Job Description

You will also assume the majority lead in terms of providing strategic direction to clients and feed into certain aspects of business direction alongside the Directors. You will be a key driver of client business and team growth and play a pivotal role in driving the business forward through the identification of new business opportunities and proposal/pitch documentation. You will also be heavily involved in medium and long-term resource planning across the business unit and play an active role in the recruitment process.
Leading by example, you will demonstrate high quality account handling skills in all areas, including championing use of all agency and client processes and procedures. This will include responsibility for financial management of accounts and supporting senior management to optimize efficient working within the business unit. You will exemplify sound communication and business skills; both externally, by building lasting client relationships and driving organic growth and internally by motivating account teams to uphold the agency values and deliver work to a consistently high standard.
The logging and completion of your timesheets which is a fundamental part of your role within the business, supports reviewing workloads and effective resource planning.

Main Tasks:

• Lead client project meetings – ensuring the client is clear on next steps
• Provide strong strategic input to the client, based on a thorough understanding of therapeutic area and market influences
• Offer strategic counsel to the client, so as to be seen as a ‘trusted partner’, combined with a good understanding of the client team, internal stakeholders and processes
• Keep up-to-date with issues/events/changes and proactively advise the client on new issues and the external environment
• Through the use of strong client engagement and leadership ability, ensure all client objections are handled appropriately and defend agency position to arrive at a workable outcome for all
• Guide client understanding of our quality processes, resource booking and timelines
• Have overall responsibility for developing, budgeting, managing and finalizing client projects, ensuring a high quality of output by self, other team members and third party suppliers
• Proactively foresee potential issues and plan contingencies for scenarios where possible, demonstrating a consistent, solution focused approach
• Direct the team on client liaison, particularly on complex projects
• Maintain regular contact with the client to ensure direction of the project is still aligned to needs
• Provide risk mitigation recommendations to Assistant Director/Director
• Oversee multiple, designated accounts, appropriately providing direction, inspiration and strategic counsel to account teams and clients alike
• Lead and ensure the implementation of client programmes/teams on a day-to-day basis, ensuring all activities are implemented efficiently and delivered in-line with the clients’ objectives and budget (and negotiating budget additions/changes related to programme scope)
• Demonstrate the ability to consult at the highest levels of the client organization and be recognized as a member of the senior team within the agency
• Maintain a strategic overview of accounts, proactively highlighting external environmental factors that may impact on programme strategy or tactics, in a timely manner
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with clients, promptly responding to client communications and providing quality counsel and strategic advice as required
• Ensure all written communication and presentations from the team are of the highest possible quality at all times
• Take responsibility for ensuring programme outputs (written, designed, audio, other) are delivered to the highest possible standards, providing final internal sign off where appropriate
• Make recommendations to the senior team on project resourcing and staffing requirements
• Through diplomacy and influencing skills take responsibility for ‘leading’ the integrated team
• Deliver compelling presentations to ensure thought provoking discussion and client engagement
• To ensure the completion and accurate entry of details within your timesheet as part of your day-to-day activities, this will be reviewed on a weekly basis.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the wider marketing mix and be able to provide senior client counsel
• Intimately understand client products, therapy areas, portfolio and commercial strategy
• Provide direction and guidance on identified organic growth opportunities to secure project/s and associated income
• Provide active support on pitches, forming part of the presentation team where required
• Assist with the identification of new business prospects and development of leads
• Actively encourage team members to be more creative and innovative in their approach
• Create and develop opportunities for growing business within existing accounts
• Develop strategic guidance and advise the client on the appropriate tactics to help deliver in-line with the strategy.
• Have the ability to shift the direction of the programme, in response to a changing landscape and provide counsel to the client
• Lead on organic growth within existing accounts
• Lead pitch development and identify internal experts to consult (e.g. RFPs)
• Draw on existing expertise to add value in areas of new business development
• Keep up-to-date with the ABPI, EFPIA and other appropriate regulations which impact on client business
• Develop, approve, reconcile and negotiate project budgets and ensure prompt invoicing
• Have an in-depth understanding of the financial status of the account at all times including overall responsibility for internal reporting using the sales sheet
• Oversee and manage account/project profitability, including appropriate allocation of resource
• Take responsibility for accurate resource/fee representation in the sales sheet. Seek guidance from senior team members and the Finance team where necessary
• Take responsibility for leading and managing the activities of direct reports/team
• Ensure the development of direct reports by having regular 1:1 review meetings, identifying development needs, and supporting and tracking progress against set objectives
• Provide effective coaching as required to ensure your direct reports/team are able to carry out their duties to the best of their ability and encourage a positive working environment
• Manage upwards where applicable, participate in and sometimes lead, management discussions
• Accept responsibility and accountability for the outputs and performance of direct reports/team
• Adhere to and follow HR procedures in a timely fashion relating to personnel such as; resourcing, performance reviews, absence reporting, annual reviews, payroll submissions and exit arrangements
• Input into any ongoing agency projects as and when required, providing support within the scope of the role and level of expertise
• Take ownership for seeking opportunities for self-development and take responsibility for own growth
• Monitor your own behavior and impact on others, to ensure the continuous promotion of a collaborative and harmonious working environment
• Carry out any other duties as required within the scope of the skillset determined for the role

What we can offer?

• A competitive salary
• 25 days’ annual holiday
• Private healthcare
• Life assurance
• Discounted gym membership
• Contributory pension scheme
• Employee referral award scheme
• Season ticket/travel loan
• Annual flu vaccination
• Annual eye test support
• Comprehensive training programmes
• Additional retail discounts and benefits available through Perk box
• A rewarding workplace and a fun team environment

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities