Global Business Director - Media in London

About Havas Media Group: At Havas Media, we are passionate about helping our clients create Meaningful Brands by reimagining valuable experiences. Our smart thinking around enhancing consumer experiences means we deliver more measurable, meaningful moments between brands and people. We call this Mx (Meaningful Media Experiences); thinking about how we connect consumers to the right content in the right context.

We are based in London’s King’s Cross – one of 24 agencies which make up the Havas Village. As others attempt – and struggle – to integrate and simplify their offer, we continue to pioneer the UK’s only truly integrated model within our King’s Cross Village. We are the only UK Media Agency to share a single building with every other specialist business in our network, all under a single P&L - which means we can draw on broader expertise to create bespoke teams - while boasting a unique and unparalleled entertainment offering through our partnership with Vivendi.

We maximise collaboration and offer our clients a powerful combination of creative, content and media excellence, scale, agility and innovation. This means we can field our very best people and change our shape according to the needs of each client and brief we work with.

The Role We Play – Our Manifesto: Havas exists to deliver our clients with brilliant media, content and data solutions. We’re constantly looking for creative ways to reach the people that matter to our clients’ businesses. Our restless nature means that we challenge what has been done before; question what is being asked of us; and innovate at every opportunity. We uncover evidence to support our thinking and prove our success. We believe in sometimes taking a healthy amount of risks, knowing that we are supported no matter what the outcome.

In the Village, our colleagues are our family; we are only as good as the people with whom we collaborate, and we treat them with the respect they deserve. We believe our people and the way we behave makes us a great partner for our clients, our partners and our colleagues.

Myself as a member of the Havas family:

• I bring my whole self to work and engage with everyone around me.
• I am positive and fun to be around.
• My hand is always up to help and support others.

My relationships with my colleagues, clients and media partners:

• I am respectful of everyone and always do what I say on time.
• I give constant feedback and receive it willingly.
• I genuinely believe that I am only as good as the people I collaborate with.

My work; I get things done brilliantly and never stop learning:

• I am curious – about my clients, my industry, my colleagues and my areas of expertise.
• I always look for new ways.
• I am an expert and always have a point of view.

Job Summary: The Global Client Service team is seeking an exceptional Global Business Director to act as the senior operational and client leadership partner across the account. This role requires the highest degree of leadership, independence, and commercial maturity. The Business Director must be capable of hitting the ground running and operating autonomously as the de facto second‑in‑command, with accountability for day‑to‑day stewardship of the client relationship, team performance, and delivery excellence.

Role Overview: The Business Director leads client relationships and account operations end to end, ensuring the quality, effectiveness, and value of all output across client service, digital and strategic teams, and specialist non‑core services. You will set the standard for operational excellence, strategic rigor, and delivery discipline while fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and growth.

As the senior client lead, you are fully accountable for the stewardship, planning, and execution of central projects and workstreams, ensuring deliverables are strategically aligned, delivered to exacting standards, on time and within budget.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and own senior client relationships day to day, acting as the trusted, primary partner for all stakeholders.
• Serve as the autonomous senior lead and second‑in‑command on the account, with full accountability for decisions, delivery, and outcomes.
• Provide end‑to‑end leadership of one large or multiple complex global accounts.
• Oversee all projects and workstreams, ensuring strategic alignment, delivery excellence, and commercial performance.
• Drive operational excellence through strong governance, clear ways of working, and consistent global standards.
• Set and enforce quality standards across all markets, disciplines, and deliverables.
• Build, lead, and inspire high‑performing, cross‑functional and cross‑market teams.
• Shape account operations through deep understanding of the client’s business and objectives.
• Own account growth and profitability, actively identifying and delivering organic growth opportunities.
• Contribute to overall agency growth through cross‑selling and participation in new business efforts.
• Oversee the development and execution of global communications and media strategy, ensuring strong local market performance and optimisation.
• Develop and grow talent, supporting team performance, progression, and long‑term capability on the account.

Requirements & Experience:

• Extensive client services experience within a media agency, managing complex, high-value accounts.
• Proven ability to build and lead senior client relationships, operating as a trusted strategic partner.
• Strong commercial acumen, with experience driving account growth, profitability, and performance.
• Demonstrated leadership of high-performing, cross-functional and cross-market teams.
• Deep understanding of integrated media and communications strategy, with excellent delivery and operational management skills.

Here at Havas across the group we pride ourselves on being committed to offering equal opportunities to all potential employees and have zero tolerance for discrimination. We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome applicants irrespective of age, sex, race, ethnicity, disability and other factors that have no bearing on an individual’s ability to perform their job.