ZPB Associates is a healthcare strategy and communications firm working with leading names across healthcare - including the NHS, independent healthcare, digital health and tech. We combine strategy, integrated marketing, PR and policy engagement to help our clients navigate an increasingly complex and commercially competitive healthcare landscape. Our work is strategic, creating visibility and credibility whether that is through share of voice, brand-building, or market positioning. We create editorially confident, genuinely creative content that is market moving and supports our client’s success.
About the Role
As Account Director you will lead a portfolio of ZPB's marketing and communications accounts, acting as the senior strategic counsel clients turn to and the commercial owner of the accounts they sit within. You'll lead and develop a team spanning Senior Account Managers through to Account Executives, take P&L responsibility for your portfolio, and play a leading role in new business and ZPB's wider strategic direction. This is a senior leadership role: you'll be trusted to make judgement calls independently, represent ZPB externally as a senior voice in healthcare marketing and communications, and help shape how the agency itself evolves.
Responsibilities
What you'll be doing:
- Own senior relationships across a portfolio of marketing and communications clients, acting as the primary strategic counsel and point of escalation
- Lead the strategic direction of client accounts, ensuring brand and market positioning work translates into measurable commercial outcomes for clients
- Own P&L responsibility for a portfolio of accounts, including forecasting, profitability and resource planning
- Lead, manage and develop the team, setting the standard for quality and client service across the team reflecting industry best practice
- Lead new business generation for strategy and marketing clients, including identifying prospects, shaping pitches and proposals, and presenting ZPB's credentials and positioning to senior prospects
- Contribute to ZPB's wider business strategy and planning, working closely with the senior leadership team
- Represent ZPB externally as a senior voice in healthcare marketing and communications, through thought leadership, speaking and industry relationships
- Identify and lead growth opportunities within existing accounts, ensuring long-term client retention and expanding scope of work
- Set and uphold ZPB's quality standards across marketing and communications output, including brand strategy, content and campaign work
- Oversee the responsible and effective use of AI across account teams, ensuring quality, confidentiality and judgement are maintained at scale
- Act as a senior escalation point for complex or sensitive client issues, providing calm, authoritative counsel
Qualifications
- Substantial experience in a marketing, communications or brand strategy role, with significant experience at Senior Account Manager or Account Director level, ideally within healthcare.
- Proven track record of managing P&L and driving profitable growth across a portfolio of accounts
- Demonstrated experience leading and developing multi-level teams
- Strong new business track record, including leading pitches and proposals
- Excellent strategic counsel skills, with the ability to advise senior and board-level clients with authority and confidence
- The right to work in the UK
Required Skills
- Substantial experience in a marketing, communications or brand strategy role, with significant experience at Senior Account Manager or Account Director level, ideally within healthcare.
- Proven track record of managing P&L and driving profitable growth across a portfolio of accounts
- Demonstrated experience leading and developing multi-level teams
- Strong new business track record, including leading pitches and proposals
- Excellent strategic counsel skills, with the ability to advise senior and board-level clients with authority and confidence
Preferred Skills
- Deep understanding of the UK healthcare/NHS landscape, PMI dynamics, and the private and independent healthcare sector
- An established external profile or thought leadership presence in healthcare marketing and communications
- Experience contributing to agency-level strategy or business planning
- Understanding of how AI is reshaping agency service delivery and pricing models
- A relevant degree (marketing, communications, business or a related subject) — not essential if you can demonstrate the skills above
Pay range and compensation package
- A salary of £50,000–£70,000, dependent on experience
- A senior leadership role with genuine influence over ZPB's strategic direction, not just account delivery
- P&L ownership and the autonomy that comes with it
- Direct involvement in shaping ZPB's proposition, pricing and go-to-market strategy alongside the Managing Director
- A collaborative, editorially minded team with a genuinely no-nonsense approach to client work
- 25 days holiday and on top the office is closed between Christmas and New Year
- Private health insurance
- Employee assistance programme including free legal advice, therapy and health checks
- Paid four-week sabbatical after four years
- And Summer Friday's – office closes early!
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Account Director — Marketing & Communications employer: ZPB Associates
ZPB Associates is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment where healthcare strategy and communications thrive. With a strong focus on employee growth, you will receive direct mentoring from senior consultants and have a clear path to advance your career to Account Director. The collaborative culture, combined with generous benefits like private health insurance, a paid sabbatical, and early finishes on Summer Fridays, makes ZPB an attractive place for those seeking meaningful and rewarding employment in the healthcare sector.
