Associate Director, Client Service - 12 month Fixed Term Contract

INITIATIVE HEALTH: OUR COMPANY

We are dynamic, empowered, and entrepreneurial.

We pride ourselves in being an equal opportunities employer and diversity and inclusion is at the heart of what we believe in. As part of IPG Mediabrands, we are committed to increasing the diversity of our workforce and welcome applications regardless of gender identity, race, sexual orientation, disability, age, religion, or belief.

Initiative Health is different to other media or marketing agencies.

We are liberated by a global structure which is designed to deliver highly differentiated and highly effective communications strategies for our clients, across a range of media and digital marketing services.

We’re not the biggest agency in town. So rather than outsize our competitors we must outsmart them. That’s why we’ve built the strongest strategic capability of any agency in the market. Core to this strategic capability is an obsession with culture and how brands can harness the power of culture to connect with audiences, move beyond being a mere ‘brand’, to genuinely connect and become part of the fabric of our audience’s lives.

ROLE OVERVIEW: 

This is a 12 month Fixed Term Maternity Cover role to act as an Associate Director in our CAM team (Client Advice and Management).

With a passion for problem solving and the personal drive to go the extra mile to exceed client expectations, you will join an exciting team committed to delivering excellence in strategy, service delivery and results in the health and pharmaceutical sector.

With support from the Global Leads (Director & Group Director), you will manage above market campaigns for our global client. Liaising with local market's and agencies to deliver work across multiple projects, including media, project management, measurement and creative team management. Campaigns will be delivered in a regulated environment, targeting general public as well as highly regulated HCP focused awareness campaigns

As the primary point of contact, you will be responsible for managing the day-to-day client relationship with multiple stakeholders from various parts of the client business, helping to position Initiative Health as a key business partner. You will work closely with internal teams to ensure work is being delivered on schedule and with exceptional quality.

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Responsible for the day-to-day leadership of assigned accounts, delivering account stewardship to account team, agency regional teams and clients.
• Ensure the different disciplines and respective discipline leads working on assigned account work to one aligned vision and brief.
• Ensure everyone working on assigned account is producing high-quality work that is fully aligned with the client’s brief, priorities, business and marketing targets and other mandatories.
• Develop full immersion into the assigned clients’ business, industry, competitors, priorities as well as marketing and business ambitions and act as a confident consultant and partner to senior client contacts in discussing briefs, priorities and workstreams.
• Build strong working relationships with day-to-day clients, partner agencies and key CAM counterparts in local market agency teams and ensure regular alignment about client projects and priorities.
• Take holistic responsibility for the steering of the client briefing and planning process and ensure that critical thinking is applied in all work and deliverables for the client.
• Oversee the creation of robust project timing plans and ensure their implementation for the timely delivery of projects.
• Work closely with internal stakeholders to establish and implement solid operational excellence frameworks, including tools, process documentation, operating manuals and financial/invoicing tracking.
• Organise and lead key client meetings including managing of internal and external participants.
• Attend regular update/status meetings with clients and agency stakeholders. Support the CAM team during sensitive client conversations and escalate any issues as appropriate.
• Build, negotiate and create scopes of work (SOW), staffing plans and work closely with commercial teams and local markets to create solid, profitable commercial agreements.
• Proactively identify potential areas of organic revenue growth (out of scope projects, new markets, cross-IPG opportunities) and convert these opportunities.
• Supervise a team of internal stakeholders, provide supervision of day to day delivery and ensure client work is delivered on time and to the highest possible quality standard.
• Provide support and coaching for more junior staff on a day to day basis to support their work and elevate the quality of their delivery.
• Drive a team to deliver against client KPIs
• Push for innovation in client work at every stage, doing things better than previously achieved
• Have a deep understanding of all Initiative Health services, and the ability to sell-in and run campaigns across all services
• Leading presentation skills to client and colleagues alike
• Attend to detail to ensure projects and client deliverable run on time

QUALIFICATIONS & COMPETENCIES

• Proven ability to develop and maintain strong professional relationships with clients, colleagues and vendors
• Experience in Marketing and/or Advertising and Media, ideally gained in an agency setting
• Experience within Healthcare, amongst HCP and DTC campaigns
• Ability to drive projects from conception to completion; project management experience
• Strong commercial acumen

Employee Transparency

At IPG Mediabrands, we celebrate difference and believe this makes us stronger. IPG Mediabrands are equal opportunity employers and committed to championing an inclusive culture that provides a sense of belonging for all our employees. We do not discriminate against any applicant based on age, disability, race, colour, ethnicity, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, belief, marital status or any other characteristic protected by law.

Please reach out to our Talent Inclusion Specialist Jess at [email protected] if you would like to have a confidential conversation regarding any adjustments that would ensure our recruitment process is accessible for you. Please note requesting a reasonable adjustment will not affect your application.

The Perks

We aim to provide all our people with a supportive and fun work environment where you can develop your full potential and benefit from the broad range of opportunities within the agency. When you join us, we want to make sure you feel valued – and that you are rewarded for your fantastic work. So, we also offer a range of benefits:

• Flexi–leave, with 25 days annual leave to be taken as minimum. In addition to your holiday entitlement, the office usually closes between Christmas & New Year
• Free breakfast and free lunch
• Early finish Fridays
• Core Hours (Mon-Thurs, flexible start/finish times)
• Retail discounts
• Electric vehicle salary sacrifice car scheme
• Wellbeing programme, including Headspace & flu jabs
• Interest free season ticket loan
• Paid time off for Volunteering
• Group Income Protection
• Life Assurance
• Private Medical Insurance or Health Cash Plan (dependent on level)
• Group Personal Pension Plan with matched contributions from 3-6%
• Generous Parental Leave & Pay
• Independent mortgage advice
• Financial education
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Free eye tests
• Flexible benefits including Dental, Travel insurance, Cycle to Work, Gym Discounts and many more!