Description:
Description
Position at Hill+Knowlton Strategies
We are currently looking for a Group Account Director to join our team in Dubai/ Abu Dhabi, working across our ever-growing Corporate + Brand practice.
At H+K you will have the opportunity to work on well-known local and global brands, and benefit from a structured training and development path for your career.
Job Description
JOB TITLE: GROUP ACCOUNT DIRECTOR
REPORT TO: REGIONAL PRACTICE LEAD
Role
Group Account Directors at Hill+Knowlton Strategies (H+K) take a leadership role in our business, working towards a place on the senior leadership team. You will be confident in managing the commercial aspects of a portfolio or practice, have the gravitas to deliver senior client counsel, and demonstrate the ability to inspire and lead a team.
With a broader view across a practice team and portfolio, the Group Account Director seeks to secure the position of ‘trusted consultant’ at an increasingly senior level, has overall authority on accounts, and takes a lead role in strategic services such as Media Training, Crisis Management, Flight School and Messaging Development.
As a Group Account Director, you will be passionate about continuing the professional development of your own career as well as those in your team, championing H+K standards and contributing to the strategic mission of the regional leadership team. You will have a positive reputation that is recognised across the wider agency and be known as a problem solver with strong business acumen, great analytical skills and creative vision.
The following job description details the skills and competencies required for this level.
SKILLS + COMPETENCIES
At This Level, You Will Be Able To
Consulting
- Develop reputation internally, across H+K and within industry for specialism in a specific practice or discipline. Grow industry, influencer and internal contacts to support your position
- Track current affairs, industry and social trends, and apply knowledge and understanding in day-to-day business with clients and at H+K
- Be bold; Develop major creative and strategic campaigns from start to finish with excellent writing and presentation skills and minimal supervision from a Regional Director
- Hold client relationships at a senior level; deliver strategic counsel with confidence, maturity and professionalism across all aspects of integrated communications strategy
- Be a trusted advisor to clients, adding value to client relationships and supporting clients in achieving their critical business objectives
- Be skilled at both long term and rea-time content creation and publishing strategies and tactics
- Own ultimate responsibility for ensuring projects are delivered on time, on budget and exceed client’s expectations in terms of results and professionalism; manage resources, review and approve client deliverables
- Confidently articulate and apply the 3P approach to existing + potential clients. Train teams on how to actively apply this approach.
- Fluently and confidently discuss social and digital strategies with clients and drive escalation of knowledge in the team, continually learning the latest platforms, tools, technology, etc
- Consult on crisis communications in an integrated media environment and have experience in a support role on Flight School
- Demonstrate understanding of earned, owned, shared and paid channels, and recommend approach for each; display a passion and understanding for content marketing, ensuring all content is on brand, consistent in terms of style, tone and quality and optimised for all relevant channels
- Act as a leader in storytelling and propose innovative multi-channel content strategies for clients that generate new revenue streams
- Understand the central question model and use it in practice
- Understand the art of presentation skills and storytelling; bring ideas to life with the ability to adapt presentation styles to different audiences
People
- Assist in fostering a high performance led culture; play a central role in recruiting new talent and retention of existing talent in the team/agency
- Act as a strong leader with the ability to listen effectively and influence a team
- Actively contribute to the regional leadership in terms of agency/sector vision and be seen as a leader – displaying gravitas, managing difficult client relationships, and demonstrating an understanding of business finance
- Apply emotional intelligence in your role as Line Manager; develop SMART performance career plans for direct report/s, successfully manage employee issues and difficult employee communications, and mentor/coach team members to develop their potential
- Create and drive initiatives to strengthen skills, promote loyalty, enthusiasm and culture of a practice or the office through training and/or other responsibilities
- Support training and development as faculty and/or coach on H+K EMEA training programmes (e.g. Octave, Spring School, First Chair) and facilitate local training sessions
Business Acumen
- Demonstrate a track record of success in organic and new business growth; identify and qualify leads and independently managing pitch and conversion using the full Creative Process and other structures for new business developments
- Ensure revenue and account profitability targets are met; structure and implement a plan of action for addressing revenue and profitability shortfalls
- Actively manage client team leads in delivery on allocated elements of financial deliverables including over-servicing levels, debt collection, contract completion, LPOs and reviews
- Understand management accounts, P+Ls, SCTF ratios and how to use this information to improve business performance
- Have a strong overview of all H+K services, global network and WPP Group and be able to identify areas for growth within existing client portfolio
- Demonstrate an active involvement in internal and external marketing activity for the agency; for example leading award entries, op-eds, social media programmes
- Complete timesheets at the end of each week, monitor completion by all direct report/s – mandatory
- Be familiar with H+Ks social media policy and professional practices
- PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTQualifications
- Build on your emotional intelligence and self awareness
- Grow your presence in the industry, including relationships within H+K global and industry bodies to support professional stature
- Define and pursue long term career objectives such as regional practice lead, discipline specialist or operational management; identify opportunities in the global H+K network
- Become a mentor within H+K’s global virtual mentoring programme
- University degree
- 10++ years’ relevant industry experience including management disciplines
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
- Proven presentation and strategic planning capabilities
- Ability to multi-task and work in a team environment
- Bilingual is an asset
- Strong in Comms
- Able to manage high level projects
- Ideally someone with Government experience