Job Description

Provide clear project leadership to all members of your team; ensuring all assigned projects and accounts are completed according to time and budgetary requirements and are in-line with agency quality standards.
Lead client relationships; guide and direct the wider team and provide key strategic input. This will be demonstrated by a proactive awareness and understanding of new developments in the relevant therapy areas and the healthcare industry in general, and how these developments may affect or feed into the overarching client strategy.
The Account Director (AD) should lead by example, demonstrating high quality account handling skills in all areas, including championing use of all agency and client processes and procedures. This will also include overseeing financial management of accounts and supporting senior management to optimise 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 strategic input to the client, based on a thorough understanding of the therapeutic area and market influences
• Offer strategic counsel to the client and role as a ‘trusted partner’, combined with a good understanding of the client team, internal stakeholders and processes
• Establish and reinforce relationships with key client personnel, primarily marketing, medical and procurement teams and ensure regular client contact
• Keep up-to-date with issues/events/changes and proactively advise the client on new issues and the external environment
• Guide client understanding of our quality processes, resource booking and timelines including the wider BU needs
• Take overall responsibility for developing, budgeting, managing and finalizing client projects. Ensure delivery of quality output by self, other team members and third party suppliers
• Proactively foresee potential issues and plan contingencies for scenarios where possible
• Direct the team on client liaison, particularly on complex projects
• Lead internal team with authority, mentorship and by setting a positive example
• Maintain regular contact with the client to ensure direction of the project is still aligned to needs
• Ensure all client objections are handled fairly and appropriately
• Provide risk mitigation recommendations to Assistant Director/Director
• 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 (negotiating budget additions/changes related to programme scope where applicable)
• Maintain a strategic overview of accounts, proactively highlighting external market factors that may impact on programme strategy or tactics, in a timely manner
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with clients, responding promptly to client communications and providing quality counsel and strategic advice as required
• Ensure all written communication is of the highest possible quality at all times
• Take responsibility for ensuring programme outputs (written, designed, audio, other) are delivered to the highest possible standard, 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
• Ensure the account team adhere to all HLM processes and quality checks
• 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 intimate understanding of client products, therapy areas, portfolio and commercial strategy
• Provide active support on pitches and form a part of the presentation team where required
• 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 programme direction in response to a changing landscape and provide counsel to the client
• Lead on organic growth within existing accounts
• Contribute to new pitches including leading on discreet elements and smaller proposals (e.g. RFPs)
• Draw on existing expertise to add value in areas of new business development
• 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 resources
• Responsible for accurate resource/fee representation in the sales sheet. Seek guidance from senior team members and the Finance team where necessary
• Responsible 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 annual salary
• 25 days’ annual holiday
• Birthday day off
• 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 Perkbox
• A rewarding workplace and a fun team environment

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities