At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead global partnerships and drive transformative growth strategies for Heineken.
- Company: Join a leading agency group collaborating with Heineken, the world's most international brewer.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, dynamic work environment, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Work in a fast-paced, collaborative culture with a focus on operational excellence.
- Why this job: Be at the forefront of media innovation and make a significant impact on a global brand.
- Qualifications: 15+ years in media or marketing, with strong enterprise account management experience.
The predicted salary is between 100000 - 130000 £ per year.
As the Global Client & Operations Lead, you will serve as the architect of the global partnership between our agency group and Heineken - our largest network client. This is a high-profile, executive-level role designed for a visionary leader who can seamlessly bridge enterprise-grade operations with transformative growth strategies. You will orchestrate our global capabilities across media, data, technology, and business transformation, ensuring our operating model evolves ahead of the market to drive measurable business outcomes for Heineken worldwide.
Key Responsibilities
- Strategic Account Management & Client Partnership
- Elevate Senior Relationships: Cultivate trusted, peer-level partnerships with Heineken's global C-suite and senior procurement leaders, acting as a strategic advisor who deeply understands their brand portfolio and commercial ambitions.
- Architect the Growth Roadmap: Design and execute the annual global business plan, translating Heineken's long-term business goals into a concrete roadmap for shared growth and network innovation.
- Commercial & Contractual Governance: Serve as the ultimate custodian of the global client P&L, expertly navigating complex global contracts, driving commercial health, and achieving agreed-upon financial targets.
- Expand Network Footprint: Proactively identify organic growth opportunities, cross-selling and up-selling the agency group's diversified capabilities to expand our strategic footprint within the Heineken ecosystem.
- Operational Excellence & Business Transformation
- Support the Global Hub Model: Champion and optimise the newly established global hub ecosystem, establishing rigorous operational benchmarks to guarantee flawless, centralised delivery and execution.
- Modernise the Operating Model: Drive continuous business and marketing transformation by evolving our cross-border infrastructure, ensuring agility, speed-to-market, and maximum resource efficiency.
- Integrated Solutions Orchestration: Break down internal silos to synthesise capabilities across Media and other dentsu practices, delivering unified, borderless solutions for the client.
- Data & Technology Pioneering: Embed data-driven insights and emerging technology at the core of all client solutions, pioneering next-generation approaches to media optimisation for a highly sophisticated advertiser.
- Leadership, Culture & Influence
- Govern a Borderless Matrix: Direct a high-performing core global team while effectively influencing, inspiring, and aligning local market leaders, regional hubs, and client leads across priority markets.
- Foster a High-Performance Culture: Build a culturally connected, best-in-class global community dedicated to creative clarity and operational precision, consistently driving top-tier Client Relationship (TRR) scores.
- SME Integration: Act as the strategic conduit between specialised subject-matter experts and the core client team, ensuring deep technical capabilities are seamlessly integrated into the broader account strategy.
Key Selection Disciplines & Experience
- Enterprise Account Management: A proven track record of steering multi-million-pound global accounts within a major media or marketing services network, with specific experience managing complex, procurement-led client relationships.
- Transformation-Led Operations: Deep expertise in designing and optimising complex operating models, specifically centralising capabilities via global or regional hubs to drive delivery excellence.
- Matrixed Leadership: Exceptional emotional intelligence and political acumen, with a demonstrated ability to influence senior stakeholders and lead cross-functional teams across a highly matrixed, global footprint.
Experience & Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Advertising, Communications, Business, or related field.
- 15+ years' experience in media, marketing, or communications roles, either client-side or agency-side.
- Strong experience within FMCG, consumer goods, lifestyle, or global brand-led organisations preferred.
- Experience operating within international or matrixed organisations.
Skills & Expertise
- Media & Digital Expertise
- Strong understanding of media planning across global, regional, and/or local markets.
- Deep knowledge of digital media ecosystems and leading global platforms including Meta and Google.
- Experience using data, analytics, and measurement frameworks to drive media effectiveness and optimisation.
- Understanding of media governance, agency management, and operational best practices.
- Stakeholder & Leadership Capability
- Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills across multiple levels and functions.
- Ability to navigate complexity and drive alignment across diverse global markets.
- Excellent communication and presentation skills.
- Strong project leadership and execution capabilities.
Personal Attributes
- Strategic thinker with a proactive, self-starting mindset.
- Agile, adaptable, and comfortable operating in fast-changing environments.
- Collaborative and relationship-oriented, with the ability to influence without authority.
- Passionate about media innovation, capability building, and continuous improvement.
About Heineken
Heineken N.V. is a preeminent global leader in the consumer-packaged goods (CPG) and beverage sectors. As the world's most international brewer and the second largest by volume, the company operates as a highly sophisticated, data-driven global marketer with a commercial footprint spanning over 190 countries. Heineken manages a complex matrix of more than 300 premium, regional, local, and specialty brands.
Global Client & Operations Lead employer: Dentsu
Heineken is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment in London that fosters innovation and collaboration. With a strong focus on employee growth, the company provides extensive opportunities for professional development and leadership within a globally recognised brand. The culture promotes a high-performance ethos, ensuring that employees are not only part of a leading global team but also empowered to drive transformative strategies that shape the future of the beverage industry.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Global Client & Operations Lead
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We think you need these skills to ace Global Client & Operations Lead
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Us Your Leadership Skills:In the corporate leadership and management field, it's essential to highlight your leadership experience. Use your CV to flesh out examples of how you've led teams to success or managed significant projects. We want to see specific instances where your actions made a tangible difference in your previous roles!
Quantify Your Achievements:Numbers talk, especially in management! When detailing your achievements in your CV or cover letter, don’t just say you improved team performance. Instead, say you boosted productivity by 30% over six months through effective strategy implementation. This makes your application pop and shows us what you can bring to Dentsu.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to narrate your professional journey. We’re looking for motivation and a clear understanding of what corporate leadership means to you. Dive into your aspirations and how they align with the values and vision of Dentsu. Make it personal – we want to get to know you!
Tailor Your CV for Management Roles:Ensure your CV reflects the management skills that are essential for this role. Focus on competencies like strategic planning, team building, and problem-solving. Use a clean layout, and don’t forget to align your experiences with those keywords mentioned in the job listing. This will help you stand out from the crowd!
How to prepare for a job interview at Dentsu
✨Showcase Your Leadership Style
You’ll want to thoroughly convey your unique approach to leadership. During the interview with Dentsu, be ready to share real-life examples of how you've inspired and motivated teams in the past. Think about specific achievements that illustrate your strategic thinking and your ability to drive results.
✨Brush Up on Management Theories
Expect some technical questions related to management theories and practices. Brush up on concepts like transformational leadership, servant leadership, or situational leadership. Be prepared to discuss how you would apply these theories to the role at Dentsu, especially in the specific context of the challenges they’re currently facing.
✨Craft Your Vision for the Company
Since this is a full-time leadership role, spending time thinking about your vision for Dentsu could really set you apart. Consider potential strategies for growth and how you would lead teams towards achieving them. This shows not just enthusiasm, but also strategic foresight that they’ll likely be looking for in a candidate.
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