Account Director - Brand Experience in Slough

Who We Are

ERA-co is a global place consultancy made up of data scientists, strategists and experience designers who lead transformative strategy to shape cities, neighborhoods and destinations to positively impact the lives of people and the places they inhabit. With offices in New York, Melbourne, Sydney, London and Dubai, our global ambitions have only just begun. Our clients & projects range from branding single residential buildings to positioning and leading experiences of major urban masterplans, mixed-use developments, to globally famous civic places. While the work is diverse, they all start from a singular belief; that transformative placemaking has the power to advance humanity. Our collective operates in the rare space between creativity and consulting. We are assembled into four distinct verticals; Brand Experience, User Strategy, Urban Systems and Productions. Working as one group we are always on the lookout for people who can flex between these disciplines, who are aligned with our brand and passionate about creating sustainable places.

So, Who Are You?

In this role, you will work closely with the ERA-co Brand Experience leadership team to realize our clients’ ambitions and place objectives across Europe and the Middle East. Most importantly, you will position yourself as integral to the growth of the ERA-co brand, demonstrating a clear commitment to achieving results and helping move the business forward.

You thrive on the diversity of the work and the global nature of the business, confidently working across multiple clients, brands, timelines, and deliverables at once. Recognizing that ERA-co is a growing, entrepreneurial business, you’re happy to pitch in, roll up your sleeves, and get involved wherever needed - you’re not afraid of getting your hands dirty.

You quickly earn the trust of those around you. You bring an appetite to learn, contribute, and take ownership. In the presence of ambiguity, you take initiative to gain clarity and create a path forward. You’re able to develop and confidently present a compelling position, with the ability to recognize, support, and champion the strongest ideas - wherever they come from.

While you’re supported by a strong team of strategists and creatives, you’re comfortable engaging in the thinking and contributing your own perspective. You believe that good ideas can come from anywhere in the business, and you’re confident representing the work at every stage.

You have a can-do attitude and take on tasks to get the job done. Client leadership, commercial awareness, and strategic thinking sit alongside an eye for detail as part of your DNA. You drive projects forward autonomously, leading the client relationship and managing scope, timing, delivery, and financials, while working closely with internal teams. You actively listen and proactively spot opportunities to add value to both ERA-co’s clients and internal teams.

You demonstrate strong business sense in support of both ERA-co and its clients. You bring a solid understanding of how to run projects and accounts responsibly - balancing growth with thoughtful management of budgets, resources, and commercial outcomes. You’re equally curious about your clients’ businesses, continually building an understanding of the commercial real estate market, their audiences (whether investors, tenants, or consumers), and the competitive landscape they operate within.

The ERA-co Account Director role requires you to:

• Take end-to-end ownership of projects, ensuring clear scope, timings, ownership, and deliverables, with hands-on oversight of all account management activity from setup through to delivery.
• Operate with a high degree of autonomy, confidently managing both strategic oversight and day-to-day detail, and taking responsibility for progressing work.
• Communicate clearly and effectively with a wide range of stakeholders, from junior client teams to senior decision-makers - including those with deep understanding of brand and creative work, and those encountering it for the first time.
• Drive continuous improvement in how we work, helping to embed practical, scalable processes that support utilisation, productivity, and consistency across the Brand Experience team.
• Build and maintain long-term, trusted client relationships, leading considered conversations across the full life of a project and identifying opportunities for organic growth.
• In collaboration with the Account Management team and ERA-co leadership, plan and manage resourcing and utilisation, aligning project needs with team availability, strengths, and development across multiple regions and workstreams.
• Oversee the commercial and financial management of accounts, including: Approval of estimates prior to project commencement, Establishing clear invoicing schedules at project kickoff, Managing invoice requests and tracking progress through month end, Reviewing monthly financial reporting and supporting the overall financial health of the business.
• Support the contracting process, working with internal legal counsel to manage scopes, approvals, and documentation in line with ERA-co’s standards.
• Confidently articulate a point of view on the work, understanding how strategy, creative, and art direction come together, and supporting the preparation and presentation of work as required.
• Actively contribute to new business and growth, including pitches, proposals, networking, and relationship-building - with a particular focus on growing ERA-co’s presence in the UK.
• Be comfortable prioritising and reprioritising in a fast-moving environment, responding to changing client needs and business priorities.
• Be willing to travel occasionally, sometimes at short notice, in support of client relationships and project delivery across the UK, Europe, and the Middle East.

Your Experience:

• 7+ years experience in a Placemaking, Design, Advertising or Marketing agency/consultancy servicing clients and managing projects of similar output.
• Some exposure to the commercial real estate sector - enough to demonstrate interest and understanding, even if your experience is limited.
• A clear entrepreneurial streak. This might show up through: Building or growing something within a business, Launching a new initiative, service, or offering, Running something outside of work that required ownership, momentum, and accountability.
• Comfort operating in roles where structure is evolving, and success depends on judgment, initiative, and follow-through rather than instruction.
• A genuine curiosity for people, places, and context, and an interest in how brands, environments, and experiences shape behaviour.
• Confidence working across cultures, regions, and time zones, with the flexibility and openness that global work requires.
• An outward-facing mindset - you’re energised by conversation, connection, and ideas, and comfortable representing both the work and the business.
• Understanding of the creative development process from concept to delivery.

How to Apply

Applicants are required to submit an up-to-date resume via our ERA-co Account Director LinkedIn job post. Applications will be treated in the strictest confidence. We do not accept unsolicited resumes or names from agencies. All personal data collected by the Company will be kept confidential and only used for recruitment purposes.

Mandatory requirements: It is an essential requirement that at the time of applying for this position, applicants must have the legal right to work in the United Kingdom.

Alignment with ERA-co Values

We’re a small team with big ambitions. We are committed to building a culture dedicated to personal growth and individual expression. Certain attitudes define how we work and are important in what we seek for our culture:

• HUMAN FIRST – Champion the End User We communicate with clarity, free from jargon, to stay in line with real people. We do not get bogged down in the rhetoric. We uphold placemaking as a deeply human endeavor that belongs as much on the street, as it does in the boardroom.
• PROTAGONISTS – Ask Beautiful Questions We champion those with a point-of-view, rather than judging, ridiculing, or side-stepping those who speak up. We encourage every colleague to ask the hard questions, bring the provocative perspective, and dig for the truth.
• COLLABORATIVE – The Best Ideas are Co-Authored We are high on talent and low on ego. With such diversity of experience and talent, we know the work is sharper and more resolved the more people we invite into the process.
• CURIOUS – Broaden Perspectives Place innovation requires an insatiable hunger to stay ahead of culture. We keep a constant global radar to push through complexity and discover new solutions to the world’s most urgent challenges.
• GRITTY – Preserve for the Sake of Transformative Placemaking We roll up our sleeves and dive right in, driving every problem with passion and gritty determination. It is not about being the smartest in the room, but rather staying the course, fighting for ideas, and seeing the long game through.