Account Director

This job is with Ogilvy, an inclusive employer and a member of myGwork – the largest global platform for the LGBTQ+ business community. Please do not contact the recruiter directly.

About Ogilvy

Ogilvy has been creating impact for brands through iconic, culture-changing, value-driving ideas since the company was founded by David Ogilvy 75 years ago. It builds on that rich legacy through Borderless Creativity – innovating at the intersections of its advertising, public relations, relationship design, consulting, and health capabilities with experts collaborating seamlessly across over 120 offices in nearly 90 countries. Ogilvy currently ranks as the #1 global agency network for creative excellence and effectiveness by WARC, signifying its ability to deliver creative solutions that drive unreasonable impact for clients and communities. Ogilvy is a WPP company (NYSE: WPP). For more information, visit Ogilvy.com, and follow us on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and Facebook.

Department: Ogilvy One, B2B + B2C

Location: London

Contract type: 12-Month FTC

Full Time/Part time: Full Time

Reporting into: Client Partner

About Ogilvy:

Ogilvy UK has been creating iconic ideas that deliver impact at scale for clients ever since David Ogilvy founded the company in 1948. Ogilvy UK specialises in bringing together brand advertising, customer experience marketing, PR, influence and consulting, all fuelled by Behavioural Science. Our world-class award-winning creative campaigns deliver solutions for clients including Molson Coors (owner of Madrí beer), Valeo Foods UK (owner of Kettle Chips and Rowse Honey), Argos, Mondelēz International, Unilever, TK Maxx and Pernod Ricard.

In 2023, Ogilvy UK celebrated their 75th anniversary and was the most awarded agency in Europe. Ogilvy is home to the largest influencer marketing practice globally, and hosts the world’s biggest festival of behavioural science and creativity, Nudgestock – now in its 12th year.

The Role:

We have a fantastic opportunity for an experienced Account Director to join one of our Top 10 accounts.

Samsung is a high performing team, where everyone plays to their strengths delivering award-winning campaigns. We have developed strong client relationships which spans over 6 years working with their UK B2B, European B2B and European B2C teams on projects that spans Strategy, Creative, Advertising, Channel and Product marketing, Social & Influencer, CRM, Events and Measurement.

There is a need for the person who will take up this role to lead projects from start to finish, including building client relationships, taking responsibility for strategic and creative output as well as all aspects of delivery, including scoping, time management, resourcing, and final outputs.

The role sits within our Ogilvy One experience practice and requires collaboration with the wider Ogilvy capabilities in Advertising, PR and Influence, and Consulting.

In this senior position, you will play a pivotal role in nurturing and expanding client relationships grounded in trust and mutual respect. Your leadership will inspire teams, foster innovation, and orchestrate impactful campaigns. With your finger on the pulse of industry trends, you will drive the evolution of our brand's offerings and seize strategic growth opportunities.

Your expanded role entails ensuring a unified strategy, overseeing execution, and ensuring seamless delivery. Effective communication will be instrumental in cultivating a strong partnership that maximises creative potential and achieves shared objectives. Embracing a culture of agility and innovation, you will optimise processes and champion a continuous improvement mindset.

Your contributions will shape the trajectory of our clients' success and reinforce Ogilvy's position as a global creative leader and their strategic and creative partner. Together, we will fuel business growth while fostering a collaborative, inclusive, and innovative organisational culture.

You’ll be responsible for:

· Leading all aspects of complex projects, keeping the Client Partner informed and seeking support where needed

· Establishing and building relationships internally with Strategy, Creative, Programme Management, Account Management, Design, Multi-media, Tech, Production and Finance as well as other Samsung roster agencies

· Building strong collaborative relationships with middle management clients

· Taking briefs and working with the Client Partner and capability leads to define a project approach

· Leading project delivery, including client presentations, internal WIPs, managing all deliverables aligned with the agreed timeline, resourcing, and final output of deliverables

· Having commercial client conversations around scope change and knowing when to escalate

· Managing all aspects of project processes, from scoping, estimation, timelines, SOW documentation, status reports, meeting scheduling, identifying scope creep, budget tracking to invoicing (Depending on the project remit, you might have support of a Project Director

· Working with and learning about the agency Wider Capabilities –PR, Advertising and Brand, Social and Influence, and Consulting

· Understanding Ogilvy’s process and the overall production landscape

· Leading presentation development with support of senior craft leads

· Understanding client challenges and their business landscape

· Working to anticipate upcoming needs and hurdles and providing ideas to mitigate

· Identifying areas where we can add additional value and work with the Client Partner and capability leads to develop proposals for additional remit

· Developing case studies at the end of projects

· Assisting with the onboarding of new Ogilvy team members and Samsung clients

· Populating regular status reports and talking through projects where needed

You’ll be expected to:

· Be passionate about championing creative excellence in agency work, prioritising meticulous attention to detail and precision in presentation

· Cultivate an environment that encourages the exploration of creative boundaries and visionary thinking

· Adopt an open and adaptable mindset towards industry trends, ensuring our approach remains relevant and fresh

· Foster a creative atmosphere that aligns the client's perspective with the agency's profitability objectives

· Promote diversity and inclusivity to nurture a creative environment that embraces a spectrum of perspectives

· Ideally be interested in tech and developments in AI to inform client campaigns. Stay abreast of examples where technology took a creative idea to the next level

· Stay abreast of the latest developments in creativity, marketing, and industry trends

· Facilitate collaboration and inclusiveness by valuing and integrating diverse viewpoints from team members

· Provide strategic counsel to clients, aligning their goals with effective campaign strategies

· Collaborate in crafting presentations that compellingly showcase the agency's capabilities and expertise

· Keep the team well-informed about relevant project information, current trends and insights to facilitate informed decision-making

· Act as a brand ambassador, embodying and propagating agency values and culture

· Optimise operational efficiency by refining processes, evaluating resourcing against scope and workflows for superior outcomes

We’re looking for someone who:

· Is an experienced AD with at least 4 years’ experience working within an advertising / marketing agency (agency experience essential for this role)

· Is credible and confident to lead and successfully deliver complex projects across diverse platforms and integrated channels, being the client’s ‘go-to’ on all project aspects

· Can quickly on-board new clients (all work is project-based), grasp key client objectives and challenges and take complex client offerings, simplify them and help develop strategic and creative propositions that cuts through

· Someone who likes to make things happen and can help shape great strategy and creative with the support of senior craft leads

· Demonstrates the ability to manage project execution from strategic inception to flawless implementation, ensuring client expectations are met and exceeded along the way

· Is a self-starter, interested in getting close to the client, enjoys developing relationships and can collaborate on the fly

· Can effectively collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure the everyone works to their strengths to drive the success of integrated campaigns

· Works well under pressure – able to navigate changes in client priorities

· Has great attention to detail but also has a helicopter view

· Is super organised and can manage complexity across a range of projects running in parallel

· Is commercially minded, effectively managing project profitability, margin and who can have challenging commercial conversations with clients

· Understands semantics – Samsung is very specific about their brand language

· Has exceptional interpersonal skills to get the best out of diverse teams

· Has a keen eye for incremental revenue opportunities

· Is experienced in crafting presentations and presenting/articulating creative ideas and project approaches to clients. Naturally, someone with excellent verbal and written communication skills

Join our team in the role of Account Director, where you will spearhead impactful creativity and cultivate client relationships on a global scale. Shape campaigns and champion innovation.

How we help you Thrive:   

· 25 days annual leave + 1 Volunteer Day 

· Bupa Healthcare

· Enhanced Maternity, Adoption and Shared Parental Leave

· We have a Flexible Working Model with core working hours: 10am – 4pm

· A 1.5:1 Matching Pension Structure

· Wellbeing and Health: Up to £25.00 per month towards physical or online exercise class membership, Unmind membership, LifeWorks tool and annual eye tests and development budgets and Wellbeing incentives and activities throughout the year 

· Season Ticket Loan and Cycle to Work Scheme

· Life Assurance

At Ogilvy, our people are at the heart of what we do: a creative agency that sparks game-changing ideas across culture and business through collaboration, integrity, and a celebration of self-expression.

We believe in building powerful teams with purpose. This means hiring and nurturing talent across all races, ethnicities, religions, abilities, sexual orientation, and gender identities – and we relentlessly curate transformative initiatives that make our commitment to fairness, and equity a reality.

Our ultimate mission is to leave a positive impact on the world, creating a better future for all, while supporting and uplifting the global communities we serve. This is central to our mantra of Borderless Creativity.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

If you require reasonable accommodation to complete a job application, pre-employment testing, or a job interview or to otherwise participate in the hiring process, please do not hesitate to let your recruiter know.