
Completing performance reviews and providing feedback on a regular basis – ensuring career progression is supported, allowing team members to become effective, independent and increasingly capable of working well with less supervision
Galvanizing the team and boosting morale – creating a collaborative team environment, designed to make work feel rewarding, motivating and fun.
Proactive approach
Actively identifying, creating and pursuing new opportunities across the client’s brand portfolio
Outlining, writing, designing and delivering major written and verbal presentations
Leading projects with strategic prowess, accountability, ownership and effectiveness.
Working with the Planning Director and Creative Directors to produce quality, compelling creative briefing, delivering relevant inspiration, clarity on deliverables and effective project plans to client and agency teams as required
REQUIREMENTS
The following are essential:
Minimum seven years’ relevant experience within an agency environment running partnerships and delivering integrated campaigns
Extensive experience of owning and growing positive and effective relationships with senior client stakeholders, resulting in account growth and evolution
Ability to cultivate strong, professional and effective relationships with staff and partners at all levels
Exemplary verbal communication skills; ability to articulate clearly and offer a strong, collaborative and constructive presence and personality in client and internal meetings – communicating with conviction, enthusiasm and confidence
Capability and comfort in overseeing and driving large budgets, showing excellence of financial management
Exceptional attention to detail, alongside organisational, time and project management skills
BENEFITS
We’re pleased to offer wide range of benefits, including but not limited to the following:
Core benefits (available from start date) – flexible holiday allowance, AXA private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection, pension scheme with 4.5% employer contribution, Employee Assistance Programme
Flexible benefits (available after probation) – Gymflex, dental insurance, travel insurance, health cash plan, Cycleshceme, interest-free season ticket loans
A Flexible Workplace – we have a number of initiatives in place to ensure that our team have the flexibility to balance work with their lives, this includes flexible holiday and flexible working options. We also run a number of internal programmes to support physical and mental wellbeing, alongside learning and development opportunities to support career development and progression.
WHO YOU’LL BE JOINING
Recognized as one of the “Best Places to Work in Sports”, Octagon is the global sports, entertainment, and experiential marketing arm of the Interpublic Group.
We take pride in being Playmakers – finding insightful, bold ways to create play in our work, our lives, and in the world. We believe in the power of play to create big ideas and unlock potential for our clients and talent.
We can put ourselves in the shoes of fans because we ARE fans – of sports, entertainment, and culture at large. This expertise allows us to continually evolve the fan experience across sports and entertainment alongside some of the biggest brands and talent in the world.
The world needs play more than ever. Are you a Playmaker?