Account Director (PR, Beauty and Lifestyle)

Position: Account Director (PR, Beauty and Lifestyle)

OVERVIEW

Weber Shandwick is one of the world’s leading global communications and marketing solutions firms with offices in 79 cities and a network extending to 120 cities on 6 continents. In the Asia Pacific region, the firm operates in 18 markets including owned as well as affiliates and representative firms in other locales – spanning Greater China, Japan and Korea, India and Southeast Asia. Our heritage in Asia Pacific stretches back more than 60 years.

Led by world-class strategic and creative thinkers, Weber Shandwick has won numerous prestigious awards in the industry. These include being named #1 in the Public Relations and Brand Strategies category on Fast Company’s 2024 Most Innovative Companies list and PRWeek’s 2024 Global Agency of the Year. The firm was also one of Fast Company’s Best Workplaces for Innovators in 2023, PRovoke’s Global Agency of the Year in 2023, and Asia-Pacific Healthcare Consultancy of the Year in 2022 and 2023. Other accolades include Campaign Global PR Agency of the Year and Best Network: Asia Pacific 2023, PRCA Gold Standard Award for Asia-Pacific Network of the Year 2023, and being the most awarded PR agency at the 2023 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Weber Shandwick has also been honored on Ad Age’s A-List in 2024 and 2020, and Best Places to Work in 2019. The firm was named PRovoke’s Global Agency of the Decade in 2020 and ranked #1 on PRovoke’s Global Creative Index in 2021 and 2022. The agency was named PRWeek’s Purpose Agency of the Year in 2020 and 2021, Global Agency of the Year in 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018, and Asia-Pacific PR Consultancy of the Year in 2017, 2019, and 2020. It was also ICCO Regional Network of the Year Asia Pacific in 2017, 2018, and 2019, and PRovoke’s Asia-Pacific Consultancy of the Year in 2017 and 2019.

About the opportunity:

The role of Account Director is to act as a lead liaison between clients, client partners, and the Agency, focusing on all account management initiatives. You will work closely with the clients and your manager in identifying short and long-term needs and objectives; craft appropriate strategies as well as identify and implement quality solutions to achieve client goals. In addition, you will also be responsible for managing and leading agency resources to meet clients’ communications, marketing, and advertising needs.

The Account Director should have excellent verbal and written communication skills and provide ongoing counsel and strategic guidance to the internal team and external client organization. This requires an ability to adapt to different types of situations, personalities, and communication styles as this person will be required to work across all functional teams within the Agency and the client organization. The successful Account Director will ensure a collaborative working environment is achieved between the agency, the client, and partners.

Responsibilities:

• Acts as the primary senior contact for client accounts, developing relationships with clients, working closely with them to understand their business and customer experience needs, and directly contributing to key project deliverables alongside the team.
• Demonstrates a strong grasp of clients’ business objectives, identifying opportunities where Weber Shandwick’s services can drive both short-term and long-term strategies, and actively collaborates with the team to translate these into actionable plans.
• Leads by example to ensure the account team understands the scope of work, actively participates in achieving objectives, and contributes to delivering exceptional client experiences.
• Possesses a deep understanding of strategy, creative, and production processes and actively engages in key project stages, providing input, reviewing work, and ensuring alignment with client goals.
• Proactively partners with other functional and account leads, not only driving integration but also working directly on projects to ensure seamless execution and alignment with client expectations.
• Sets and maintains high standards for the quality of creative ideas and work within brand guidelines, actively contributing to brainstorming sessions and creative reviews.
• Collaborates with clients and the team to develop budgets and ensures adherence by monitoring progress and addressing potential challenges in real-time.
• Fosters a collaborative work environment, actively participating in agency and client initiatives to strengthen partnerships and enhance project outcomes.
• Stays informed of relevant client, industry, and market developments, translating insights into actionable recommendations for the team and clients.
• Provides constructive feedback by reviewing work directly with the team, identifying areas for improvement, and offering solutions that elevate outcomes.
• Solves complex issues both independently and collaboratively, working hands-on with the team to address challenges and find innovative solutions.
• Acts as a mentor and role model, guiding junior team members through active coaching, knowledge sharing, and leading by example in day-to-day tasks.

Requirements:

• Minimum 7 – 10 years of experience in an account management role. PR/ Communications/ Advertising agency experience is preferred.
• Experience in managing global and regional briefs for global brands.
• Effectively led and developed account teams.
• Strong verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills to facilitate effective communications with clients and internal teams.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, adapt to change and perform well under pressure, juggling multiple projects and deadlines.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (especially PowerPoint).
• Good time management skills and process driven.
• Experience in managing multi-disciplined campaigns.
• Effective resources allocation skills and ability to connect with different agency disciplines towards achieving clients’ deliverables.
• Special event experience is a bonus, particularly with red carpets, high-profile sponsorships, product launches, openings, stunts, media education events and influencer activations.
• Global Perspective: Demonstrated experience working in or exposure to diverse cultures and countries, with an understanding of the nuances of different people, cities, and socio-economic conditions, including those in developing markets.
• Cultural Sensitivity: A strong ability to navigate and adapt to cultural differences with empathy and respect, fostering positive collaboration across a global team.
• Adaptable Communication: Flexibility to tailor communication styles and approaches to align with local norms and practices, ensuring clarity and effectiveness in diverse settings.
• Travel Readiness: Willingness to travel internationally as required, with an eagerness to immerse in and learn from different cultural environments.

Note from the team

Weber Shandwick is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Weber Shandwick is committed to building a culture where all employees are seen as equal, are respected and where all opinions are heard. We take pride in our inclusive hiring, as well as our diverse workforce and we welcome applications from all qualified candidates.

Personal data held by Weber Shandwick relating to employment applications will be used in accordance with our Privacy Statement, which is available on our website.

Due to the large number of applications received, we apologize if we are unable to provide a response or feedback on unsuccessful applications. We appreciate the time taken to apply for the role and your recent interest in Weber Shandwick.

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