Account Director in Slough

Part of the IPG Health network, McCann Health London is one of the most awarded healthcare communications agencies. We are guided by our founding philosophy, Truth Well Told, and united by one vision: to help our clients’ brands and businesses play a meaningful role in people’s health. We combine science, creativity and strategy to deliver best-in-class services to some of the world’s top, as well as emerging, health and wellness brands. We do this by challenging convention and bringing to life smart, creative ideas that push boundaries and leave the world a healthier place than we found it.

In recent years McCann Health London has been named European Health Agency of the Year at the London International Awards, won Grand Prixes and Golds at Cannes Lions and featured in AdWeek’s Top 25 global campaigns.

Purpose of the role

Working closely with Business Unit Lead, you will lead the strategic development of the brand/s to deliver engaging and creative work for our clients, building strong partnerships with clients and delivering inspiring leadership for the team.

You’ll be a success if you have experience of:

• Client Management/Relationships
  • Build and maintain excellent relationships with clients.
  • Be a lead client point of contact on designated accounts.
  • Start to cultivate relationships with senior clients.
  • Act as a strategic client business partner, becoming their trusted advisor.
  • Understand and be able to navigate client internal stakeholders.
  • Understand and proactively manage client expectations.
• Business Acumen
  • Know the client brands, therapy areas, markets, and competitors.
  • Own the business challenges and act as partner for strategy to create and deliver effective briefs.
  • Understand our agency capabilities and expertise (incl. expert team, social science etc.).
  • Make sure presentations tell a story, finding the best way to sell in work based on client needs/expectation.
• Financials
  • Ensure SoWs are in line with client expectations whilst working closely with the Project Manager.
  • Work with the Project Manager to ensure finances and budgets are managed effectively.
• Day-to-day Delivery
  • Prepare written briefs to be shared for input from key internal stakeholders before going out for client sign-off.
  • Review work not just from an accuracy point of view but to drive best-in-class scientific, strategic, and creative outputs, making high-level recommendations for improvements.
  • Work with the Project Manager, ensure project is being managed to delivery spec and deadlines according to client expectations.
  • Ensure team fully understand and adhere to client processes.
  • Proactively identify and tackle problems, escalating where required.
  • Help overcome issues/complications and escalating where necessary.
• Business Development
  • Maximise full potential of the account, driving organic growth by recognising new business opportunities within existing accounts and discussing these with senior leads.
  • Active involvement in new business pitches and credentials.
• Line Management and Team Development
  • Identify areas of growth and opportunities for junior team members to support their development.
  • Effectively delegate work to build experience within the team.
  • Provide prompt feedback to support learning and continual team development.

What you’ll bring:

• Able to demonstrate excellence in communication.
• Confidence in leading meetings, internal and external.
• An eagerness to build skills in workshop facilitation.
• A passion to set high standards and lead by example.
• Encourage team building and collaboration to deliver agency outputs.
• A Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in any discipline.
• Experience or equivalent in healthcare advertising or communications.
• Cross-medium creative awareness and understanding of new technologies.
• Experienced in running and winning pitches.
• Gravitas with a strong work ethic and desire to be the best in a competitive environment.

Diversity and Inclusion

We believe that Diversity and Inclusion are fundamental to achieving our mission – to help our client’s brands and businesses play a meaningful role in people’s lives. We view diversity as a business imperative that, when incorporated into all agency practices, becomes a competitive advantage, driving growth and organizational sustainability. As we position ourselves for a future of increased competition and disruption, we’re accelerating beyond merely acknowledging differences. Our philosophy is that consistent practices and deliberate actions that foster an inclusive culture unleash the creative power of our talent and our work. We call this Conscious Inclusion.