| Description |
A leading medical communications agency has an opportunity for an Account Director.
Overview:
This is a large agency with an environment in which enthusiastic and ambitious people thrive. Their 50-strong medical communications team are dedicated to the delivering scientifically sound, yet innovative medical education and PR activities. The initiatives they develop and deliver span the total communication spectrum from Phase II to post launch at both a global and UK level.
Overall Purpose:
- Responsible for overall direction and momentum of pre-specified accounts, and all associated programmes.
- Responsible for ensuring all programmes meet Clients’ marketing and communication needs.
- Responsible for ensuring programmes reflect the Company’s quality of service provision.
- Responsible for maximising profitability of programmes, in terms of appropriate use of internal resources (Client Services and Operations), and appropriate billing of fees and costs.
- Responsible for maximising motivation and development of line-reports and programme team members, and for pastoral management of line-reports.
- Demonstrate leadership and exemplify the company’s core values of ethical and moral practice, honesty, integrity, openness, friendliness and professionalism in order for others in the organisation to understand, empathise and adopt these principles fully.
Responsibilities:
Team Management:
- Empower team members to achieve agreed personal goals/objectives through the implementation of appropriate programme activities.
- Ensure effective appropriation of team members’ time on and across different programmes/projects, in light of financial and personal development considerations.
- Engender team spirit and take collective responsibility for team successes as well as issues, managing the latter fairly and sensitively with individual team members.
- Make recommendations pro-actively to senior management on any staffing issues.
Client Management:
- Provide key strategic counsel to the Client by:
critically reviewing market environment, commercial and marketing objectives as well as product performance on an ongoing basis
maintaining constant vigilance in relation to the programme strategy, both in relation to the implementation of current projects but also in the medium to long-term
providing added-value thinking at a strategic level, challenging Clients as and when appropriate
regularly reviewing proposed and approved communication activities to ensure that they ‘fit’ with agreed strategy and budgets.
contributing to Client marketing strategy and brainstorming meetings.
- Manage Clients’ expectations so that unreasonable demands are not agreed to and that any additional work that has not been accounted for within the fee is estimated and billed, as appropriate.
- Ensure that appropriate evaluation processes for programmes/tactics are agreed and consequently implemented and reviewed with the Client, and that an annual appraisal takes place.
- Ensure ongoing vigilance in detecting any potential programme issues and ensure their effective and speedy resolution.
- Maintain an appropriate level of day-to-day contact with the Client and ensure appropriate relationship management strategies are in place.
- Ensure that account team members have an appropriate level of contact with the Client depending upon resources and responsibility, and monitor relationships of junior team members with the Client.
Financial Management:
- Ensure familiarity of financial status of programmes at all times and take ownership and accountability for the financial performance of programmes, relative to the resource utilised.
- Lead on the negotiation of fees with Clients, with the support/back-up of a member of senior management as appropriate.
- Develop financial skills/awareness as an individual and across the team.
Line Management:
- Provide pastoral care and support in a sensitive and caring fashion.
- Identify and define individual training needs and recommend development plans.
- Conduct the appraisal process where appropriate with the relevant line manager.
- Ensure adherence to procedures and processes, being consistent in the adoption of fair and appropriate measures to resolve issues.
New Business Development:
- Explore new business opportunities within existing programmes and with existing Clients, in line with overall Company strategy and in consultation with senior management, developing appropriate strategies to maximise business.
- Contribute to growing new business with potential Clients, in line with overall Company strategy.
Package:
Good salary and bonus. 25 days holiday, pension, healthcare, dental care, childcare vouchers.
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