Head of Business Growth & Marketing (Mat Cover) (London)

The Local Growth Director is responsible for the amplification of an accountable Growth practice and discipline in the country. S/He is responsible for articulating the New Business strategy and executing it. S/He manages and coordinates prospecting efforts and leads local pitches.

ABOUT HAVAS. Havas Media Network is one of the largest communications groups in the world, working with the likes of Domino’s, Ocado, Redbull, Bumble, Bethesda, Kia, BBC, Starbucks, Maersk and British Red Cross. Our overarching mission is to make a meaningful difference to the brands, businesses and lives of the people we work with. Working with our clients, our solution is simple: we identify, agree and deliver meaningful media experiences from the five practices within our Network: Arena Media, Havas Media, and Havas Market.

THE ROLE. We are seeking maternity cover for the Head of Growth and Marketing. This role will be a pivotal member of the senior leadership team, responsible for driving the agency's growth through strategic new business acquisition and the development and execution of a growth marketing and prospecting strategies for each media agency brand. You will lead the new business and marketing functions for each agency, including an in-house creative team, fostering a proactive and results-oriented culture. This role requires a strategic thinker with exceptional leadership and communication skills.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Strategic Growth Planning & Implementation: Implement growth strategies for each media agency, ensuring collaboration across all specialist teams – Marketing, Communication, New Business and design.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with internal stakeholders, including senior management/Excom department heads, and cross-functional teams, to foster collaboration and alignment on growth initiatives and media pitches.
• Influencing Leadership: Leverage exceptional influencing skills to align diverse teams and stakeholders, ensuring buy-in and active participation across all levels of the organisation.
• Organisational Excellence: Establish and maintain effective organisational processes to prioritize initiatives, manage resources, and track progress toward growth goals, ensuring accountability and transparency.
• Problem solver: You will have excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Effective Communicator: You’re an effective communicator, with the ability to deliver pitches and presentations to all types of audiences.
• Performance Measurement: Ensure we are measuring what success looks like and have clear KPIs to assess the effectiveness of growth strategies.
• Team Leadership and Development: Lead and mentor a high-performing growth team, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

WHAT ELSE

• You will be accountable for all New Business Pitches across Havas Media Network (Havas Media, Havas Market and Arena Media).
• You’ll manage the growth team (11 in total), developing and supporting the talent within your team (across new business, prospecting, marketing and events).
• You will oversee new business and marketing budgets, and track new business wins, and review performance; conversion rate, and costs.
• You will work closely with the Chief Growth Officer to coordinate and implement new business and launch new marketing initiatives.
• You will oversee each stage of the new business process, with your team, setting strategy and managing the end-to-end journey from RFI/RFP response and pitch execution, support lead generation and related activities.
• You will oversee new business performance standards ensuring all processes are upheld and that these standards are maintained by all who participate in the client acquisition process.
• You will represent as the first point of contact for prospective clients; understanding their needs and objectives and presenting this to the senior team.

EXPERIENCE & SKILLS

• You will be a New Business/Marketing Director with proven skills (minimum of 10 years).
• You will be an expert in helping drive and deliver growth (Pitches, RFI/RFP management).
• You will be able to prove you have previously designed and implemented growth and marketing strategies.
• You will be a self-starter who can work independently, quickly, and accurately across different teams.
• The successful candidate will be a confident writer and be able to show examples of high-quality written work.
• Able to move fast, juggle across projects, efficiently manage timelines and deadlines.