Account Director

BRAND: Publicis London
Job Function: Client Management
Location: London, United Kingdom
Experience Level: Specialist
Workplace Type: Hybrid

Company description

We are Publicis London
At Publicis London we have one founding belief - that nothing is more valuable than an idea that Moves The World. We're focused on the absolute best of international creativity: be that British brands looking to export or Global brands requiring a London hub. We want the best talent from around the globe to bring their skills to our agency.

Some of our clients include L'Oréal, Essity, Nestlé, Heineken, Renault/Dacia, Tourism Ireland and many more.

Our values are designed to guide the way we behave. We have three:
Empathy: listen with intent, look out for each other, bust your biases.
Invention: Find inspiration in strange places. Never stop experimenting. Make new things and make them useful.
Action: make it collaborative, make it happen, make it mean something.

Overview

The Account Director plays a pivotal leadership role within the agency, responsible for the overall direction, performance, and growth of client accounts. With a focus on the bigger picture, they ensure projects are delivered successfully while identifying opportunities to expand and strengthen the agency's relationship with the client.

They act as a key bridge between client and agency-creating an environment where high-quality work can thrive through clear briefings, effective resourcing, and strong collaboration. Internally, they foster a supportive and empowering team culture, providing guidance, coaching, and mentorship to help team members grow. Externally, they serve as ambassadors for the agency, building trust and credibility with clients.

Responsibilities

Leadership & Delivery

• Provide clear direction across all account activity, ensuring teams understand priorities, timelines, and objectives
• Lead by example to ensure consistent, high-quality delivery-on time and on budget
• Oversee projects from initial brief through to final delivery, including scoping, resourcing, and execution
• Identify risks early and manage them proactively, including raising change requests where needed

Client Relationship Management

• Build strong, trusted relationships with clients, acting as both their advocate within the agency and the agency's representative externally
• Manage expectations effectively through clear, proactive communication
• Challenge constructively to improve briefs, timelines, and creative ambition
• Lead conversations around project scope, costs, and negotiations

Strategic & Commercial Management

• Maintain a strong understanding of the client's business and market context
• Identify opportunities to grow the account and expand the agency's role
• Ensure financial rigour through accurate forecasting, reporting, and cost control
• Oversee account profitability and ensure efficient use of time and resources

Creative & Operational Excellence

• Champion high-quality, innovative work and inspire teams to push creative boundaries
• Ensure clear, actionable briefs and effective collaboration across departments
• Encourage new ways of working to improve efficiency and output
• Maintain strong technical understanding of relevant channels and know when to involve specialists

Team Leadership & Development

• Mentor and coach junior team members, supporting their development and progression
• Create a positive, resilient team environment, motivating others through challenges
• Foster strong internal relationships, balancing perspectives across departments

Qualifications

This role sits within a dynamic agency team supporting the growth of a major automotive client account. It involves working across a range of campaign types and channels, with opportunities to expand scope and impact.

Success in this role requires:

• Strong project management capabilities, with the ability to lead projects end-to-end
• Confidence working within integrated, multi-agency teams
• Strategic thinking combined with commercial awareness
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• A proactive, solutions-focused mindset with strong organisational ability

The ideal candidate will have prior experience in a creative agency environment and demonstrate leadership potential, resilience under pressure, and a genuine passion for creative work and client success. They should bring energy, curiosity, and a collaborative attitude, alongside a willingness to learn and grow within the role.

#LI-CB2

Additional information

Publicis London has fantastic benefits on offer to all of our employees, full details of which are shared when you join. This includes the classics like Pension, Life Assurance, Private Medical, as well as Reflection Days, Shared Parental Leave, and spans initiatives:

Please check out the Publicis Career Page which showcases our Inclusive Benefits and our EAG's (Employee Action Groups).

At Publicis London, we are proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, and do not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, nationality, religion or belief, disability, age, citizenship, relationship status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other protected characteristic.

We are committed to providing a fair, accessible, and inclusive recruitment process. If you have any access needs - for example, related to disability, neurodivergence, or a health condition - please let us know. We'll work with you to ensure the process works for you. Sharing this information will never impact your application.

Guided by our values, we listen with empathy, uplift each other, take responsibility, and embrace change - building a culture where everyone feels seen, respected, and genuinely included.