Opportunities at TEAM LEWIS

About LEWIS

The company is an integrated communications agency that has gone from start-up to multi-national in a little over two decades. The company now ranks in the top 40 agencies worldwide and has 24 offices. Its success is due to a combination of factors: talented people delivering award winning campaigns; expanding client relationships into new markets or services; making strategic acquisitions. The agency, its people and client campaigns have won many prestigious awards, including Cannes Lions, Holmes Report, ICCO, PRCA and European Excellence.

Purpose of the role

The Associate Director is a senior position providing leadership to the account servicing team. This person will work as an integral part of the senior management team to ensure that their office delivers a profitable, creative and forward-thinking client service. They are responsible for meeting client expectations and ensuring the client is kept fully up to date with critical activity on the account. In addition they are responsible for developing that relationship by identifying and selling additional services, directly impacting revenues and income.

Key responsibilities and tasks

New Business

• Leads the new business process in collaboration with the local and regional leadership team, making key decisions and playing a crucial role in selling LEWIS credentials throughout the tender process
• Lead credentials and pitches for top tier clients, developing the insight, messaging and creative concepts
• Identifies and nurtures new business prospects   

Client Management

• Plays an integral role in the local senior management team, ensuring account profitability and optimising the impact of revenues on the business
• Demonstrates an ability to grow client revenues, in line with the profitability of accounts.
• Takes a proactive approach to upselling services/projects and increasing retainer budgets
• Directs and manages strategic relationships with the client, providing insight and counsel across  all aspects of the marketing and communications spectrum
• Takes responsibility for ensuring excellent client communication at all levels; defining KPIs, deadlines and service agreements
• Delivers an added-value consultancy and works closely with clients to direct campaigns and introduce services and products across traditional and emerging communications channels

Media relations

• Oversees the creation of media opportunities by the team in line with wider industry activity
• Shares detailed knowledge of the media landscape with team members, operating as a significant contributor in the tech / digital / consumer space both at LEWIS and in the wider industry
• Utilises their own and team’s networks to create and maximise client coverage, advising on potential narrative, storytelling and thought leadership opportunities
• Drives an understanding of current affairs across the LEWIS office by promoting a commitment to understanding the news agenda

Content

• Oversees the creation of high quality and engaging content, providing knowledgeable quality control and guidance to all relevant colleagues
• Works with the client to develop and implement an impactful content strategy, delegating responsibilities to direct and wider team members where possible
• Works with content specialists to improve own and others knowledge of content trends, driving a commitment to excellent story-telling across the business

Digital / Social media

• Actively promotes the use of digital products internally whilst developing the uptake of services offered by LEWIS, including specialist solutions provided by the digital team
• Uses social media to recognise trends and proactively promotes new tools, solutions and processes to continuously evolve and optimise client PR campaigns across the business
• Provides social media insight as well as strategic management of client activity
• Works collaboratively with the digital team to increase the utilisation and selling of digital services

Team working and development

• Takes overall leadership responsibility for the account team, including coaching, supervision, assessment and reviews of all team members 

• Sets strategic team objectives on a weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual basis 

• Defines deliverable client objectives and sets standards of excellence for all client activity, driving commitment from all levels of the team
• Monitors team activity levels against budget, increasing fees and negotiating with clients and suppliers where necessary
• Plays a leading role in the new business process, project managing pitch teams and delivering credible solutions to new business challenges
• Acts as leader in guiding colleagues on how to best manage campaigns and projects
• Acts as a respected line manager, working closely with line reports to maximise strengths, improve weaknesses and support career development
• Works with the Talent team to recruit high calibre candidates into the team and develop and initiate hiring strategy in line with projected organisational requirements
• Works with the HR team to reward, retain and develop the team and resolve any performance issues, offering suggestions and improvements for the benefit of the wider local team

Reporting and analysis

• Ensures profitability on all accounts and effectively manages budgets
• Understands and maximises the impact of client revenues on the business
• Communicates account performance internally and provides strategic advice to the client based on measurable analysis
• Monitors and reports back on account KPIs and ensure accurate reporting by junior team members
• Provides detailed reports to the senior management team on request

General

• Runs and supports training sessions, with a view to maximising opportunities to expand team skills and grow revenues
• Takes a proactive role in promoting the LEWIS brand, its identity, values and work
• Supports the HR / talent team by promoting both internal and external opportunities at LEWIS across social media and via the referral scheme
• Maintains a detailed and up-to-date knowledge of competitors activities
• Overall, acts as a guardian of best marketing practice

About you

• Highly commercial, with strong strategic client consultancy skills

• Relevant experience of working in a B2B, corporate, consumer or digital communications agency environment at an Account Director, Senior Account Director or Associate Director level
• Well versed in social media and the integration of digital marketing into the PR landscape 
• A track record of retention and the profitable growth of existing accounts
• Considered, assertive and influential; a strong leader with the skills and aptitude to develop and motivate a team
• Able to provide consultancy on PR requirements as well as broader marketing strategy
• Demonstrable success at securing new business and increasing client revenues

This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of the responsibilities for this role. Other responsibilities may be added from time to time.

LEWIS is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating and fostering an environment focused on equality, empowerment and respect. We strive to create an inclusive workplace that supports and celebrates our diversity. We continue to invest in our efforts to ensure that LEWIS is a place where everyone can thrive.