Account Director - Public Affairs

Who We Are

Burson, part of WPP, is the global communications leader built to create value for clients through reputation. With highly specialized teams, industry-leading technologies and breakthrough creative, we help brands and businesses redefine reputation as a competitive advantage so they can lead today and into the future. When you work at Burson, you are part of a global community of lifelong learners who thrive at the edge of innovation.

WPP (LSE/NYSE: WPP) is the trusted growth partner for the worlds leading brands. We unite?cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel?in a single company powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open,?to help our clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth. For more information, visit WPP.com

For more information visit bursonglobal.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

More About The Role

As an Account Director you are expected to manage a portfolio of clients, work on new business development and support the senior management to manage and develop strong teams. You are expected to support our corporate strategy and your practice or office to help ensure superior client service, a winning culture and profitability.

What Youll Do

Client Service:

• Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of the clients business and industry, stay current on news, trends, and issues, and take an active interest in the clients business to pre-empt issues and provide strategic counsel.
• Work closely with the government relations advisors in ensuring timely execution of the public affairs campaign/ project.
• Lead outreach and engagement with think tanks, industry bodies, media, and other influencers of policy, on behalf of clients and as part of the client outreach plan
• Act as a client leader and maintain a clear and consistent communication channel between the client and the account team and resolve misunderstandings if they occur.
• Manage quality implementation for the client portfolio within budget and timelines.
• Timely Decision Making The ability to identify a problem and find solutions. Makes decisions in a timely manner, using available information and under tight deadlines.
• Support senior management on crisis management issues if required.
• Be a seasoned writer and able to write for senior management level audiences.
• Conduct formal presentations in a variety of settings and able to persuade and influence decision makers within client and prospective client companies.
• Build relationships with key opinion leaders who are key to your clients industries and businesses.
• Be a source of creative ideas and effectively use Bursons proprietary tools Creative Studio, BAV, Decipher and other businesses under the Burson umbrella (i.e. PSB, Axicom, etc.) to build brands and nail client objectives.
• You must possess a strong familiarity with how Generative AI tools are used across communications programmes, especially in planning, research, ideation, content creation, and daily operations.

• Work with senior leaders to identify opportunities to grow existing accounts and track potential opportunities for new business. Always maintain a strong pipeline of new business.
• Participate in new business brainstorms and take ownership of portions of new business proposals under the guidance of senior management.

• Coach, mentor, and delegate responsibilities to junior staff helping them identify their areas of development and consistently serve as a positive role model fostering teamwork.
• Create an inclusive and welcoming environment that engages all individuals without bias and demonstrate flexibility in a changing work environment.
• Provide continuous constructive feedback- not just during performance reviews- and keep immediate superiors briefed on team member performance ensuring recognition of good performance and resolution of concerns in a timely manner.
• Provide on the job training to team members on account management to develop teams expertise on client business and conduct formal training sessions when required.
• Guide and inspire junior staff to develop media contacts and strategies.

• Know and meet your billability target, track, and record time in Maconomy in a timely manner.
• Manage account administration duties such as billing and financial reporting.
• Ensure all activities carried out for clients are properly documented and budget and status reports are submitted.
• Work with senior leaders to manage your team and allocate resources for agency
• Follow agency procedures on client budgets, budget tracking, contract approval and billing rates.

• Use Bursons intranet and resources; keep your profile updated.
• Help in recruiting top talent by knowing our capabilities and network.
• Adhere to Bursons confidentiality and disclosure agreements and abide by the companys code of ethics/conduct.

• Postgraduate in any stream or professional qualification in the field of public relations or marketing communication.
• 8-12 years of professional experience in media relations, content management and communications for Public Affairs or Public Advocacy

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You Belong At Burson

Our vision is for Burson to be the leading academy company for creative communications professionals and emerging leaders. We provide a dynamic environment where ambitious colleagues come to elevate their skills, expand their networks, and ultimately, produce the best solutions for todays leading brands. Our commitment to your growth is reflected in our robust benefits and people programs, which include professional development opportunities, mentorship programs with industry leaders, a vibrant and inclusive company culture fostering collaboration and innovation and packages designed to reward and retain top talent. We invest in our people because we believe their success is our success.

At Burson, were an agency of learn-it-alls. We recognize that the things we do best, creativity and communications, require a level of nuanced understanding. Thats why its imperative for us to hire extraordinarily talented people of all backgrounds and identities. Without that we cant do the essential work of inspiring bold ideas, fostering constructive dialogue, cultivating meaningful experiences, and driving innovation and creativity for our partners. Your unique point of viewyour talentis what makes you a #BursonPerson, and its how we deliver exceptional results for our clients, together.

We believe the best work happens when were together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. Thats why weve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office around four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.

When you click the Submit Application button below, this will send any information you add below to Burson. Before you do this, we think its a good idea to read through our? Recruitment Privacy Policy. California residents should read our ?California Recruitment Privacy Notice. This explains what we do with your personal data when you apply for a role with us, and, how you can update the information you have provided us with or how to remove it.