VP Communications

Group SJR; Toronto; On-site; CAD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work environment

Toronto campus office

Flexible benefits package

Job summary

Group SJR, a WPP company, seeks a Senior Account Director to lead a flagship account from our Toronto team. In this hybrid role, you will guide strategic PR, advise senior clients, and mentor the team while coordinating with internal partners across the network.

You will shepherd planning, drive growth, manage budgets, and deliver measurable results for world-class brands, leveraging deep industry insight and a client-centered leadership style.

Qualifications

• Experience: 10+ years in agency client services with PR and strategic communications.
• Ability to counsel senior stakeholders and manage complex client dynamics.
• Strategic thinker who can advise beyond execution and drive business outcomes.
• Collaborates with social strategists, editors, and creative teams.
• Strong financial discipline with budgets, SOWs and profitability.
• Proven leadership, mentorship, and team development skills.
• Exceptional verbal, written, and presentation abilities.

Responsibilities

• Trusted Advisory: build high-trust client relationships and voice in rooms.
• Strategic Planning: lead planning and translate objectives into PR/content strategies.
• Proactive Problem Solving: anticipate challenges and propose creative solutions.
• Flawless Operational Oversight: ensure smooth account operations and continuous improvement.
• Subject Matter Expertise: deepen industry knowledge and advise on trends and positioning.
• Campaign Evaluation: measure ROI and assess objective attainment.
• Financial Stewardship: manage budgets, forecasts, vendor reconciliations and invoicing.
• Empathetic Leadership: guide the team with strong emotional intelligence.
• Mentorship: coach staff and support development goals.
• New Business: contribute to pitches and client expansion.

Skills

Relationship Management

Strategic Thinking

Cross-functional Collaboration

Financial Acumen

Job description

Who We Are

Group SJR, a WPP company, is the original full-service content consultancy. Today’s leading organizations are grounded in unique skills, knowledge, and perspective but success depends on their ability to tell the world. At SJR we help them do exactly that; by discovering, developing and distributing their inimitable narrative. Anchored in the brand, the narrative provides the through-line that enables us to detail strategy and elevate communications programs.

About WPP

WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s 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.

Senior Account Director

Job Summary

SJR is a specialist content consulting and communications agency focused on journalistic storytelling. We are boutique in size and backed by WPP, one of the world's largest agency networks. This unique position gives you the benefits of a tight-knit, nimble agency where your work genuinely matters, alongside the career development, continuous learning, and global reach of a major network working with the world’s biggest brands.

As our Toronto team grows, we are looking for a Senior Account Director with deep public relations and strategic communications experience to lead an iconic account while building strong, trusting partnerships with our clients. In this role, you’ll be equal parts trusted client partner, solution-oriented strategist, team leader, communications consultant, and growth driver.

From engaging in forward-thinking planning to mining for organic growth, you will act as a true partner to our clients—guiding them with sharp industry knowledge and solutions tailored to their business, industry, and emerging trends.

The Senior Account Director sets the tone for our success, both inside the agency and with our clients. You know how to leverage your experience to expertly counsel high-profile clients at global brands, collaborate effectively with internal strategy partners, and maximize agency resources to deliver measurable, creatively brilliant work. As an agency champion, you will help innovate our offerings, mentor our team members, and grow our business. Above all, you will model SJR’s values, leading with empathy while delivering exceptional work.

Responsibilities

Client Strategy & Leadership (75%)

• Trusted Advisory: Build powerful, high-trust relationships with senior client partners. Act as a commanding, confident voice in the room who can expertly navigate complex client dynamics and guide strategic decision-making.
• Strategic Planning: Lead and execute all strategic planning activities. Translate client business objectives into high-impact public relations and content strategies, collaborating closely with internal social and creative strategy teams.
• Proactive Problem Solving: Act with foresight to assess client needs, anticipate challenges, and proactively identify creative solutions before issues arise.
• Flawless Operational Oversight: Oversee day-to-day operations to ensure the "engine" of the account runs seamlessly, eliminating the need for rework and fostering continuous improvement.
• Subject Matter Expertise: Deeply embed yourself in the client’s industry (QSR experience is an asset), speaking authoritatively to the competitive landscape, trends, audience needs, and brand positioning.
• Campaign Evaluation: Evaluate programs and campaigns systematically to measure ROI and determine the extent to which client objectives were met.
• Financial Stewardship: Adhere to all agency financial requirements, including drafting SOWs/MSAs, maintaining accurate revenue forecasts, managing budgets and vendor reconciliations, and overseeing timely invoicing.

Staff Development & Team Leadership (25%)

• Empathetic Leadership: Demonstrate high emotional intelligence, maturity, and situational awareness, leading the team by example.
• Mentorship: Coach direct reports to strengthen their strategic thinking, tactical execution, and interpersonal client-management skills.
• Resource Allocation: Ensure work is delegated effectively and appropriately based on team members' levels, strengths, and development goals.
• Feedback Culture: Conduct performance reviews and foster a healthy, two-way feedback loop to continuously improve team processes and collaboration.
• WPP Network Collaboration: Build and maintain relationships with internal and external network partners to keep SJR front-of-mind for content and creative briefs.
• New Business: Participate actively in pitch development and presentations for prospective clients as required.

Qualifications

• Experience: 10+ years of agency client services experience, with a heavy focus on PR, strategic communications, and content innovation.
• Relationship Management: Proven track record of managing and growing sophisticated, high-profile client relationships, with the ability to confidently counsel senior stakeholders and handle challenging dynamics with poise.
• Strategic Depth: Strong initiative as a creative, analytical, and highly strategic thinker who can move beyond execution to deliver high-level business consultation.
• Collaborative Mindset: Experience partnering with cross-functional agency teams (e.g., social strategists, creative directors, and editors) to deliver cohesive, multi-channel campaigns.
• Financial Acumen: Strong financial discipline with proven experience managing complex account budgets, SOWs, and profitability.
• People Leadership: Demonstrated success in leading, inspiring, and developing high-performing, diverse teams with an adaptable, empowering leadership style.
• Communication Skills: Exceptional verbal, written, and presentation skills, with a polished ability to "sell" concepts and strategies.

What We Offer

• Hybrid work environment
• SJR's office is in the WPP Toronto Campus at Toronto's Waterfront Innovation Centre with state-of-the-art amenities
• Competitive salary and time off policies
• Flexible benefits package, Employee Assistance Program, and Wellness Reimbursement
• A team of intellectually curious, empathetic, and collaborative people

The base salary for this position at the time of this posting may range between the values at the bottom of this posting. Individual compensation varies based on job-related factors, including location, business needs, level of responsibility, experience, and qualifications.

$90,000 - $140,000 CAD

We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we've adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office an average of four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.

WPP (SJR) is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.