Account Director - month contract

About Us

We’re an award-winning, integrated brand communications agency.

Privately owned, proudly independent.

We work with clients we believe in, to help them grow and connect with their audiences. We work in B2C and B2B sectors, principally in food & drink, health, consumer health and B2B. Our brands range from kitchenware, confectionery and natural dog food to pet care, biotech, pharma and CRO. Being an independent agency means we pick out many of the brands we want to work with.

Being based in the South West, we have space to think and room to grow. Our office is based in Bath, and we have strong connections to Bristol, plus our clients are based everywhere. We are often on the train to London, flying up north, in the car heading to Wales, or down South taking in the Cornish air.

We work in an open plan and vibrant office, where knowledge is shared and successes celebrated. We are in the new workshops in Beehive Yard, just off Walcot Street, which is full of creative independent shops so we feel the space is perfect for us.

We have undergone a fantastic new office refurb this year. As well as a bright and friendly environment to work in, we are now offering flexible working arrangements -3 days in the office and 2 days home working as well as flexible start and end times.

We’ve won a few awards too, and for every creative brief we write, we want the outputs to be award-winning, so we can enter more!

Number 1Best social media & FMCG campaign 2022 - The independent

agency awards

Top 10 Recommended Brand Activation Agency 2021 - Drum Magazine.

Number 1 Brand Strategy Agency Winner 2020

(Under 40 staff) by The Drum Recommends.

Number 1 Advertising Agency Winner 2019

(Under 40 staff) by The Drum Recommends.

Top 10 Brand Activation Agencies 2021

By The Drum Network.

Ranked Independent Agency of the Year in 2015, 16, 17 by the Drum.

D&AD Pencil Winner 2016 - the global mark of true creative excellence.

If you would like to work for a nimble, dynamic agency, then we would love to hear from you.

The Role

Due to changing client requirments and maternity leave cover, we are on the lookout for an Account Director to join our busy team and hit the ground running on a 12 month contract. This role is to support a range of our clients across the accounts team. Due to the nature and pace of the accounts, we are looking for someone who is proactive and works well under pressure. You will know when to ask the right questions and have excellent attention to detail.

Having at least 5 years of client-facing agency experience and experience across either B2C, B2B or both is preferable.

Job Description

The Account Director is to lead a portfolio of clients as well as the Account Management team. The prime responsibility is to ensure the quality of the agency’s product, particularly the strategic, media, dev and creative product, and inspiring the highest standards within the team.

The Account Director must be a committed team member and have great people management skills. Building and maintaining excellent Client relationships is a primary requirement.

Develop and demonstrate real leadership qualities by ensuring best practice account management skills, as well as contributing to an inspiring and constructive working environment.

Key attributes

The following attributes are essential

As a member of the AUK Client Services team, you will be required to:

1. Be a welcoming face/voice of the agency when dealing with clients or suppliers on the phone, and when they visit the agency

2. Establish and build honest relationships with our clients, based on trust and transparency

3. Understand AUK’s project delivery process and follow the internal approval procedure

4. Have excellent project management skills, be efficient, proactive and commercially aware

5. Build strong relationships with your colleagues and positively contribute to agency life

Departmental responsibilities

Client

Has a deep understanding of the Clients business and of the key factors and trends.

Client’s first point of contact on all main strategic, creative and resource issues.

Write clear and structured proposals, reports and briefs.

Ensure deadlines are met

Build strong and enduring relationships with Clients, professionally and socially.

Regularly seeks out ways to add value to the Client/agency relationship.

Represent the Client’s business within the agency.

Represent the agency in a professional manner at all times.

Continuously seek pro-active opportunities.

Business Directors first port of call on all questions relating to the business.

Creative

Responsible for setting the creative context by ensuring an in-depth understanding and knowledge of the Client’s business.

Creative department’s most senior contact on a day-to-day basis, providing an overall vision and direction for the creative work and ensuring it is set in the correct business context.

Excellent judge of creative work and is able to argue a case in any Client/agency forum.

Able to present the agency’s ideas to Client.

Keep Creative Director informed of all relevant Client/account issues.

Finance

Contribute to the writing of Business Plans/ Key Account Plans for the account.

Responsible for maximising the accounts billings and/or income and for seeking out additional income opportunities.

Contribute to the good financial management of the business, improving profitability whenever possible, monitoring all billing procedures carried out by the team, and any potential write-offs, etc.

Submit accurate Timesheets which are kept updated at all times.

Ensure timesheets of team members are accurate and up to date

Traffic/Production

Ensure appropriate time on all major productions.

Ensure the right resource is allocated to the business in this area.

Ensure that the Client understands the importance of enough time for creative development.

Strategy

Maintain a strong relationship with the Strategist.

With the Strategist, develop insightful strategies and excellent agency briefs.

Lead the development of new business proposals and pitching. Bringing together all departments to deliver accurately against the client brief.

Media, SEO and Tech

Oversee the team’s output – carries out quality and effective resource management.

Keep abreast of all developments in areas of media, SEO and Tech and fosters the use of best practice – in media research, planning and buying tools and methodologies, etc.

Keep the heads of departments informed of relevant Client/account issues.

Lead reporting workstreams, critiquing reports, aiding in their development and supporting development.

Management

Ultimately responsible for the smooth running of the account – operationally, creatively, financially – and is answerable on these points to the Client and to the Business Director/ Directors.

Create the best possible environment in which to produce outstanding work. Is responsible for ensuring that the teams have the right time and resources to deliver this, within the Client’s time frame.

Build respect and loyal commitment of team members, the department, and agency as a whole.

Manage and coach junior members of the Account Management team.

Delegate effectively and appropriately – upwards as well as downwards.

Ensure that issues are brought under the attention of the Directors timeously.

Culture

Open to and active in sharing knowledge/intelligence

Contribute to elevating the Account Management team.

An ambassador for AUK contributing to a positive Agency reputation

Strives for long term relationships and contribute to positive team spirit

Key Performance Indicators

In-depth understanding of Client’s business and key factors and trends.

Contribute to the financial management of the business, improving profitability, monitoring billing procedures. Knows the Agency Financial tools.

Develop most insightful advertising strategies and excellent creative ideas.

Open to and active in sharing knowledge/intelligence.

Contribute to elevating the Account Management team.

Contribute by effecting innovation that builds a positive Agency culture.

Contribute to good Client relations.

An ambassador for AUK contributing to a positive Agency reputation.

Benefits package

25 days holiday plus bank holidays

2 days working from home per week if desired

Bike to work scheme

Free fruit and breakfast!

Regular social events including Summer trips

Opportunity to participate in a variety of team training courses some examples include -

Disability awareness provided by The Leonard Cheshire Trust Diversity awareness provided by Representation Matters

First Aid Training Behavioural Economics Workshop with Richard Shotton the writer of The Choice Factory

Nutrition seminars on Mental Health and Nutrition, maintaining energy levels through positive nutrition.

Beekeeping and bee management, the link between bee communities and our working environment

Health awareness talks on prostate cancer, breast cancer and bowel cancer etc

Talk on homelessness by Julian House refuge.

Job Type: Fixed term contract

Contract length: 12 months

Pay: £40,000.00-£45,000.00 per year

Benefits:

Additional leave

Discounted or free food

Free parking

On-site parking

Paid volunteer time

Sick pay

Transport links

Ability to commute/relocate:

Bath BA1 5BT: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (preferred)

Education:

Certificate of Higher Education (required)

Experience:

agency: 5 years (required)

Account management: 5 years (required)

Language:

fluent english (required)

Work authorisation:

United Kingdom (required)

Location:

Bath BA1 5BT (required)

Work Location: In person

Contract