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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and innovate within the Sport team, driving growth and creative campaigns.
- Company: Join M+C Saatchi, a leading agency connecting brands with consumers through sport and entertainment.
- Benefits: Enjoy 27 days holiday, private healthcare, and a supportive work culture focused on diversity.
- Why this job: Be part of an award-winning team shaping industry-defining work that resonates culturally.
- Qualifications: Seeking strategic leaders with strong communication skills and a passion for culture.
- Other info: Work in a collaborative environment with opportunities for personal and professional growth.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 84000 £ per year.
M+C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment are looking for a Director to join our industry leading Sport team. This is an exciting opportunity to drive continued growth in the department responsible for supporting the Managing Partner across: the commercials, the team, the work and the cultural impact.
You play a pivotal role in shaping and driving innovative work that pushes the boundaries and is industry defining. Your deep understanding of global cultural trends, consumer behaviour, and passion points across Sport & Entertainment will enable you to lead multidisciplinary teams in crafting compelling narratives and campaigns that connect brands to consumers through the things they love, in authentic and meaningful ways.
You are a leader with a strategic mindset, exceptional communication skills, with a passion for culture and fostering creative and inclusive work environments.
About The Role:
- You will be responsible for driving the continued growth of our Sport department across Sport & Entertainment clients, leading commercials, the team, the work and the agency.
- The Commercials: As a Director you will contribute to the commercial success of the Sport department, playing a key role in the commercial success of the business, which includes:
- Achieving financial targets and goals
- Procurement and progression of new business leads
- Growing your client workstreams through incremental growth, spotting opportunities and proactively chasing them
- Leading responses on client briefs to success
- Negotiating rates and payment structures that are financially efficient
- Tight management of scope delivery, dealing with hour overages with clients and ensuring your projects are not operating at a loss
- Monitoring team performance and analysing data to provide actions to any team members under-utilised or overservicing
- Managing budgets and financials on your accounts, ensuring projects are delivered within scope and on budget
- Ensuring finance processes are adhered to and commercial paperwork is completed promptly and in line with audit and internal regulations
- Ensuring your POs are approved and on time from clients
- Working with other Directors to find staffing efficiencies and solutions that benefit the commercial success of your campaigns
- Overseeing the Sport team and division alongside our Directors across line-management, recruitment and facilitating work
- Mentoring and guiding team members, fostering a culture of creativity, collaboration, and continuous learning
- Keeping your team close-knit, engaged and highly motivated
- Pre-empting and trouble-shooting any team issues
- Maintaining a good retention rate to ensure client stability, department efficiency and to maximise the benefits of long-standing tenure
- Providing clear direction, feedback, and support to help team members achieve their professional and personal goals
- Promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within your team and the agency, encouraging diverse perspectives and ideas.
- Socialising and close relationship building with clients to support retention, growth and prospecting
- Nimble and personalised approach to clients, leaning into who they are and how we can ensure a long-term relationship with them
- Providing first-class counsel and strategic and creative oversight across the work
- Maintaining standards of output and assuming responsibility for the work your team delivers, ensuring best in class work across all deliverables- keeping our standards high and teams accountable
- Driving industry-defining work to ensure our campaigns are celebrated and talked about
- Assuming accountability for KPIs
- Having periodical transparent conversations with clients around reviews/performance to pre-empt and address any issues early on
- Having a prominent voice across the business as a leader of the company
- Working collaboratively with other offices and teams and encouraging your teams to work in a collaborative and integrated way, while celebrating their specialisms
- Representing the business internally, working with other parts of the group to work towards overall growth plans
- Representing the business externally, via industry events, trade press, networking and profile work
- Maintaining the utmost professionalism and discretion as an ambassador of the agency, keeping agency information private and confidential and maintaining the integrity of the business
About M+C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment: M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment is ‘the’ Passions Agency – we create brand impact through the things people love, forging authentic connections between brands and consumers through their love of sport, entertainment, and culture. Our clients include, adidas, Ballantine’s, Barclaycard, Barclays, Jameson, Heineken, Kia, LEGO and Unilever. With offices in London, Amsterdam, Berlin, Dubai, Sydney, New York and Johannesburg, a team of specialists deliver the agency’s core disciplines across sport, entertainment and lifestyle, including sponsorship consultancy, rights amplification, PR, branded content creation & experiential production.
Ready to apply: Before you do, make sure to read all the details pertaining to this job in the description below. Our work has been awarded across the board, including seventh-time Agency of the Year at the Sport Industry Awards and two-time large Agency of the Year at the UK Sponsorship Awards. M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment sits within the M&C Saatchi Group. Beyond this, the M&C Saatchi global network spans 23 countries with major hubs in the UK, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Asia and Australia.
What You'll Get: For the right candidate, we will offer a competitive salary and benefits package which includes 27 days annual holiday, private healthcare, employer contributory pension, life assurance and income protection. Our commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion sees us offer inclusive bank holidays, learning opportunities around DE&I, targeted mentoring programmes and the opportunity to participate in active Employee Led Networks and associated events. All employee information is kept confidential according to General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Director - Sport (London) employer: M+C Saatchi Group
Contact Detail:
M+C Saatchi Group Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Director - Sport (London)
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with the latest trends in sport and entertainment. Understanding what’s currently resonating with audiences will help you demonstrate your strategic mindset during interviews.
✨Tip Number 2
Network within the industry by attending relevant events or joining online forums. Building relationships with professionals in the field can provide insights and potentially lead to referrals.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare to discuss your leadership style and how you foster creativity and inclusivity within teams. Be ready to share specific examples of how you've successfully managed diverse teams in the past.
✨Tip Number 4
Research M+C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment's recent campaigns and successes. Being able to speak knowledgeably about their work will show your genuine interest and alignment with their values.
We think you need these skills to ace Director - Sport (London)
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights relevant experience in sports and entertainment. Focus on leadership roles, successful campaigns, and any strategic initiatives you've led that align with the responsibilities outlined in the job description.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter should reflect your passion for sport and entertainment. Discuss how your understanding of global cultural trends can contribute to M+C Saatchi's mission. Be specific about how your skills and experiences make you the ideal candidate for this role.
Showcase Leadership Skills: In your application, emphasise your experience in team management and development. Provide examples of how you've fostered creativity and collaboration within teams, as well as how you've mentored individuals to achieve their goals.
Demonstrate Commercial Acumen: Highlight your experience in achieving financial targets and managing budgets. Include specific examples of how you've contributed to the commercial success of previous projects or departments, showcasing your ability to drive growth and efficiency.
How to prepare for a job interview at M+C Saatchi Group
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
As a Director, you'll need to demonstrate your ability to lead and inspire teams. Prepare examples of how you've successfully managed teams in the past, focusing on fostering creativity and collaboration.
✨Understand the Commercial Landscape
Familiarise yourself with the financial aspects of the role. Be ready to discuss how you've achieved financial targets and grown client relationships, as this will be crucial for the agency's success.
✨Demonstrate Cultural Awareness
M+C Saatchi values a deep understanding of global cultural trends. Be prepared to discuss how these trends influence consumer behaviour and how you can leverage them to create impactful campaigns.
✨Prepare for Client Relationship Management
Since maintaining strong client relationships is key, think of examples where you've built rapport with clients. Highlight your approach to personalised service and how it has led to successful outcomes.
