PR Account Director - Manchester

Hybrid

Agency : Havas Red

Job Description Summary : Responsible for leadership and overall management of the Client relationship for one or multiple accounts. Primary contact to the Client's senior marketing team. Drives long-term business growth targets and has accountability for the budget and planning. Typically reports to the Group Account Director.

Job Description :

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS A MANCHESTER BASED ROLE

At Havas Red, we create borderless work because we have who and what it takes to think without borders. Our outputs transcend countries, audiences, channels, and formats.

We have a strong track record of delivering buzz-worthy, thumb-stopping, action-driving, award-winning campaigns and initiatives.

We are a challenger to the established global networks.

Whether we’re targeting audiences on Instagram or cultivating conversations among lifestyle consumers through headlines, our depth in expertise in person-to-person communications enables us to seamlessly share a brand’s full story, where its audience chooses to consume it.

Account Director Responsibilities

Client Management

1. Ability to proactively drive projects forward, bringing in wider agency expertise & personnel in the process; ensuring all steps & stakeholders are factored into project timelines.
2. Ability to oversee multiple accounts and increased workloads through proof of delegation (both upwards and downwards) of other tasks and responsibilities.
3. Develops strategy for client programs, including responses to briefs and ongoing program management, overseeing implementation, evaluation, budgets, and timelines.
4. Provides strategic counsel to clients in support of programs or ad hoc situations, identifying and addressing potential problems before they become issues.
5. Maintains a strong knowledge and understanding of the media and industry influencers in order to oversee and direct successful media campaigns, and share this knowledge.
6. Efficiently and effectively plan and manage events.
7. Demonstrates analytical skills in relation to budgeting and forecasting.
8. Manage client teams to exceed expectations in terms of PR programs, integrated PR and social programs, evaluations, timelines, budgets, creativity, and quality with the support of the wider team as necessary.
9. Maintain and grow accounts, identifying areas of opportunity and proactively sharing and following through with activities to boost the account.
10. Where required, act as the client’s primary contact, whilst encouraging and proactively supporting the development of relationships between other team members and the client.
11. Manage clear budgets and the monthly invoicing process to ensure accuracy and timeliness.
12. Understand your client’s business so that you are in the best possible position to advise, challenge, and upsell.
13. Stay abreast of new innovations within the industry to be able to contribute effectively in brainstorms and be proactive about new ideas for current or prospective clients.

Media and Influencer Relations

1. Directs the team with guidance for media sell-ins.
2. Helps drive the influencer proposition across clients - current and new.
3. Develops and cultivates a wide range of relationships across mainstream and specialist media relevant to the client base.
4. Cultivates strong relationships with social influencers relevant to the client base.
5. Develops high-quality key messages, media releases, Q&As, prepared remarks, stand-by statements, and other materials, including research, writing, editing, collating, and distributing through relevant news and social media channels.
6. Responds to and follows up media inquiries in a timely, efficient, and professional manner.
7. Organizes, implements, and oversees media and influencer events including conferences, briefings, tours, and activations.
8. Proactively troubleshoots client and implementation issues that may arise, alerting senior team members and proposing solutions/actions.
9. Drafts quotes and liaises with clients on smaller issues.
10. Working with senior managers, develops materials on more complex issues.

Digital and Social

1. Has a sound understanding of current digital channels and social media as marketing tools.
2. Knows when to bring in other parts of the Havas business to support beyond Red Havas capabilities to grow out the client further.
3. Works with social and content divisions on paid campaigns to boost posts and build communities.

Event Management

1. Plans and implements events including research, venue, catering, talent selection and management, theming and decoration, speaker briefs, and speech-writing, working with sister agencies as required.
2. Provides quality control, issues management, and hands-on support at the event, and professionally interacts with clients, stakeholders, and guests.
3. Guides teams appropriately, training them on event management.
4. Ensures clients are regularly kept up to speed.

Planning and Strategy

1. Prepares strong communications strategies and programs for clients.
2. Manages and coordinates assigned account teams ensuring effective and efficient deployment of resources, and high-quality work that meets clients’ objectives in a manner that provides value for money and account profitability, flagging any issues with senior managers.
3. Ensures timesheets are completed accurately and in detail each day.
4. Manages allocated budgets with no over-runs without prior client approval, including following all Red Havas and client financial processes including raising and processing purchase orders.
5. Proactively recommends additional projects to existing clients and effectively presents strategies and programs to clients.
6. Is a champion for the agency’s processes – sets an example for the team on how to interrogate and answer a brief creatively, and how to position and articulate ideas to the client.
7. Confident in the brief process from interrogating the brief, to insight, strategy, and creative briefing, delegating to their team and drawing on other business team leads where necessary.
8. Demonstrates clear strategic thinking in their day-to-day work across their accounts and how this is framing the client’s campaign against their business objectives.
9. Has a good understanding of how to structure a brief response.

New Business

1. Contributes to new business opportunities, from brief taking and plan preparation to presentation.
2. Supports senior managers on new business pitches, tenders, and proposals including research, brainstorming, drafting case studies, developing media targets, and story angles.
3. Actively seeks out opportunities across the Havas Village, PR industry, and from within your own network.
4. Presents confidently at pitch meetings and tissue sessions as required.
5. Proactively recommends additional projects to existing clients.
6. Maintains and grows a network on LinkedIn.
7. Attends industry and relevant client events.
8. Uses networks and networking opportunities to uncover new business opportunities and brings them to the attention of senior managers.

OUR AGENCY BEHAVIOURS

1. Set up for success: We start from a place of discovery, seek out the right support and listen to all viewpoints with enthusiasm and positivity. We are committed to providing tools, training, and mentoring to help us learn and improve, to create an environment to do our best work.
2. Pave the path: We choose courage over comfort. To be the best, we must always play like we are second-best, because that enables us to focus with clarity on getting better every day. We are fearless in our pursuit of transformational communications.
3. Execute with excellence: We do incredible work by raising the bar. Executing with excellence means “good enough” simply isn’t good enough at our company. We go the extra mile to exceed expectations in all we do.
4. Be in balance: We expect the best from one another and strive for a culture of trust. We empower each other to be flexible and prioritize balance, mental well-being, and physical health to enable us to do our best work.
5. Act with care: We have a responsibility to act with care about our business, our colleagues, and the communities in which we operate. Caring is going the extra mile in how we do our jobs, treat our colleagues, and contribute to making a positive difference in society.
6. Instil inclusivity: We are inclusive of different voices, perspectives, and experiences, and believe we are stronger as a team when we celebrate our differences. Cultivating a culture of inclusion, equity, and equality is never done, but we are passionate about the pursuit.

#LI-TG1

Contract Type : Permanent

Here at Havas across the group we pride ourselves on being committed to offering equal opportunities to all potential employees and have zero tolerance for discrimination. We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome applicants irrespective of age, sex, race, ethnicity, disability, and other factors that have no bearing on an individual’s ability to perform their job.