Public Relations Account Director

Burson is the global communications leader built to create value for clients through reputation. With highly specialized teams, industry-leading technologies and breakthrough creative, we help brands and businesses redefine reputation as a competitive advantage so they can lead today and into the future. Burson is part of WPP (LSE/NYSE: WPP), the creative transformation company. Learn more at www.bursonglobal.com.

Our Energy & Industrials practice is growing and we're looking to hire Account Managers and Account Directors to join the team in Abu Dhabi. Our client portfolio sits at the heart of the most fundamental issues facing business and society; from managing the energy transition to supporting the rollout of electric vehicle infrastructure; from accelerating the development of smart cities, through to ending plastic pollution and catalyzing a circular economy we create compelling communications that change behaviours, secure license to operate and shape reputation.

Our team experience spans traditional energy, renewable energy, power and utilities, transport, logistics, manufacturing, and industrial tech. For our clients, we provide corporate and public affairs counsel as well as strategic reputation and issues management advice, integrated campaigns, digital and media relations, stakeholder engagement, content marketing programmes and consumer behaviour change campaigns. The work is by definition international, though we work mainly on the UAE / Middle Eastern aspects of communications for clients.

We are a dynamic, friendly and collaborative team of over 50 consultants; working on some of the biggest change makers in the Energy, Sustainability, Climate Change space.

THE ROLE + RESPONSIBILITIES

• Partnering with senior colleagues to lead sector and agency strategic mandates with significant budgets and programme scopes.
• Act as the day-to-day lead on integrated client programmes, working at the heart of the energy transition.
• Lead on quarterly and annual planning and review processes for clients, using feedback and insights to shape proactive ideas and campaigns.
• Playing an active role with inbound new business pitches and proposals, as well as supporting sector MD and leadership team to drive organic growth within existing mandates.
• Building and developing the skill set of junior team members.
• You will have autonomy to lead client mandates with support from senior and junior colleagues and will bring experience working with national and trade media.

DESIRED ATTRIBUTES

• Excellent communications experience gained delivering multi-disciplinary corporate, B2B and stakeholder campaigns. With an interest in energy, sustainability, and the UAE's ambitions to modernise and decarbonise its infrastructure and systems.
• A strategic thinker with a strong interest in the UAE and/or international policy landscape.
• Digitally-savvy, with the ability to drive fully integrated campaigns and drive content and publishing strategy development across paid, owned, earned, and shared channels.
• Some experience managing account teams and client budgets with a nose for profitability and able to bring consultancy and project management skills gained working in an agency environment.
• A confident team player with the ability to quickly build strong inter-team relationships, motivate and lead a bright team of talented, ambitious juniors.
• A proactive self-starter with an eye for identifying new business opportunities for existing clients and an appetite to get involved in growing the portfolio.

Benefits:

• 22 working days annual leave.
• Option of a paid sabbatical after 7 years’ service.
• Group Life insurance.
• Enhanced Maternity and Paternity schemes in the region.
• Access to training workshops and career development opportunities.

#LI-RS1

At Burson, diversity, equity and inclusion are not just values; they are strategic imperatives that fuel our future in an industry built on the art of understanding, connecting and developing relationships. We believe that a diverse workforce is essential for inspiring bold ideas, fostering constructive dialogue and cultivating meaningful experiences that drive innovation and creativity. It also enables our agency to thrive and deliver brilliant work.

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