The Associate Business Director leads the strategic direction, operational management and delivery of assigned client accounts. Working closely with the Business Director, the role is responsible for strengthening client relationships, delivering high-quality work and identifying opportunities to grow revenue across the portfolio. The role also provides leadership to cross-functional teams, champions the Power of One approach and supports the development of future talent.
Key Responsibilities
Client Leadership & Growth
- Own senior client relationships and act as a trusted strategic advisor.
- Develop a strong understanding of the client’s business, category and consumer journey.
- Identify opportunities to grow existing accounts and expand the Group’s services.
- Support new business proposals by bringing together relevant capabilities from across the Groupe.
- Build annual strategic roadmaps that support business growth and transformation.
- Maintain high levels of client satisfaction and overall account health.
Strategic & Creative Excellence
- Lead client conversations across strategy, creative, digital, social, data and production.
- Translate business requirements into clear strategic and creative briefs.
- Oversee the development and delivery of integrated, multichannel campaigns.
- Secure client alignment on the agency’s strategic direction and recommendations.
- Ensure all work is delivered to a consistently high standard, on time and within scope.
- Act as a brand guardian, ensuring consistency across messaging, strategy and execution.
Operational & Commercial Management
- Oversee day-to-day account operations, workflows, timelines and deliverables.
- Take accountability for the quality and commercial performance of assigned accounts.
- Ensure effective collaboration between client servicing, strategy, creative, production and specialist teams.
- Anticipate challenges, resolve issues and manage client expectations proactively.
- Drive cross-client collaboration and strategic partnerships where relevant.
- Promote transformation, innovation and operational efficiency across the account.
Innovation & Business Acumen
- Monitor market, category and consumer trends to identify emerging opportunities.
- Challenge conventional thinking and bring innovative, commercially relevant solutions to client briefs.
- Identify opportunities to introduce additional Groupe capabilities, including media, CRM, data and technology.
- Build strong, collaborative relationships with internal stakeholders and department leads.
- Champion an always-on innovation mindset across the team.
People Leadership
- Lead, mentor and develop team members, supporting their performance and career progression.
- Communicate a clear strategic vision that inspires both internal teams and clients.
- Build succession plans and develop future leaders within the team.
- Create an inclusive and collaborative environment that values diverse perspectives.
- Manage complex situations confidently and take ownership of resolving internal and external challenges.
Requirements
- Minimum 9 years’ experience within advertising, communications, media or marketing.
- Strong track record across brand, digital, social and data-driven marketing.
- Significant experience leading senior client relationships and complex accounts.
- Previous experience managing and developing a team of approximately 6–8 people.
- Strong understanding of the end-to-end communications ecosystem, including digital, data and technology.
- Experience planning, managing and delivering integrated multichannel campaigns.
- Excellent strategic thinking, commercial judgment, communication and stakeholder-management skills.
- Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Digital Technologies, Business Management, Business Administration or a related field.
