Associate Director

About UM

The home of Full Colour Media, UM is a global media agency committed to empowering brands to their full potential of growth by leveraging the power of brand patterns. As the leading global media network in IPG Mediabrands, UM operates in over 100 countries, with more than 3,000 people serving a roster of global clients including American Express, General Mills, Emirates, Johnson & Johnson, Levi Strauss & Co, Dyson, Enterprise holdings, Upfield, Just Eat Takeaway.com and Mattel. For more information, please visit https://www.umww.com/

Role Description

The International team working on ExxonMobil is the client / brand guardian of all communications and media programmes produced by the agency both centrally and locally, combining account management, diverse disciplines including communication planning, market governance and stewardship, digital excellence, research and insights, robust measurement and finance. The geographical remit is for Europe.

As Associate Account Director, you will work across all lines of business for ExxonMobil EMEA (corporate, fuels and lubricants) and will have strong digital knowledge. You will lead the coordination of local market briefs, as well as plan regional media plans for Lubes activity specifically. The responsibility ranges from developing and agreeing briefs with clients and agency partners, briefing local markets, coordinating and governing local market deliverables through to producing and presenting post-campaign results, ensuring timely and accurate delivery internally and to clients.

This role will also support the strategic lead in developing regional strategies, channel guidelines, principles, best practices across markets. You will work closely with the Client Partner, managing Account Execs, building strong relationships within the team including Strategy, our key day-to-day clients and our Global team in New York.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the day to day of the account, reporting to the Group Account Director
• Accountable for day to day responsibility for entire account, working with individual client teams.
• Ensure work delivered to client is of highest standard; review all key documents/presentations prior to distribution.
• Guide a team of 2 Account Executives and work in conjunction with other internal specialist units.
• Ensure account executives manage financial reconciliations successfully.
• Be an active contributor, presenting in client meetings.
• Develop close relationships with clients and agency partners.
• Ensure curiosity, innovation and outsmarting are the key principles that guide the account.
• Work with the Client Partnr to identify organic growth via incremental revenue opportunities.

Pan regional Media planning / buying and reporting

• Pan regional planning and buying: Evaluate media proposals and negotiate rates/programs to ensure highest value and efficiencies are delivered to the client.
• Strong knowledge and confident in leading digital activity including PPC,Display, Programmatic and Social etc.
• Create and maintain relationships with key media partners. Manage client expectations and have the ability to assess when to escalate issues to the Group Account Director.
• Also challenge clients when necessary.
• Ensures all reporting and post campaign analysis is done within the expected timelines.

Local market support / governance

• Excellent project management with local markets and local clients.
• Lead the local market client relationship.
• Support and deploy regional strategy to local markets and provide guidance with communications task, objective setting and channel guidance.
• Support and governance for the local market teams to ensure their media plans comply with the central brief and strategy. Be able to confidently challenge and question assumptions and recommendations that have been made to ensure the best possible delivery for the client.
• Ensures all reporting and post campaign analysis is done within the expected timelines.

Finance

• Gain full understanding of both UM & ExxonMobil finance processes, supporting the Business Operations Director as required.

Strategy and insight

• Strategic thinking to understand client challenges and outline focus.
• Gain full understanding of the clients’ business and the market they occupy so that you can confidently speak from a position of authority and help identify the issues they face.
• Constantly use your knowledge of the clients’ business to identify areas where Mediabrands can help solve their marketing challenges.

Desired Skills & Experience

• Experienced in an international media agency role.
• Exposure to multi-media disciplines and digital activation experience is preferred.
• You can build relationships with colleagues and contacts – daily contact with key clients is not new to you, nor is working closely and collaboratively with creative agency colleagues.
• Experience planning local market campaigns, or at least know what is required to plan and buy them.
• Excellent project management skills and team player.
• Enthusiastic, driven and ambitious person who enjoys the success of their team as much as their own personal achievements.
• Comfortable working with corporate clients and educating on media.
• Presentation skills; must be able to present to senior level clients and also peers.