Client Manager in Reading

Company Overview

Hudson Sandler is an award-winning, strategic communications and sustainability consultancy that enhances and protects reputations through integrated communications. We advise clients ranging from global leaders and emerging market stars to privately-held growth businesses. Our integrated strategic communications services help businesses navigate the constantly changing communications landscape and build closer, more trusted relationships with stakeholders. With offices across London, Nairobi, Lagos and Tashkent, we are one integrated team with one shared culture of excellence. We draw on the diversity of thinking and knowledge across our business to deliver the best possible outcomes for our clients. Our work is inspired by our values of being curious, thoughtful, collaborative, passionate, humble and fun.

Job Purpose

The Client Manager will act as a trusted advisor and project manager to ensure the smooth and effective delivery of all projects and campaigns, to time and on brief. Forging strong relationships both internally and externally (with clients and the media), they are the trusted day-to-day contact across their client accounts.

Key Tasks and Responsibilities

• Client Activity

• Know the detail and current status on all major account projects to ensure optimum delivery and a proactive grasp of the account service required.
• Understand each client’s business and brand priorities.
• Deliver all day to day activity – client and press requests, analyst meeting set up etc.
• Inform the team regarding key competitor activity.
• Use insight tools to monitor media and relevant industry/analyst comment on a regular basis.
• Be able to critique or defend work and ideas in relation to strategy – have a view.
• Build strong relationships with clients and account teams.
• Liaise directly with client/advisers as needed and manage expectations.
• Consider, design and execute new initiatives and events as required – be creative.
• Deliver promptly and accurately ensuring your team has the same standards.
• Be the hub of communication – circulate information in a timely manner, both internally and to clients.
• Delight clients by doing something of value, unasked for - build client confidence.

• Research and write press releases.
• Start to provide comment and insight on draft releases and presentations with the guidance of the Client Director/Associate Partner.
• Start to generate creative programmes and campaigns supported by strategic planning.
• Embed creative research in day to day activity.
• Develop social media calendars as appropriate.
• Collate analyst feedback.
• Write feedback reports for Client Director sign off (as appropriate).

• Deliver work that is on time and on brief with all required set up and information - including any company wide projects e.g. industry dinners.
• Raise early warning flags as needed.
• Build influence through results.

• Take pride – be flexible – be organised – be responsible – be honest.

• Have an excellent understanding of how media, key sector trade titles, online and broadcast media operate.
• Build great press relations, at company desk and Editor level; senior journalist relationships key adviser contact.
• Set up press meetings / briefings for clients as required.
• Ensure any key media activity is promptly communicated to all relevant stakeholders internally and externally – set the standards.

• Support new business efforts by targeting new business opportunities both for own client portfolio and new possibilities.
• Assist in new business projects and take an active role in the pitch process as needed.
• Proactively start to network to build contacts amongst key audiences and represent the Hudson Sandler brand.

• Embed the use of insight tools, such as Cision and Brandwatch, in day-to-day client, media and new business activity.
• Effective use of insight tools to support desktop research of market intelligence to inform a brief.
• Effective use of insight tools for client and sector monitoring.
• Write Boolean search strings in Brandwatch.
• Use Brandwatch to research a sector or audience to inform insights.
• Use all research avenues to validate a hypothesis.
• Able to interpret research effectively.
• Effective measuring and reporting of earned media analytically.
• Able to generate creative tactics to inform communications campaigns/programmes.

What we offer you

• Time to rest and recharge - 25 days holiday a year (plus your birthday day off), increasing by 1 day per year after 3 years’ service up to a maximum of 30 days.
• Company pension scheme.
• Life Assurance 4 x salary.
• Company-funded private health insurance through Vitality, including lots of additional discounts on health and leisure products.
• Work from anywhere week.
• The opportunity to swap 3 bank holidays for another religious day of celebration.
• 4 fully paid volunteering days a year.
• Season ticket loan scheme and cycle to work scheme.
• Employee Assistance Helpline.
• Enhanced maternity & paternity leave.
• Breakfast and daytime snacks including cereals, toasts and spreads, bagels and much more.
• Weekly office drinks and monthly all staff social events catering to different interests.

We’re committed to providing equal opportunities for all regardless of age, gender, marital status, race, religion, ethnic or national origins, sexual orientation or disability. We’re particularly keen to receive applications from those underrepresented in our workforce.