We are a creative solutions company.

We believe that creativity is the most powerful asset in business today. In an increasingly commoditised world, creativity is the greatest competitive advantage for our clients and their brands. Our ability to create fresh, original, disruptive, transformative ideas comes from a deep understanding of human behaviour. It’s what we bring to every business problem. We call it HumanKind™ thinking. It’s not about customers or consumers; we start with people and their behaviour. And we use all our intelligence, design thinking, digital innovation and customer experience capabilities to shape that thinking into behaviour and business-changing solutions.

We never stand still.

We abide by the belief that “constructive dissatisfaction” is the essence of progress. And the key to building better solutions. It’s in our DNA. Leo Burnett was famous for saying "Let's continue to be known as an agency which spends more time trying to improve its theories rather than defend them."

We started life as an advertising agency, but we’ve completely transformed our business. We embrace technology as a critical enabler of creativity, and we’re continuously innovating to build new services and capabilities that help us deliver amazing solutions for our clients.

We’re looking for an experienced Account Director to lead the day-to-day management of your assigned client’s communication activities. This is a role with scope for producing world-class communicaiton campaigns and thinking for businesses which are already leaders in their industry and respective brand categories. Our approach towards creativity is unique and so we are looking for someone who is keen to work as part of a team who strive to continually raise the bar on the quality of our thinking and ideas.

We’re looking for candidates who are energetic, proactive team players with a can-do approach to the everyday, as well as thrive on delivering creative solutions to business problems. The role will also suit someone with an ability to work autonomously within a supportive team environment and to work effectively with the wider integrated agency team (consisting of strategists/planners, creatives, client managers and producers).

Core responsibilities:

BUSINESS 

• To continually develop an understanding of the client’s business, the industry/category and the market influences on the business and brand(s)
• Deliver strategy and creative solutions that achieves or exceeds the expected results for the client
• Identify opportunities to grow client business or grow the agency’s remit with the client. 
• Work hand-in-hand with Planning and Creative leads to develop best in class creative work
• Know the client’s brand(s), it’s strategic pillars, core objectives and guidelines to ensure all communications are on brand and meet requirements.
• Identifies and leads  proactive initiatives

PROCESS

• ·     Manages the workflow, operational and quality processes within the team and across other agency departments, specifically:
  • Ensuring a high level of creative output
  • Ensuring work is delivered on time and within budget 
  •  Initiating the involvement of the agency specialist skills to deliver integrated solutions
  • Drives measurement and evaluation of all activities
• Full management of financials – budget control, forecasting, invoicing and reconciliations.
• Achieve revenue target for the account/s
• Facilitate meetings and (where required) workshops
• Problem solve on process/operational issues with other department heads
• Ensure team develop Case Studies for key/relevant campaigns upon completion
• Implement results/effectiveness analysis, leading Project or Campaign Retros/PCAs to capture learnings and optimize process.
• Lead and initiative competitive reviews
• Partner with creative to present creative to client

PEOPLE

• Lead and manage junior team members (e.g., Account Executive and/or Account Manager)
• Lead the agency team to ensure efficient running of account(s).
• Manage key client relationships
• Relate to client at all levels (from MD down)
• Manage the involvement of management and senior leaders on the account and use these to aid grow the business or solve issues.
• Update Strategy, Digital and Production teams on client business developments and opportunities 
• Share ideas across account group to help diversify and pick up new approaches
• Support the team by taking responsibility for day-to-day operations of campaigns in progress and provide ongoing feedback to your team
• Collaborative approach: involved in brainstorming, suggesting ideas and solutions
• Ensure each direct report has objectives, Development Plans and continual support 
• Communicate daily with the client on key initiatives

Desired Skills and Experience:

• Negotiation & salesmanship
• Management/ leadership/motivational
• Interpersonal
• Strategic thinking
• Presentation
• Business strategy
• Problem solving ability
• Tertiary qualified in a communications/marketing discipline or with recognised Advertising course preferred
• Must be skilled in Office Suite 

What we’ll offer you:

• Work in one of the world’s most progressive and dynamic modern communications businesses
• Opportunity to work with a diverse workforce where we value all the benefits of harnessing differences for our people, our clients and our business. 
• A committed Diversity and Inclusion and Belonging strategy driven through our Viva! Women, Égalité and First Peoples RAP (reconciliation action plan) programs 
• A creative, fun and rewarding office environment backed up by our Publicis Liberté flexibility approach “working your way, with us!”
• Open environment, where your input and feedback is valued
• Access to employee benefits including –wellness programmes, learning and development opportunities, network events
• Confidential 24 hour support via our employee assistance programme

Leo Burnett, as a part of Publicis Groupe, believes that our people are our greatest asset. Our people are chosen for their personalities, their ethics and professional qualities without any exclusion, preferential treatment or discrimination. We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and do not discriminate by reason of age, gender, gender identity, race, sexual orientation, nationality, religion or disability or any other difference. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals and will provide appropriate assistance for candidates with disabilities or special needs throughout the recruitment process upon request.

Internal reference: REF90895G