Associate Director - Brand, Sports & Entertainment - Burson in London

Who we are:

Burson, part of WPP, is the global communications leader built to create value for clients through reputation. With highly specialized teams, industry-leading technologies and breakthrough creative, we help brands and businesses redefine reputation as a competitive advantage so they can lead today and into the future. When you work at Burson, you are part of a global community of lifelong learners who thrive at the edge of innovation.

WPP (LSE/NYSE: WPP) is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. We unite cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel in a single company – powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open, to help our clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth. For more information, visit WPP.com

For more information visit bursonglobal.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

BURSON BRAND, SPORT & ENTERTAINMENT

The Brand, Sport and Entertainment team is home to some of the world’s best loved sport and entertainment brands including Activision Blizzard, Spotify, adidas, Gillette, Bose and many more. It is made up of sector specialists who live and breathe culture, sports, gaming, music and film. We’re building a vibrant and diverse team, that delivers incredible work for amazing brands at the forefront of culture.

ABOUT THE ROLE

As an Associate Director, you will be a dynamic and commercially astute thinker, creating strategic and innovative solutions for client challenges that yield exceptional results. You will offer insightful and effective counsel to clients, manage expectations, proactively address issues, and ensure seamless execution of all client deliverables.

This role is a rare opportunity to work on a career-defining set of clients that would turn the head of anyone passionate about entertainment.

ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

Activision Blizzard is the world’s largest video game publisher, with titles including Call of Duty, Diablo, World of Warcraft and Overwatch. This role sits across all franchises to provide leadership to day-to-day UK account team and support the Senior Director and Managing Director in running the business to the highest standards. Crucial to this role is an understanding of UK culture including sports, music, and the influencer and creator landscape.

SPOTIFY FC BARCELONA

Spotify is one of our flagship global clients with a number of workstreams dedicated to their communications business. Spotify’s partnership with FC Barcelona has redefined sports sponsorship, with ‘shirt swap’ activations adding the logos of global superstars Drake, Rosalia, Olivia Rodrigo, The Rolling Stones and Coldplay to the iconic shirts. Your role will be to lead PR and influencer activations as this partnership continues to rewrite the book.

TNT SPORTS

TNT Sports is the home of major sports broadcasting in the UK including the Premier League, The FA Cup and Women’s FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, Moto GP, Boxing, Golf and Rugby. This role will lead the UK press office raising awareness of TNT’s exceptional line up of sports rights, pundits and quality content.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

• Client Advisory & Relationship Management: Serve as a trusted strategic advisor to clients, deepening relationships and guiding them to achieve their key business and communication objectives.
• Strategic Narrative & Campaign Strategy: Exhibit strong strategic thinking to craft compelling narratives and multi-channel content strategies that drive value and generate new revenue streams for clients.
• Ideation & Innovation: Lead and facilitate creative brainstorming sessions internally and externally, pitching and selling innovative concepts and campaigns to client partners.
• Delivery & Stakeholder Alignment: Collaborate with key internal and external stakeholders to drive client activity, ensuring projects are delivered on time, within budget, and consistently exceed expectations.
• Sector Growth & New Business: Identify new business opportunities within your sector, contributing to sector plans and taking a leading role in pitch development from ideation through conversion.
• Financial & Resource Oversight: Take ownership of accurate client forecasting, resource allocation, budget management, and over-servicing levels to ensure profitability.
• People Leadership & Mentorship: Inspire, coach, and manage direct reports—implementing SMART career performance plans, supporting junior line managers, and fostering a collaborative, growth-focused culture.
• DE&I & AI Innovation: Champion Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as an active ally, while staying at the forefront of AI tools and role-based applications in alignment with agency guidelines.

EXPERIENCE THAT CONTRIBUTES TO YOUR SUCCESS

• Incredible client service skills, able to stay across multiple workstreams and stakeholders while adding value consistently with your counsel and leadership, based on credibility and reliability
• A passion for, and professional understanding of, the entertainment industry and culture including gaming, music, film, the streaming economy and more. This should include remaining curious about what political and economic factors are impacting our clients and operating with great awareness
• The ability to lead teams – including account teams and specialists – to outstanding creative plans, built on audience insights, cultural understanding, and expertise in what makes for great fame-making brand activity in 2025
• Commercial acumen and financial rigour, able to create and keep track of complex budgets and monitor service levels
• A natural leader able to keep teams motivated and delivering to highest standards during busy campaign periods, feeling a sense of responsibility for your teams’ development and able to spot and deliver training and coaching needs

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