Associate Director - Consumer PR

At Splendid we care deeply and are passionate about inclusion at every level of our business. We believe that team diversity enriches our collaborative culture and our work for clients. We are keen to meet candidates from all backgrounds so please get in touch if your skills and experience match our job description. We are passionate about creating a diverse workforce and positively encourage applications from under-represented communities. If we can help you by making any adjustments to our application process, please do let our recruitment team know.

Splendid Communications, an exciting and passionate PR Communications agency, is looking for a talented earned-first Associate Director to join the team. In a world of fast scrolls and short attention spans, shouting louder isn’t a strategy. Real impact comes from knowing how to show up in the moments and conversations that matter to people.

At Splendid, we build earned-first ideas that connect with real people, in the places they spend time. We help brands shape stories that people share, that change perceptions, spark actions and drive results. We believe the best brand-building happens when strategy, creativity and delivery are pulling in the same direction. That’s why we created the COUNT framework. It keeps every idea culturally sharp, commercially wired and alive, well beyond the pitch deck. Because conversations that count aren’t coincidental. They’re engineered for impact.

The successful individual will have the opportunity to make a huge impact working on high-profile food, drink, lifestyle and consumer tech clients, and covering the full range of creative briefs from always-on activity to major campaigns.

• Lead senior client relationships: provide counsel, run meetings and presentations, and maintain high levels of client satisfaction.
• Drive account growth: spot organic opportunities, deliver against client plans, and support retention.
• Shape strategy and campaigns: develop integrated strategic and creative plans, deliver to agreed KPIs, and bring in the right specialists at the right time, lead brainstorms and encourage creativity across the team.
• Create and sign off senior content: from strategic plans and performance reviews to press materials, content calendars.
• Crisis & issues management: troubleshoot and contain issues, lead crisis communications, and escalate appropriately when required.
• Commercial & operational ownership: manage budgets, scope of work and approvals; ensure internal processes, resourcing and time reporting to support profitability.
• Supplier management: maintain key supplier relationships and ensure job control processes are followed.
• Lead and develop teams: coach, delegate effectively, recruit where needed, and create a positive, collaborative environment.
• New business support: contribute to lead generation, respond to briefs, and help deliver winning pitches on time and on budget.
• Reporting: ensure timely, high-quality reporting and keep stakeholders updated.

Proven experience at Senior Account Director or Associate Director level within a Consumer PR agency. Excellent client management skills with a proven track record of providing counsel to senior clients and influencing stakeholders. Strong planning and management skills to take a client brief through the planning process, integrate with other agencies above and below the line and oversee the delivery of activation. Confidence and skill in responding to briefs with tight turnarounds and varying budgets to produce great creative work. Strong presentation skills and ability to sell and up-sell ideas to clients. Excellent writing skills including press releases to generate news and launch campaigns. Excellent project management and problem-solving skills. Experience of handling reactive crisis communication is desirable but not essential. Bring your real self to work and thrive in an environment where everyone is welcome and growth is the goal. Strong team-working skills, resilience and tenacity. Strong UK experience is essential. A passion for media relations with expert knowledge and confidence in media strategy and activation. Strong commercial awareness, with a good understanding of working with client fee forecasts, writing accurate budgets, managing service levels and resource planning to ensure profitable and effective delivery of campaigns. Strong strategic thinking, analytical skills and attention to detail.

Take breaks with 25 days of paid holiday a year, plus eight bank holidays. This rises by 1 day for each year of service to a maximum of 30 days. Celebrate your Birthday with an additional day off. Christmas Close Down – we close our office between Christmas and New Year, so we give you 3 extra days off for the festive period. Balance work and home life with our Hybrid working policy – working up to 3 days from home and 2 days a week in the office (across Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday). Early 4.30 pm finish on Friday. Headspace hour - 1 hour guaranteed meeting free per day. Sabbaticals - after 3 years’ service. Work from anywhere for a calendar month- after 2 years’ service. Discretionary annual bonus scheme as well as bonuses available for new business wins and recruitment referrals. Enhanced parental pay (varies on service levels). Look after your health with access to WeCare, a 24/7 online GP, mental health support service, get fit programme and more. Develop your personal balance with a £100 yearly fund. Mingle with the team at our monthly all-agency socials, Summer and Christmas parties. Stay connected with a company use iPhone. Build your future with our pension scheme. Get fit during your commutes with our Ride to Work scheme. Prefer to take public transport? We can give you a travel loan, interest free! Team lunches and yummy snacks and drinks for those that get peckish during the day.