Experiential Senior Account Director in London

Working Pattern: 4 days in London Office (Liverpool St Stn & Moorgate Stn 2 mins walk) 1 day WFH.

Highjam Marketing is a dynamic Brand Activation Agency that partners with leading FMCG, Tech, Leisure, and Travel brands to create impactful campaigns, including Roadshow Tours, Product Sampling Activations, Events, Product Launches, Sales Campaigns, and PR stunts. With over 17 years of experience, HIGHJAM has built a reputation for designing engaging brand experiences that resonate with both established brands and innovative start‑ups. Every campaign is tailored to maximise impact, ensuring memorable face‑to‑face interactions and fostering meaningful connections with the target audience. Joining HIGHJAM means being part of a thriving team during an exciting period of growth. The agency is securing projects at an impressive pace and has new opportunities on the horizon.

Overview of Job Role

Organising and running all aspects of the Account Team (potential to add temporary and permanent support during the term of the contract). The Snr Account Director should strive to create and deliver best in class on all projects, ensuring quality and high client service at all times. Ensuring all campaigns are delivered on time by the team and all KPIs achieved. To develop and grow each client with the support of their team and Company Directors. To ensure high levels of communication between Highjam and the client at all times. The Snr Account Director should behave as a role model to all line reports and colleagues, supporting them on their career development and working as part of the Senior Highjam team to lead and inspire. They should be able to think both commercially and creatively. Have good project management and problem solving skills and be able to manage budgets and financial systems. They should have at least 4 years of experience working agency side in Experiential, Shopper, Promotional Marketing sectors to ensure they can bring valuable experience to the team.

Responsibilities

• Liaise with clients, manage and create strong relationships.
• Propose proactive ideas to clients and respond to inbound requests from clients.
• Create campaign proposals and budgets to a high standard.
• Ultimate responsibility for all elements of live campaigns within the Account Team.
• Oversee budgets up to campaigns budgets of c.£500k.
• Oversee annual campaigns c. £2m p.a.
• Being line manager for a team of 6+.
• Managing workload for 6+.
• Lead by example; demonstrate best ways of working.
• Be able to coach and train team.
• Train team on best practice.
• Able to manage HR issues and deal with them effectively.
• Conduct reviews, set objectives, review objectives and give constructive performance feedback.
• Conduct weekly status meetings with the team.
• Manage workloads as required.
• Day to day liaison with partner agencies in other European countries as part of our membership of European Activation Agencies Network.

Client Development

The candidate’s primary role is to oversee client relationships, drive proactive initiatives and to grow client spend. Some client relationships will be owned solely by the candidate, with others via other members of the team. The candidate must still gain a relationship with these clients to ensure they are involved in all non-project communication at all times.

• Identifying opportunities to create more value or revenue with all clients under their management.
• Take lead on client growth and proactive proposals.
• Look for ways to cross‑fertilise activity across multiple clients to generate added value for client and additional revenue for Highjam.
• Hold key relationships with clients.
• Ensuring the team create and maintain their relationship with client.
• Being the client’s ‘right hand person’ for all aspects of the campaign.
• Provide valuable and insightful campaign feedback.
• Use information to identify opportunities for future.
• Ability to lead or influence client’s decision by ensuring solid opinion and robust recommendations.
• Managing client’s expectations effectively.
• Generating and presenting creative solutions to meet client’s business objectives.
• Gain strong knowledge of your client’s business and sector (e.g. FMCG/ Media sector etc) and consumer trends to propose strategic and relevant ideas.

Project Management

Whilst the team will be responsible for their individual projects it will be the candidate’s ultimate responsibility to ensure they are delivering to KPIs and work to the standards expected by the Highjam Board.

• Train, brief and manage the team to complete objectives for projects and meet KPI’s.
• Ensure team meet deadlines and report to client by agreed day/time.
• Ensure quality of all client facing documents before they are sent to client.
• Checking team’s work.
• Ensure documents are in clear and easily understood format.
• Conduct weekly status meetings.
• Be fully up to speed on team workloads, managing their priorities to deliver project KPIs.
• Drive project debriefs and post campaign learning sessions with the team and the wider agency after all projects – put any learnings into action.

Budget & Finance Management

• Generating competitive client budgets.
• Ensuring we are providing value to clients and achieve the agency GP targets.
• Work with the team to ensure they meet these GP targets and generate additional savings.
• Negotiating financially sensible invoicing schedules with clients, ensuring all forecasting is added to Highjam accounting systems.
• Demonstrate Commercial thinking- smart buying across all projects within your team and the wider agency.
• Ensure the team are managing their budgets and updating Highjam’s accountancy software and systems to ensure aligned at all times.
• Hold regular budget reviews with the team.
• Reconcile and close jobs with the team once campaigns are fully complete.

Supplier Relationships

• Ensure we are using the best in the business.
• Always looking to make new connections with suppliers and partners to ensure we are offering the best and most competitive service to our clients.
• Supplier negotiation: Work to negotiate best rates, service, and quality with suppliers – either directly or via the team.

New Business & Marketing

• Attending networking events and representing Highjam.
• Creating relationships with new clients and potential clients and adding contacts into the sales funnel.
• Presenting introduction ‘creds’ to new clients or new contacts within existing clients.
• Generating and presenting proposals and quotes for new client briefs.
• Proposing new marketing ideas and initiatives for Highjam.
• Team player; able to lead a team, willing to pitch in and take ownership over projects.
• Take lead on training initiatives and other internal projects.
• Not afraid to make decisions and motivate a team.
• Highly personable; Provide motivation for the Highjam Team.
• Be the ‘Face of Highjam’ at industry events eg AIA (mainly online).
• Creating relationship with clients and look for opportunities to socialise with them.
• Organized with an eye for detail; able to prioritise effectively and provide best in class work from budgets to proposals, contracts and agreements.
• Tenacity; absolute essential - never say never.
• Thinking outside the box to realise objectives and deliver creative campaigns.

How to Apply

If this sounds like the perfect fit for you, we’d love to hear from you! Join Highjam and be part of a passionate team that’s making a real impact in the world of experiential marketing. Apply now and help us create unforgettable brand experiences!

Seniority level: Director

Employment type: Full-time

Job function: Sales and Business Development

Industries: Advertising Services