Senior Account Manager in City of Westminster

PLMR is pleased to offer an exciting market-leading opportunity for a public affairs consultant looking for a Senior Account Manager role, working within amulti-award winning, UK Top 50 and World 200 communications consultancy.

We are a leading UK public affairs and communications agencywith our head office in the heart of Westminster. Our purpose is to make a positive and sustainable impact for our clients, our people andsociety.We pride ourselves on ourdynamic, vibrant team, who deliver outstanding results for clients every day. We work across a range of core sectors, including education, health and social care, energy and sustainability, tech, housing,and professional services to deliver public affairs, public relations and digital programmes thatplay a central role in helping our clients achieve their diverse objectives.

This exciting Senior Account Manager role will sit within PLMR’s award-winning public affairs practice, providing opportunities to work with clients at the forefront of a changing economy, across a range of sectors and issues covering health, education, housing and professional services.

As a Senior Account Manager, you will be a senior member of the PLMR team providing an exceptional level of servicing to clients; contributing to the ongoing success (and successful running) of the team; and as well as playing a key role in driving new business and marketing activity. You will have strong experience (minimum 3 years) as a consultant, delivering programmes of public affairs work and providing advice to clients, and be able to demonstrate an aptitude for consultancy and management.

In this role you will progress your consultancy skills, overseeing and driving the day-to-day management of client accounts and maintaining positive client relationships, spotting policy trends and identifying issues which might impact client activity, actively developing new business ideas and initiatives, including winning new business, alongside the senior management team. You will manage junior colleagues to ensure PLMR meet and exceed client expectations at every level.

You will have excellent written and verbal communication skills, be well organised, highly motivated and able to work under your own initiative. As a manager you will have good interpersonal skills and the ability to supervise and motivate colleagues. You will have your own networks within political circles which you will maintain and expand.

Key Responsibilities and Duties

• providing leadership on accounts – steering the account team to maintain excellent and trusted client relationships, ensuring that the client feels well serviced and able to call for advice at any time;
• developing strategy and tactical programmes for campaigns, ensuring work is completed on time to the appropriate standards and that you are always ‘adding value’ to our clients;
• ensuring that all client output is accurate, relevant, and maximises PLMR’s offering to the client;
• delegating tasks to junior colleagues where appropriate and motivating them to deliver on these;
• responding appropriately to crisis management issues;
• fostering relations with national and sectoral media, politicians, civil servants, local authorities, regulatory bodies, and any relevant interest groups;
• ensuring that PLMR accurately monitors the media, including newspapers, magazines, journals, broadcasts, newswires, social media and blogs, for timely opportunities for clients;
• delivering event management, including party conference events;
• developing and maintaining an expertise in client sectors and related policy fields;
• researching, forecasting and evaluating the effects of public policy on an organisation, using public sources, political intelligence and personal contacts;
• attending select committee hearings, party conferences and other events on behalf of PLMR;
• strong proofing skills and the ability to take responsibility for external-facing materials

PLMR growth

• actively identifying new business opportunities and following up on them on a timely basis, thereby assisting in the growth of the PLMR business and the achievement of its business plan;
• creating and delivering winning proposals for new business pitches;
• take a key role in presentations at new business pitches;
• attending events, seminars, and conferences, and setting up regular meetings with contacts topromote a positive, professional image of PLMR as a market leader and obvious point of call for our services;

Internal

• taking as many tasks from the team Account Director/s as possible and supporting them in successfully achieving their targets;
• work with the team to ensure accounts are run efficiently and to budget;
• providing information for invoicing and cost recharging to the finance department in a timely manner as requested;
• effectively managing and delegating tasks to junior colleagues and assisting them as necessary;
• contributing to PLMR planning and strategy;
• communicating effectively internally to manage work levels and deliverables deadlines;
• fostering a positive day to day working environment;

Skills / attributes required

• educated to degree standard or with proven relevant work experience;
• a strong knowledge of current events, political systems and the national and sectoral media;
• proven policy analysis abilities: able to research and gather information from a range of sources, identify the key issues relevant to the clients, generate original ideas and solutions into concise insights;
• proven written and verbal communication skills with the ability to conceptualise, analyse and write persuasive arguments;
• proven ability to understand, manage and respond in a timely and proactive manner to emerging crisis communications issues for clients;
• proven ability to effectively manage multiple deadlines under pressure: to be able to deliver timely projects whilst also responding to other emerging developments;
• highly motivated, well organised and able to work under your own initiative.

Key Skills and Competencies

• You will ideally previously have been employed in our industry or a relevant organisation;
• You are an experienced consultant – you have a client portfolio, or strong advisory background, and have proven that you understand what the client, or equivalent individual, wants and that you can deliver it;
• You anticipate client requests and issues, are one step ahead, and initiate delivering on them;
• You have excellent relationships with clients where they trust your judgment and ask you what you think, you know where to find answers and assistance within political circles;
• You can identify new business opportunities;
• You have a proven ability to manage multiple accounts effectively and efficiently, simultaneously;
• You can lead and inspire your account teams to deliver, you know what is happening on each account at any given time;
• You have a broad view over upcoming political and sectoral events or announcements and plan how this will affect your clients, you bring ideas to senior colleagues for business development;
• You show an aptitude for leadership and both senior and junior colleagues want to work with you;
• You identify and respond to new business opportunities and are able to create additional revenue.

Please note that due to the expected high volume of applicants, if you do not hear from us then it is likely that you have been unsuccessful on this occasion.

At PLMR we are committed to reflecting and representing the diversity of the UK and to equal opportunities in employment. The policies and practices of the agency aim to promote an environment that is free from all forms of unlawful or unfair discrimination and values the diversity and inclusion of all people. At the heart of our policy, we seek to treat people fairly and with dignity and respect. We therefore encourage and welcome applications from people with a diverse variety of backgrounds; age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexuality, social background, religion and/or belief.

If you require any reasonable adjustments during the application process, please let us know

Please note, PLMR is unable to offer sponsorshipat this time.

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