Business Director, Evolve

As Business Director, you will be responsible for leading a team of direct reports to deliver best in class OOH planning for our international clients and agencies; while fostering strong relationships with senior agency and client contacts to deliver billings growth targets, innovative work, and commercial objectives. You will proactively identify, win and build new business opportunities and influence the strategic direction of Evolve OOH. With proven leadership and team management credentials, you will also lead, motivate, and nurture a high performing team.

ABOUT US: At Talon, our mission is to unlock the full potential of out of home, making it more effective, creative, measurable and sustainable than ever. We’re passionate about OOH and are on a mission to drive the growth of this sector within the media industry. In just over a decade, our desire to offer intelligent, creative, technology-led OOH solutions and a full-service OOH offering saw us grow into a team of over 450+ people located in key cities across the globe. In that time, we have been awarded for our approach to our people, our clients and our industry. We hire the finest talent to help us unlock the full potential of the Out of Home (OOH) environment for our clients; and pride ourselves on the individuals who represent our business. Evolve OOH is part of the Talon Group and is a global outdoor media agency whose vision is to evolve the OOH medium through pioneering, results driven tools, team experience on a global scale, and a passion for creativity.

A DAY IN THE LIFE: As Business Director, you will:

• Have ultimate responsibility for the servicing of a portfolio of international clients across a group of agency/clients, working with Heads of Clients/Senior Management to set their individual KPIs/strategies and ensuring these are met.
• Oversee multiple plans in multiple markets concurrently.
• Find, build and develop new OOH relationships with clients, agencies and suppliers: always producing proposals/presentations to secure new accounts.
• Lead and motivate your team; coaching client teams where required.
• Support relevant team members in resolving all major client servicing issues within teams to the mutual benefit of all parties.
• Take responsibility for compiling and implementing an annual agency programme across the group agencies.
• Work with relevant team members to create a bespoke programme of engagement in line with the strategy/objectives; continually demonstrating Evolve’s value-adding capabilities and its wider offerings.
• Put in place clear strategies for key clients, that are exciting and different.
• Work with HoCs/Senior Management and other relevant Business Directors in maintaining senior client and agency relationships at Marketing Director, Communications Director, Managing Director level and above.
• Manage and develop international network partnership relations.
• Work with HoC/Senior Management on implementing a hospitality plan for key clients.
• Take responsibility for compiling accurate quarterly forecasting for your group of agencies/clients.
• Have overall responsibility for driving commercial priorities and hitting given targets across your group of agencies/clients.
• Be responsible for communicating and driving commercial priorities with relevant team members.
• Work with Senior Management to drive/implement specific initiatives to ensure commercial targets are met.
• Work with Evolve/Talon offices around the world to grow their International OOH spend.
• Proactively assess when and where travel is necessary to drive business and strengthen relationships in-person; and execute on this travel regularly.
• Continually evolve international process to drive operational excellence.
• Support the team to drive discussions with agencies at a senior level to highlight commercial advantages to their business.
• Work with HoCs/Senior Management to drive Evolve/Talon business initiatives, taking the lead on specific projects when required.
• Explore potential new income opportunities and work with HoCs/Senior Management to implement.
• Work with HoC/Senior management on New Business, taking the lead on new business pitches where required.
• Take responsibility for driving/implementing strategic investment strategies to ensure individual PRFs are met.
• Take responsibility for monitoring/tracking/reporting individual PRF targets across the year.
• Work with HoCs/Senior Management on future structural changes and recruitment requirements across the planning teams.
• Work collaboratively with other Business Directors to develop a consistent planning output/service across all planning teams.
• Helping to build, maintain and utilise planning tools.
• Ensuring all data and information is up to date within planning tools, and that the wider team are equipped to assist in this process.
• Help construct and review the annual agency survey.
• Implement specific changes/initiatives identified by the annual agency survey.
• Drive a high level of quality award entries across your group of agencies/clients.
• Work with HR/Senior management on developing/implementing a training, induction and development programme for the international team.
• Compile and maintain accurate budgets, forecasts and reports as required by HoCs/Senior Management.
• Hold strong relationships with senior media owner contacts at Group Head, Sales Director level and above.
• Support relevant team members to ensure they are delivering on all aspects of their roles.
• Proactively assess when and where travel is necessary to support and develop team members in-person; and execute on this travel regularly.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR: Extensive OOH planning experience and relevant market knowledge. Versatility to work and travel across multiple markets. A solid understanding of the UK & International OOH landscape and established relationships with Media Owners. Experience in OOH, DOOH strategic planning, programmatic buying and creative optimisation. Exceptional commercial acumen. First class relationship management skills; with the ability to communicate across all levels, both internally and externally. Evidence of proactivity to deliver above and beyond your day-to-day role. Strong people management skills and the ability to maximise a team’s potential through ongoing motivation, evaluation and development. Team player, who can also work independently with a strong sense of responsibility, work ownership and accountability. Strong presentation skills and both strong knowledge and skills of Microsoft Office software.

OUR TEAM: Evolve OOH/Talon International is a truly international team. Thanks to all our different backgrounds we provide a truly holistic approach to international OOH, something that makes us unique. Because we are international, we manage a huge pool of clients and manage campaigns in different parts of the world. While we are very hardworking, we always make sure to have fun and support each other in the process.

WHY US: “The best thing about working at Talon is the space, time and expertise I’ve been given over the years to grow and develop my skills.” Client Director at Talon

OUR VALUES AND HOW WE WORK TOGETHER: WE ARE BOLD: As industry provocateurs and pioneers, we respectfully challenge the status quo, take pride in our people, big ideas and partnerships. WE ARE HUMAN: We are a diverse collective of changemakers who value respect, fairness, and integrity and expect the same in return. WE ARE SMART: Our trailblazing spirit and learning centric culture ensures our knowledge provides maximum value to each other and our clients. Talon is an equal opportunities employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where all individuals can thrive. We seek to employ and develop a workforce representative of the markets that we serve and brands that we represent.