At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead client relationships and drive strategic growth in a dynamic agency environment.
- Company: Join Open Partners, a forward-thinking agency blending media, creative, and data.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, hybrid work, and opportunities for professional development.
- Other info: Be part of a high-performing team committed to excellence and innovation.
- Why this job: Shape the future of marketing while making impactful connections with clients.
- Qualifications: Experience in client-facing roles with strong strategic and analytical skills.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
The Client Leadership Team at Open Partners is the heartbeat of our agency - driving strategic vision, integration and performance through close, high-impact relationships. We blend Media, Creative and Data into cohesive, growth-oriented roadmaps and set the tone for Smarter, Faster, Better across everything we do.
The Client Partner / (Account Director) is a central leadership role within the Client Leadership track, responsible for owning client relationships, leading strategy, and driving commercial growth. You are the day-to-day senior voice of Open Partners for your clients, shaping their marketing and business direction with consultancy-grade clarity, foresight, and influence.
You will lead integrated strategy across media, data and creative, deepen senior client relationships (including decision-makers and emerging Champions), and own the commercial performance of your portfolio. Client Partners are expected to set the standard for how OP shows up: strategic, commercially-minded, relationship-led and relentlessly committed to excellence.
This role is pivotal in defining the future of OP and demonstrating what Agency of Next means in practice - through transformational thinking, integrated planning, and meaningful growth impact.
Role Responsibilities
- Integrated Strategic Leadership
- Lead the development and deployment of Effectiveness Roadmaps, RISE strategies, Annual Plans and Business Reviews, ensuring alignment with client priorities and OP’s consultancy vision.
- Own the creation and delivery of strategic narratives that integrate media, data and creative into a unified story that drives business outcomes.
- Proactively identify strategic opportunities and risks; bring clear, structured recommendations to influence long-term direction.
- Lead client meetings with confidence, clarity and consultancy authority, setting the tone for cross-discipline collaboration and strategic integration.
- Brief and partner with the Client Delivery Centre of Excellence to ensure output quality, alignment and operational excellence.
- Shape how cross-functional teams collaborate and maintain standards across portfolios.
- Leads a high-performing client team by setting strategic direction, ensuring clarity of roles and expectations, and creating the conditions for integrated excellence.
- Commercial Acumen & Growth
- Own commercial performance for your client portfolio - including revenue, margin, forecasting and contract management.
- Identify and convert upsell, cross-sell and expansion opportunities based on strategic needs and growth levers.
- Maintain ≥95% forecasting accuracy and ensure all scopes and commercials are aligned to roadmaps and strategic plans.
- Partner with Principals on multi-year contracts or renegotiations; ensure commercial conversations are grounded in strategic value and demonstrable impact.
- Understand client business models deeply, connecting OP’s work to commercial KPIs, financial outcomes, and long-term value creation.
- Relationship & Influence Mastery
- Build deep, trusted relationships across all levels, acting as a true partner and advisor.
- Develop and maintain client Champions who advocate for OP within their organisation and influence senior stakeholders.
- Spend meaningful physical time with clients through onsite sessions, immersion days, planning meetings and workshops to deepen understanding, strengthen trust, and accelerate impact.
- Demonstrate exceptional communication and influence: guide clients through ambiguity, challenge constructively, and align stakeholders around strategic direction.
- Lead or support senior conversations, ensuring OP shows up with consultancy-grade presence, empathy and authority.
- Represent OP with professionalism and credibility, consistently strengthening our reputation and values in every interaction.
- Consultative Problem Solving
- Use structured thinking, foresight and analytical rigour to solve complex marketing, commercial and organisational challenges.
- Prioritise initiatives and solutions based on business impact; turn insight into action with clear sequencing and decision pathways.
- Lead hypothesis creation, testing and experimentation plans that deepen learning and accelerate growth.
- Help clients navigate change, uncertainty and transformation, bringing clarity, confidence and next-step options.
- Contribute to OP’s collective intelligence by sharing perspectives, thought leadership, and strategic frameworks.
- Help define how AI, automation and agent-based systems should be applied for clients and internally.
- Media, Data & Creative Fluency
- Demonstrate strong integrated knowledge across media, creative and data disciplines, ensuring all recommendations ladder into business outcomes.
- Act as the single source of truth for the client narrative, synthesising specialist input into a coherent, compelling story.
- Ensure all work across disciplines is aligned, integrated and consistent with the strategic direction of the account.
- Provide structured feedback to Delivery and specialist teams that improves the quality, coherence and impact of outputs.
- Bring perspectives on innovation, market shifts and best practice to elevate integrated thinking across teams.
Your KPIs / Outputs
- Client Satisfaction: NPS > 9 with senior client champions
- Commercial Performance: Revenue delivery to plan; ≥95% forecasting accuracy; margin aligned to target.
- Strategic Leadership: 100% delivery of RISE, Effectiveness Roadmaps, KAPs and Business Reviews.
- Growth: Quarterly identification of qualified growth opportunities; measurable revenue uplift within portfolio.
- Relationship Depth: Multiple documented Champions; influence evidenced in client decisions.
- Delivery Excellence: Strong partnership with Client Delivery; integrated output standards maintained.
- Agency of Next: Leadership in shaping AI/automation/agent vision and OP-wide ways of working.
Role Details
- Reports to: Senior Partner
- Location: Hybrid
- Hours / Days: 37.5 hours, over 5 days per week
- Contract basis: Permanent
Skills & Experience required:
Must Have
- App experience - ASO and ASA
- Proven experience in a client-facing strategic or consultancy environment.
- Advanced strategic and analytical capability; able to turn insight into integrated recommendations.
- Demonstrated relationship-building and influencing skills across seniority levels.
- Strong commercial grounding (forecasting, budgeting, fees, value creation).
- Excellent communication and narrative-building skills; confident presenting to senior stakeholders.
- A high standard of professional excellence and personal accountability.
Desirable
- Experience working across media, creative and data disciplines.
- Exposure to growth strategy, marketing transformation or commercial modelling.
- Experience leading integrated planning or cross-functional projects.
- Experience preparing or presenting to C-suite audiences.
Expectations for all Open Partners Employees:
- Follow our Employee Handbook
- Live by our values
- Smarter - Aim high, train hard, embrace next
- Faster - Learn fast, adapt fast, act fast
- Better - Think, say and do what’s best
Account Director in Manchester employer: Open Partners
Open Partners is an exceptional employer that fosters a dynamic and collaborative work culture, where top-tier talent thrives in a hybrid environment. With a strong emphasis on employee growth, we offer opportunities for strategic leadership and commercial acumen development, ensuring our team members are equipped to drive meaningful impact for clients. Our commitment to excellence and innovation, combined with a supportive atmosphere, makes Open Partners a truly rewarding place to advance your career as an Account Director.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Account Director in Manchester
✨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 potential colleagues on LinkedIn. The more connections you make, the better your chances of landing that Account Director role.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your expertise! When you get the chance to chat with potential employers, share your insights on integrated strategies and commercial growth. Make it clear that you understand the importance of blending media, data, and creative to drive business outcomes.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for those interviews! Research the company and come armed with questions that show you’re genuinely interested in their vision. Be ready to discuss how you can contribute to their goals and demonstrate your consultative problem-solving skills.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive and engaged with our brand. So, hit that apply button and let’s get you started on your journey to becoming an Account Director!
We think you need these skills to ace Account Director in Manchester
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Strategic Side:When writing your application, make sure to highlight your strategic thinking skills. We want to see how you can blend media, data, and creative insights into a cohesive narrative that drives business outcomes.
Be Client-Centric:Demonstrate your ability to build deep, trusted relationships with clients. Share examples of how you've influenced senior stakeholders and acted as a true partner in previous roles. This is key for us at StudySmarter!
Highlight Commercial Acumen:Don’t forget to showcase your commercial understanding! Talk about your experience with revenue management, forecasting, and how you've identified growth opportunities in past positions. We love candidates who think commercially.
Keep It Professional Yet Personal:While we appreciate professionalism, we also value authenticity. Let your personality shine through in your application. We want to know the real you, so don’t hesitate to share your passion for the role and our mission at StudySmarter!
How to prepare for a job interview at Open Partners
✨Know Your Client Inside Out
Before the interview, dive deep into understanding the clients you’ll be working with. Research their business models, recent campaigns, and industry trends. This will help you speak confidently about how you can drive their commercial growth and align your strategies with their goals.
✨Showcase Your Strategic Thinking
Prepare to discuss specific examples where you've led integrated strategies across media, data, and creative. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your responses, highlighting how your strategic insights have driven business outcomes in previous roles.
✨Build Rapport with Your Interviewers
Remember, relationship-building is key in this role. Approach the interview as a conversation rather than an interrogation. Ask insightful questions about the company’s vision and culture, and share your thoughts on how you can contribute to their success. This will demonstrate your consultative approach.
✨Demonstrate Commercial Acumen
Be ready to discuss your experience with revenue forecasting, budgeting, and contract management. Prepare examples that illustrate how you've identified upsell or cross-sell opportunities in the past, and how you’ve aligned your work with commercial KPIs to create long-term value for clients.
