Account Director

Acorn Digital Strategy; Abu Dhabi; Hybrid; AED 200,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading communications consultancy in Abu Dhabi is seeking an experienced Account Director to manage high-value client accounts across the GCC. This hybrid role involves shaping communications strategies and mentoring team members. The ideal candidate has 7-8 years in strategic communications, preferably in healthcare, and strong relationship management skills. Join us for a collaborative environment with flexible work arrangements and opportunities for career development.

Benefits

Training opportunities

Flexible working arrangements

Collaborative environment

Qualifications

• 7-8 years’ experience in strategic communications or PR, preferably in the healthcare sector.
• Proven experience managing client accounts and complex workflows.
• Bilingual in English/Arabic is a plus but not essential.

Responsibilities

• Lead integrated communications strategies for high-value client accounts.
• Manage and mentor junior team members to improve skills and performance.
• Provide senior oversight of budgets and ensure efficient delivery of work.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Creative leadership

Project management

Team leadership

Relationship management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Communications, PR, Journalism or related field

Tools

ClickUp or equivalent tracking tools

Job description

Job Title: Account Director

Location: Abu Dhabi, hybrid

Contract Type: Full‑time

Reporting To: General Manager

Purpose of the Role

As an Account Director within Acorn Strategy’s Strategic Communications team, you’ll take ownership of high‑value client accounts across the UAE and broader GCC region. You will lead integrated communications strategies, inspire impactful campaign execution, and shape meaningful partnerships with clients and key stakeholders. As the senior strategic owner of assigned accounts you will be responsible for client relationships, quality of output, and long‑term account health.

The successful candidate will bring prior healthcare experience in an agency environment, strong account management fundamentals and the ability to manage complex workflows with minimal supervision.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Act as the senior strategic lead across assigned accounts, ensuring alignment with client objectives and long‑term growth.
• Shape communications strategies, advise on positioning, and anticipate issues before they arise.
• Set the direction for media engagement, storytelling, narrative development, and reputation management.

Client Partnership

• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior client stakeholders.
• Maintain strong, proactive relationships and ensure consistent delivery of high‑quality work.
• Steady challenging accounts and guide them through to successful contract completion.

Campaign & Programme Oversight

• Lead planning, execution, and evaluation of campaigns and programmes.
• Ensure all work delivers measurable value and meets agreed KPIs.
• Keep all projects within scope and identify opportunities to upsell additional services.

Team Leadership & Development

• Manage and mentor junior team members, driving observable improvements in skills and performance.
• Oversee team workload, ensuring balanced distribution and high‑quality output.
• Foster a culture of problem‑solving, enthusiasm, and continuous learning.

Commercial & Operational Management

• Provide senior oversight of budgets, resourcing, and commercial performance.
• Ensure work is delivered efficiently, profitably, and to a consistently high standard.
• Contribute to business development efforts and support growth across the wider portfolio.

What You Need to Apply for This Role

• Strong strategic thinking with the ability to connect communications efforts to wider business goals and commercial outcomes.
• Creative leadership in campaign ideation, messaging frameworks, and brand storytelling.
• Commercial acumen with experience in pricing, scope definition, and managing profitability.
• Excellent project management skills, with familiarity in using project tracking tools like ClickUp or equivalent.
• Exceptional relationship skills, with the ability to engage and influence senior stakeholders and manage escalations professionally.
• Team leadership experience, with a track record of mentoring and growing junior talent.
• Flexibility to travel within the UAE.

Qualifications

• 7-8 years’ experience working with leading agencies in strategic communications, PR or integrated campaigns.
• Exposure to both public and private sector clients in the GCC, ideally within the healthcare sector.
• A Bachelor’s degree in Communications, PR, Journalism or a related field.
• Bilingual English/Arabic is highly regarded but not essential.

Why Join Us?

• Be part of a global, growing organisation with exposure across multiple markets.
• Work in a collaborative, multicultural environment with flexible working arrangements.
• Training opportunities to advance career development.

About Acorn Strategy

Voted Large Agency of the Year and winner of multiple international awards, Acorn Strategy is a full‑service communications consultancy with offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Melbourne, Perth, and London, and an ever‑expanding client roster. We are an integrated marketing, public relations, and digital consultancy that delivers sharp, agile, and creative strategies to help grow our clients’ business.

Our Culture

We understand that our success depends on recruiting and retaining the highest quality individuals. We have created an environment for people to grow and learn through a culture that empowers creativity, innovation, and professionalism. The core values we live by are collaboration, agility, bravery, curiosity, and growth.

Our People

Over the years we have come to realise that although each of our team members are unique, we each share a series of personal traits that have successfully linked us culturally as a team and as an agency at large.

Acorn Strategy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are dedicated to creating and building a respectful and empowering environment. We aim to create an inclusive workplace that supports our diversity and increases our potential to produce work that better represents and resonates with the world around us.