Head of Client Services

The Head of Client Services is a senior leadership role responsible for overseeing the Client Services department, ensuring that the highest level of service is consistently delivered to our clients. This individual will lead a team of client service professionals, develop and implement strategies to enhance client satisfaction, and work closely with other departments to ensure seamless service delivery as part of the senior leadership team.

The role reports to the Managing Director, with a team of client management/account management executives reporting into it. The role is defined as detailed in this document but one for the candidate to make their own by implementing processes and structures that will improve the client facing and internal ways of working which in turn drive growth for the business.

• Leadership & Management: Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing Client Services/Account Management team, fostering a culture of excellence, efficiency and continuous improvement. Set clear performance expectations, conduct regular performance reviews, and provide ongoing feedback and development opportunities. Collaborate with HR in recruiting and onboarding new team members. Maintain an active part of and make a valuable contribution to the company’s management team alongside the other department heads.
• Client Relationship Management: Ensure our clients are “super serviced” and that we maximise revenues, results and minimise client churn by building and maintaining strong relationships with clients, acting as the primary point of contact for escalated issues and complex inquiries. Develop and implement client engagement strategies to enhance satisfaction and retention. Monitor client satisfaction metrics and implement improvements where necessary. Directly manage and service the companies key accounts (with a spend level or potential in excess of £500k pa).
• Strategic Planning & Execution: Develop and execute the Client Services strategy in alignment with overall business objectives. Identify opportunities for process improvements and implement best practices to increase efficiency and service quality. Work closely with other departments, such as Sales, Marketing, and Product Development, to ensure a cohesive approach to client service. Maintain expert market knowledge, keeping abreast of industry trends and developments to ensure the company’s proposition to the market continues to be “cutting edge”. Play an active role in the company’s product and technical development strategies by feeding back market demands/gaps and highlighting opportunities/competition.
• Financial & Resource Management: Manage the Client Services budget, ensuring efficient allocation of resources to meet service goals. Monitor financial performance, identify cost-saving opportunities, and optimise operational efficiencies. Be constantly aware of and make an active contribution to the company’s financial revenue targets.
• Planning, Reporting & Analysis: Ensure the Client Services team’s capability to deliver innovative media planning for the company’s clients, providing backup and support to the sales team to maximise new client wins and existing client retention. Track and analyse key performance indicators (KPIs) related to client satisfaction, service delivery, and team performance, particularly via HubSpot. Ensure all client information is consistently up to date in HubSpot. Prepare and present regular reports to senior management on the performance of the Client Services department as well as client spending analysis and trends together with accurate revenue forecasting information. Utilise data-driven insights to inform decision-making and strategic planning either from company owned products such as DiscoverAI or from key partners/platforms. Ensure market leading client reporting is maintained, developed and enhanced, particularly weekly reporting and robust granular post campaign analysis.
• Service Delivery Efficiency: Consistently meet and/or exceed agreed SLA targets and response/resolution times. Constantly ensure effective campaign management, client service and support. Continually review process improvement opportunities and deliver successful identification and implementation of process improvements leading to increased efficiency and reduced service delivery costs. Effectively manage time and workload, with the ability to prioritise key tasks and to appropriately delegate to direct reports.
• Cost Management: Keep the Client Services department within budget while maintaining or improving service quality.
• Team Management: Oversee the distribution of work to ensure deadlines are achievable. Ensure all direct reports have up to date job descriptions and objectives that are SMART – specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. Hold monthly (or as often as required) 1:1 meetings with direct reports to discuss progress on objectives, challenges, development areas and check on their well-being. Support in the design of relevant training and development plans. Encourage productivity, innovation, creativity and teamwork. Escalate any people concerns to the Managing Director / HR to ensure swift resolution. Ensure people are listened to, motivated, and feel valued. Proactively share and explain industry news and trends, ensuring the teams are always up to date with changes.
• Behaviours & Competencies: Ability to lead, motivate, and develop a high-performing team, ensuring alignment with organisational goals. Proficiency in coaching and developing team members to enhance their skills and performance. Skill in managing conflicts within the team and with clients, ensuring positive outcomes. Building and nurturing long-term client relationships, understanding their needs, and delivering tailored solutions. Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex information clearly and effectively to clients and internal stakeholders. Strong negotiation skills to manage client expectations and reach mutually beneficial agreements. Deep understanding of the industry and the ability to align client services strategies with overall business objectives. Competence in analysing data and using insights to inform strategic decisions and drive continuous improvement. Ability to think creatively and innovatively to solve problems and improve processes. Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, ensuring on-time and on-budget delivery. Skill in identifying inefficiencies in service delivery and implementing process improvements to enhance client satisfaction and operational efficiency. Proficiency in revenue analysis and forecasting, budget management and cost control, ensuring efficient use of resources.