Head of Client Services in London

Salary: Highly Competitive + Performance Bonus

Location: London (Hybrid Working – Minimum 2 Days Per Week in Office)

Reports To: Managing Director

Function: Client Services | Account Management | Commercial Growth

The Opportunity

Our client is a high-growth digital marketing agency partnering with ambitious consumer brands to drive sustainable revenue growth through performance marketing, creative strategy, and customer acquisition. Having established a strong reputation for delivering results, the business is entering its next phase of growth and is investing heavily in the evolution of its client services function. This is a rare opportunity for an experienced Client Services leader to take ownership of a significant transformation programme. The successful candidate will be responsible for evolving the client services team from a traditional account management function into a commercially accountable, strategically driven client partnership model. This is a highly visible leadership role with direct influence over client retention, revenue growth, team development, operational excellence, and overall business performance. The successful candidate will be responsible for building the frameworks, culture, commercial discipline, and leadership capability required to create a best-in-class client services operation.

Key Responsibilities

• Commercial Accountability
• Own revenue retention, account profitability, and commercial performance across the entire client portfolio.
• Lead senior commercial conversations with key client stakeholders, ensuring commercial agreements align with value delivered.
• Identify and address commercial risks including scope creep, over-servicing, pricing misalignment, and margin erosion.
• Create greater visibility around client profitability and account performance across the business.
• Drive a culture of commercial ownership throughout the client services function.
• Support growth initiatives through client expansion, upselling opportunities, and long-term retention strategies.
• Partner closely with leadership teams to ensure commercial objectives are achieved.
• Lead the ongoing transformation of the client services function, implementing a more strategic and commercially focused operating model.
• Design and implement scalable frameworks, structures, and service delivery standards.
• Establish clear ownership, accountability, and operating principles across the team.
• Develop service tiering models and client engagement frameworks that support future growth.
• Ensure cross-functional collaboration between strategy, creative, media, and operational teams.
• Act as the senior change leader throughout a period of significant organisational evolution.
• Balance business transformation with strong cultural leadership and team engagement.
• Lead, coach, and develop senior members of the client services team.
• Create clear progression pathways and succession plans.
• Build leadership capability throughout the department.
• Establish high-performance standards across commercial, strategic, and relationship management disciplines.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, ownership, and continuous improvement.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, and development of future client services talent.
• Hold team members accountable to agreed standards and expectations.
• Client Experience & Relationship Management
• Act as the senior client voice within the organisation.
• Build trusted relationships with senior stakeholders across key accounts.
• Take ownership of the agency's most strategically important and complex client relationships.
• Establish best practice standards for client reviews, business planning, commercial conversations, and strategic account development.
• Ensure clients consistently experience proactive, high-value partnership and strategic support.
• Drive a client-centric culture that prioritises outcomes and long-term relationship growth.
• Act as a senior escalation point when required.
• Operational Excellence
• Build and implement the frameworks, processes, and playbooks that underpin successful client service delivery.
• Establish clear onboarding, escalation, review, and account management standards.
• Develop regular commercial review processes that provide visibility into account performance, profitability, retention, and growth opportunities.
• Partner with operational leaders to ensure resource planning, capacity management, and service delivery remain aligned with business objectives.
• Create systems and reporting structures that enable consistent execution at scale.

Key Performance Indicators

• Client Profitability – the revenue and margin performance of the client portfolio.
• Client Satisfaction – the strength of client relationships and overall quality of service delivery.
• Net Revenue Retention (NRR) – the ability to retain, grow, and maximise value across existing client relationships.
• Team Performance – the development, engagement, and effectiveness of the client services function.
• Service Delivery Excellence – consistency, scalability, and quality of client service delivery across the organisation.

What Success Looks Like

Within 6 Months

• A clearly defined client services operating model has been designed and implemented.
• Team members demonstrate stronger commercial awareness and confidence.
• Greater visibility exists around client profitability and account performance.
• Senior client relationships are proactively managed with minimal leadership intervention.
• The client services team has clear ownership, accountability, and performance expectations.

Within 12 Months

• The transformation programme is fully embedded across the client services function.
• The team operates as strategic client partners rather than reactive account managers.
• Client retention and expansion metrics show measurable improvement.
• A strong leadership layer has been developed within the department.
• Core processes, frameworks, and playbooks are consistently applied across the organisation.

Within 24 Months

• The client services function is recognised as a key competitive advantage for the business.
• Strong succession and leadership capability exists throughout the team.
• Client relationships are deeper, more strategic, and commercially stronger.
• The function operates effectively at scale with clear accountability and consistent execution.

Experience & Skills

• Minimum 5 years' experience leading a Client Services, Account Management, Customer Success, or related function within an agency environment.
• Proven experience building, scaling, or transforming client-facing teams.
• Strong commercial acumen with experience managing account profitability, retention, and growth.
• Experience leading organisational change and implementing new operating models.
• Excellent stakeholder management and relationship-building skills.
• Strong coaching and people development capabilities.
• Experience handling complex commercial discussions and client challenges.
• Strategic thinker with strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities.
• Ability to balance operational detail with long-term strategic objectives.
• Comfortable working with senior leadership teams and executive-level clients.

Performance-related bonus

Pension contribution

Flexible working opportunities

International remote working options

Regular team events and socials

Clear progression and leadership development opportunities

Diversity & Inclusion

Our client is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive. Applications are welcomed from individuals of all backgrounds, experiences, and communities. All hiring decisions are based on skills, experience, and potential.