Business Planning Director/ Client Lead in City of London

Contract Role: You must be registered as an independent contractor.

Start Date: ASAP

Contract Duration: 3 months

Location & Working Model: Flexible hybrid working model with an expectation of 2–3 days per week in the London office.

About the Role: We are seeking a highly experienced Business Director / Client Lead to join our growing planning team. You will drive forward our planning output, creating industry-leading, unrivalled work for high-stakes, fast-paced campaigns that often address urgent, sensitive public issues (e.g., emergency communications, civil safety, and critical social causes). The successful candidate will possess a strong media planning background, the ability to craft client-ready narratives, and exceptional relationship management skills. A hands-on, 'muck-in' attitude is absolutely essential. While technical proficiency in platforms like TGI is not strictly mandatory, the ability to effectively direct and guide the team is critical.

Responsibilities:

• Media Planning & Strategy: Lead the unit's planning output, articulating strategic approaches into actionable media behaviours. Bring a fresh perspective to planning approaches, utilising new tools and insights to challenge the status quo. Integrate strategic thinking to utilise tools and specialisms outside of traditional planning (e.g., sources of growth, measurement, data, learning agendas).
• Team Management & Leadership: Manage and lead an existing team comprising Account Directors, Managers, and Executives through a period of structural transition. Provide clear personal objectives, structure, and regular reviews for team members. Train, support, and coach the wider team, fostering a culture of positive provocation and continuous learning.
• Client & Stakeholder Management: Oversee the development of all planning responses, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, unrivalled work. Manage senior client relationships, understanding their unique business needs to drive growth and deliver trusted advice. Act as a compelling storyteller, tailoring communications to match client knowledge levels and needs.
• Commercial & Industry Expertise: Build and develop strong relationships with media owners, identifying opportunities for innovative work. Maintain an advanced commercial understanding of products and services, knowing how to sell in solutions effectively.

Qualifications: We value diverse experiences. While background in public sector or government campaigns is beneficial, strong commercial experience is equally valuable and highly welcomed to manage the existing team structure.

Required Skills:

• Practice Area Knowledge: Advanced understanding of the industry and future trends. Acts as an internal consultant and guides junior members on advanced elements.
• Problem Solving: Performs complex analyses, identifies issues proactively, and coaches others to resolve escalated challenges.
• Campaign Management: Expertly manages multiple overlapping timelines, balances competing demands, and sets rigorous standards for accuracy.
• Comms Planning: High technical knowledge of media touchpoints. Serves as a quality control consultant for plans and frameworks.
• Idea Creation: Develops strategies for new innovations. Challenges the team and clients to design competitive, industry-leading solutions.