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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead strategic client relationships and oversee multi-channel campaign planning.
- Company: Join Medialab, the UK's leading independent media agency with a vibrant culture.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, flexible working, and generous holiday perks.
- Why this job: Make an impact with innovative clients while growing your career in a supportive environment.
- Qualifications: Experience in media planning and a collaborative leadership style are essential.
- Other info: Be part of a dynamic team recognised as one of the best places to work.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
JOIN OUR JOURNEY
Medialab is the UK’s leading independent media agency, and one of the fastest growing in the industry. We’re a media agency that’s made differently: purpose-led, data-driven, founder-run and proudly independent.
Our entrepreneurial spirit means success is recognised and rewarded. There are no limits to what you can achieve here, which our employees agree with, evidenced by being a Campaign Best Place to Work for six consecutive years and one of The Sunday Times Best Places to Work 2025. As well as this, we’re Campaign’s Independent Agency of the Year 2024 and Media Week’s Independent Agency of the Year 2025.
We are IPA Effectiveness accredited, an IPA People-First agency, and All In Champions, with industry-leading work recognised by double-gold at the 2024 IPA Effectiveness Awards for our work with Laithwaites and a 2025 Effie for our work with Alzheimer’s Society.
Our independence means we can focus 100% on doing the right thing to secure success for our clients and our brilliant people. We work with a wide variety of clients including Hovis, IG, Sharps Bedrooms, SunLife, Standard Life, Ancestry, Laithwaites Wine, Save the Children, Guide Dogs, Alzheimer’s Society, RNLI and Clearscore.
OUR VALUES
- Commit to Doing the Right Thing (Act with integrity and accountability)
- Help People Flourish (Invest in people)
- Dig Deeper to Understand Better (Data driven curiosity)
OUR COMMITMENT TO YOU
Working at Medialab comes with lots of perks including all the usual things you would expect, such as a competitive salary package, pension, season ticket loans, cycle to work scheme, weekly social events and big summer / end of year parties. On top of that, we offer extra benefits, which make life at Medialab even more rewarding:
- Time to Unwind – 22 days holiday (+ Christmas holiday closure), a day off for your birthday, holiday buying scheme, flexi-hours and both a cultural bank holiday and work abroad scheme.
- Hybrid Working – Balance between home and office. We welcome requests for flexible working arrangements from the commencement of employment.
- Career Growth – A meritocratic approach to progression with quarterly reviews, CPD Platinum accredited training, mentoring and leadership support.
- Health & Wellbeing – Private medical insurance, health cash plan, gym discounts, wellbeing apps, Mental Health First Aiders and free professional counselling.
- Supporting Families – Enhanced parental leave pay, flexible working and life assurance.
- Giving Back – Paid charity days and sustainability initiatives.
- Perks & Rewards – Retail discounts, long-service trips and an unforgettable team culture.
YOUR NEXT CHALLENGE
We’re looking for a Planning Account Director to bring strategic thinking and multi-channel expertise to one of our client planning teams. You’ll work closely with senior leads while taking ownership of planning delivery across a defined set of clients, helping ensure work is consistently sharp, effective and well thought through.
You’ll be a key day-to-day planning lead and trusted partner to specialist Account Directors, Managers and Execs, working across a varied mix of clients – from fast-paced commercial brands to purpose-led charities. We’re looking for someone with solid cross-channel knowledge, a strong planning instinct, and a collaborative, supportive leadership style.
HOW YOU WILL MAKE AN IMPACT
- Lead strategic client relationships, acting as senior day-to-day contact across priority accounts.
- Shape commercial and strategic client opportunities by proactively identifying growth areas, influencing briefs, and ensuring alignment with client ambition and business goals.
- Optimise agency impact by supporting Business Directors in value articulation, renewals, and commercial planning.
- Identify and deliver key agency opportunities: Whether these are commercial opportunities or efficiency opportunities they have a clear focus on supporting agency growth.
- Support commercial delivery, working with BD’s + Ops/Finance on forecasting, margin tracking, and pipeline visibility.
- Lead cross-channel campaign planning and delivery, ensuring cohesion, performance alignment to KPIs, and consistent reporting.
- Shape the media response to briefs by setting the strategic direction, supporting innovation and optimisation-led approaches, and overseeing planning timelines.
- Coach teams in digital and offline media strategy, embedding audience-first, insight-led planning approaches and encouraging cross-channel thinking.
- Shape a forward-looking planning culture, encouraging teams to stay ahead of market developments.
- Support channel leads and planners to feed into client-facing trend decks and strategic updates, with a focus on delivering best-in-class thinking.
- Promote automation and efficiency, advocating for smart use of AI tools and scalable planning practices that raise standards in documentation, collaboration and productivity.
WHAT YOU BRING TO THE TEAM
- Proven experience in media and communications planning, ideally across a variety of categories and business objectives, with the ability to balance brand-building and performance-driven thinking.
- Strong cross-channel planning expertise, with a clear understanding of how digital and offline channels work together to deliver full-funnel impact.
- Demonstrated experience in leading and supporting teams, with a collaborative and inclusive leadership style that prioritises development, constructive feedback, and coaching at the right moments.
- Confidence using planning tools and effectiveness frameworks (such as Touchpoints, media principles, and measurement approaches), and the ability to apply them practically in day-to-day planning.
- A track record of delivering clear, strategic thinking, able to simplify complex challenges, interrogate briefs effectively, and translate insight into sharp, actionable recommendations.
Account Director - Planning in City of London employer: MediaLab Group
Contact Detail:
MediaLab Group Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Account Director - Planning in City of London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the industry. Attend events, join online forums, and don’t be shy about reaching out to folks on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings!
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its clients. Understand their values and recent campaigns. This will help you tailor your responses and show that you’re genuinely interested in what they do. Plus, it’ll give you some great talking points!
✨Tip Number 3
Practice makes perfect! Do mock interviews with friends or use online resources to get comfortable with common questions. The more you practice, the more confident you’ll feel when it’s time to shine in front of the real interview panel.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to follow up after your interviews! A quick thank-you email can go a long way in leaving a positive impression. It shows your enthusiasm for the role and keeps you fresh in their minds as they make their decision.
We think you need these skills to ace Account Director - Planning in City of London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Account Director role. Highlight your relevant experience in media and communications planning, and show how your skills align with our values at Medialab.
Showcase Your Strategic Thinking: In your application, demonstrate your ability to think strategically. Use examples from your past work where you’ve shaped client opportunities or led successful campaigns, as this is key for the role.
Be Authentic: Let your personality shine through in your written application. We value authenticity and want to see who you are beyond your professional achievements. Share your passion for media and how you can contribute to our team.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it shows you’re keen on joining our journey!
How to prepare for a job interview at MediaLab Group
✨Know Your Clients
Before the interview, dive deep into Medialab's client portfolio. Familiarise yourself with their key clients like Hovis and Alzheimer’s Society. Understanding their business goals and challenges will help you demonstrate how your strategic thinking can directly benefit them.
✨Showcase Your Planning Expertise
Be ready to discuss your experience in media and communications planning. Prepare specific examples where you've successfully led cross-channel campaigns. Highlight how you balanced brand-building with performance-driven strategies, as this aligns perfectly with what they’re looking for.
✨Emphasise Collaboration
Medialab values a collaborative leadership style. Share instances where you’ve coached teams or worked closely with others to achieve a common goal. This will show that you can foster a supportive environment, which is crucial for the role of Planning Account Director.
✨Prepare for Strategic Questions
Expect questions that assess your ability to shape commercial opportunities and optimise agency impact. Think about how you would approach identifying growth areas for clients and be ready to articulate your thought process clearly. This will showcase your strategic mindset and alignment with their values.