Account Director – New Business

PROPOSED SALARY RANGE: £50,000-£54,000 (plus LW and eligibility for 20% AdSales bonus) depending on relevant skills, knowledge and experience. The expected salary range for this role reflects internal benchmarking and external market insights. We're happy to discuss flexible working. If you'd like to, please indicate your preference in the application – though there's no obligation to do so now. Flexible working will be part of the discussion at offer stage.

WE ARE BBC STUDIOS. A globally renowned media company borne of the BBC. We make and distribute the world’s most sought-after TV, audio and digital content. Our ambition is to be the home of the most powerful, entertaining, and inspiring stories for people all around the world.

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE: Our BBC StoryWorks Programme Partnerships team is responsible for the creation of award-winning digital series for BBC.com’s global audiences outside the UK. Combining our BBC storytelling heritage with industry expertise, we look deeper into the issues shaping society for organisations leading change. Programme Partnerships is a close-knit, ambitious team seeking an agile, visionary, and results-driven individual - someone who thrives on both personal performance and the collective success of a dynamic, high-achieving team.

WHY JOIN THE TEAM: The Account Director is a highly strategic and creative role, working across the core functions of the Programme Partnerships team to deliver best in class content campaigns, drive excellent commercial performance and contribute to team growth and development. The ideal candidate will demonstrate both commercial acumen and creative flair to deliver standout campaigns that resonate with global audiences and drive measurable value. They will consistently exceed commercial KPIs, contribute to the development of scalable revenue streams, and play an integral role in fostering a high-performing, collaborative team environment.

As a key commercial leader, the Account Director will be responsible for building and managing a pipeline of commercial partners, engaging with senior decision-makers and key opinion leaders across diverse industries to identify commercial opportunities with a primary focus on securing content partnerships, account growth, and repeat business revenue streams. They will work closely with creative and production teams to ensure each campaign not only meets commercial objectives but also achieves creative excellence. Exceptional communication, negotiation, and influencing skills are essential, along with a proven track record in sales or business development, and a history of surpassing ambitious targets. The successful candidate will be intellectually curious, with a genuine interest in current affairs and the ability to distil and communicate complex themes effectively. A strong understanding of digital media strategies and global audience engagement is desired.

YOUR KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND IMPACT:

• Project leadership and end-to-end ownership of the full partnership cycle from initial outreach and pitching to closing, campaign development and account growth.
• Consistent achievement of quarterly and annual activity KPIs and revenue targets, with a strong focus on fostering repeat business opportunities, to support a fast-growing business.
• Ongoing collaboration with the BBC StoryWorks production, research, and creative teams to shape commercial content concepts in line with client goals and audience relevance.
• Management of complex negotiations, redlines, and contractual agreements, liaising with legal, finance, and compliance teams as needed.
• Effective engagement with C-suite stakeholders, industry association bodies, and key opinion leaders with a focus on building long-term relationships.
• Application of insights and data to refine commercial strategy, improve conversion, and inform content development.
• Effective communication to instil confidence in editorial and production colleagues, working collaboratively across the development and production stages of each programme.

YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA:

• Proven experience in a commercial or business development role, ideally in media, publishing, advertising, or branded content.
• Strong track record of hitting and exceeding commercial targets, managing full sales cycles, and closing complex deals.
• Excellent communicator with persuasive skills and the ability to engage senior-level stakeholders across industries, skilled at presenting across different media platforms, both online and in person.
• Strategic thinker with a flair for identifying commercial opportunities and positioning creative solutions that meet client KPIs.
• Experienced in managing long-term client relationships and uncovering repeat revenue potential.
• Strong project leadership skills with the ability to contribute to timely campaign delivery.

DESIRED BUT NOT REQUIRED:

• Able to confidently interpret and communicate complex concepts or themes, with a keen interest in global current affairs and industry trends.
• Able to clearly articulate the craft of writers, filmmakers and designers to both clients and colleagues.
• Strong attention to detail and an ability to interpret data and enact change.
• Great time management and use of initiative, ability to manage multiple projects concurrently and work in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience and proficiency in Salesforce or similar CRM is a benefit, but not essential.
• A collaborative team player who contributes positively to team culture and is motivated by both individual success and team achievement.

Disclaimer: This job description is a written statement of the essential characteristics of the job, with its principal accountabilities, incorporating a note of the skills, knowledge and experience required for a satisfactory level of performance. This is not intended to be a complete, detailed account of all aspects of the duties involved.

Please note: If you were to be offered this role, the BBC will conduct Employment screening checks which include Reference checks; Eligibility to work checks; and if applicable to the role, Safeguarding and Adverse media/Social media checks. Any offer made is conditional on these checks being satisfactory.

Before your start date, you may need to disclose any unspent convictions or police charges, in line with our Recruitment policy. This allows us to discuss any support you may need and assess any risks. Failure to disclose may result in the withdrawal of your offer.

Redeployment: The BBC is committed to redeploying employees seeking suitable alternative employment within the BBC and they will be given priority consideration ahead of other applicants. Priority consideration means for those employees seeking redeployment their application will be considered alongside anyone else at risk of redundancy, prior to any individuals being considered who are not at risk.

Information at a Glance: This is your BBC. At the BBC you can create and innovate in an inclusive environment while contributing to some of the world’s best loved content, and the BBC’s mission to inform, educate and entertain.

Find out more about BBC Studios. Life at BBC Studios: A flexible 35-hour working week with 26 days annual leave (plus bank holidays) and the option to buy an extra five days. Defined pension (up to 10% employer contributions). Caring and parenting support, 24/7 remote GP access, life assurance and accident benefit. BBC Studios is a world leader in operating sustainably both on and off screen. Find out more about BBC Group’s science-based Net Zero targets here. Career development in a values-led purpose-driven culture. Benefits may vary if you are joining on an FTC basis.

Learn more about life at the BBC and our values in our candidate pack. You belong. We have a working environment where we value and respect every individual's unique contribution, so all our employees feel that they can belong, thrive and achieve their full potential. We want to attract the broadest range of talented people to join us. The more diverse our workforce, the better able we are to respond to and reflect our audiences in all their diversity. We welcome applications from individuals, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, religion and/or belief. Find out more about diversity, inclusion and belonging in our strategy below.

Diversity, inclusion & belonging strategy: Disability confident. We are a disability confident employer. If you need to discuss adjustments or access requirements for the interview process, or to carry out this role, please contact us via email and we’d be happy to discuss: reasonable.adjustments@bbc.co.uk