Associate Director or Senior Associate Director, Financial Services

APCO; Brussel; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

APCO Brussels is seeking an Associate Director or Senior Associate Director to join our Financial Services Practice. You will lead diverse campaigns, manage client relationships, and supervise teams across a multinational network.

The role requires seven years in consultancy, in-house, or related fields, with proven EU policy expertise and strong strategic abilities. You will drive business development while maintaining exceptional client service and collaboration across APCO offices.

Qualifications

• Minimum seven years in consultancy, in-house, or similar.
• Experience with EU policy issues and Brussels developments.
• Strong strategic and tactical abilities.
• Proactive, self-directed with client-facing experience.
• Ability to lead teams and manage multiple deliverables.

Responsibilities

• Lead a wide range of financial services, strategic communication, and issue campaigns for clients.
• Manage and grow client relationships, supervise project teams, allocate resources, and review work.
• Provide high-level client service daily through proactive account management and client contact.
• Lead strategy development and craft messages for prospective and existing clients.
• Monitor developments in key client issue areas and identify opportunities for engagement.
• Identify and lead new business opportunities for APCO.

Skills

Public affairs leadership

EU financial policy

Strategic communications

Client relationship mgmt

Team leadership

Proposal development

Job description

APCO Brussels is looking to hire an Associate Director or Senior Associate Director to join our Financial Services Practice. We are looking for experienced, ambitious, talented, and finance-savvy professionals to join our incredibly diverse and multicultural team.

Ideally, you will demonstrate strong expertise in EU policy issues, Brussels developments, and macro business factors impacting clients.

You will demonstrate an understanding of consultancy business practices and processes, a genuine interest in EU financial markets policy, as well as strong tactical and strategic abilities.

You would need to have a minimum of seven years of relevant experience in consultancy, in-house, political institutions, or within trade associations/think tanks.

You will be self-directed, proactive, and motivated to win for your clients every day. You will have experience leading teams and managing work streams while also serving as senior counsel on major projects. You know how to work with clients and have a positive, proactive attitude that wins the confidence of clients and inspires teams.

By joining our team, you will be working with colleagues across APCO’s international network of 32 offices who are open, collaborative, collegiate, supportive, and diverse.

Responsibilities

• Lead a wide range of financial services, strategic communication, and issue campaigns for our clients.
• Manage and grow client relationships including overseeing client projects, supervising project teams, allocating resources, and delegating and reviewing work effectively.
• Provide the highest level of client service on a daily basis through proactive account management, serving as the key client contact while also managing staff (both senior and junior) to successfully maintain and grow client relationships.
• Lead strategy development and craft effective messages for both prospective clients (as a key part of the new business process) and for existing clients.
• Monitor developments in key client issue areas and flag opportunities for further client engagement.
• Identify and lead new business opportunities for APCO.

Skills

• At least seven years of public affairs and strategic communications campaign experience including leading successful teams.
• Demonstrate strong expertise in EU financial market policy, capital markets, and payments.
• Have experience working on policy issues impacting the financial sector and the broader data economy.
• Initiate and nurture client relationships, manage large client teams, take ownership of client projects by supervising project teams, and delegate projects and tasks effectively.
• Help to drive and nurture client relationships day-to-day; know when to leverage senior-level relationships within APCO to further build the relationship within the client’s organization.
• Confidently help to drive and lead internal and client meetings, offer knowledgeable observations and suggestions, establish credibility by insights shared, encourage and motivate others to communicate ideas.
• Work to develop and implement the strategy which supports the client’s objectives, including everything from developing public affairs plans to properly scoping and pricing work, as well as managing work activities and resources within agreed upon budgets.
• Help to drive business development opportunities and manage proposal process ensuring accurate scoping/budgeting of opportunities.
• Bring a network of trusted experts in the finance space, as well as in the media and supervisory/regulatory environment.
• Have solid project management experience, including overseeing a team and multiple deliverables, providing clear and concise feedback to maintain high standards.
• Demonstrate success formulating and leading strategic engagements with external stakeholders.
• Have exceptional presentation, writing, and analytical skills, and the ability to write both strategically and creatively under tight deadlines.

Careers at APCO

Through our recruitment, hiring and retention efforts, APCO is committed to building teams to bring the best possible expertise and robust perspectives to our clients. We embrace differences in experience, viewpoint and ideas, starting with our values and extending to our behaviors, policies and practices. We aim to create a positive work experience and welcoming environment where everyone feels they belong and can thrive.