Account Director

Ideas + Outcomes; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Profit share based on company performance

25 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Employee recognition awards

Pension plan

Job summary

A leading creative agency in Greater London is seeking an experienced Account Director. The role involves client ownership, driving delivery, and managing revenue and profitability. You will oversee a portfolio of accounts and ensure the highest standard of client care. Candidates should have at least 7 years in agency client services, with strong skills in project management and commercial acumen. The position offers a £55,000 base salary, with OTE of £70,000 including performance bonuses, and a hybrid work setup.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 7 years in client services or account management within agency environments.
• Experience across multiple integrated disciplines.
• Strong background in commercial management and project delivery.

Responsibilities

• Manage the day-to-day delivery of client projects and programmes.
• Grow accounts and develop revenue opportunities.
• Maintain proactive relationships with clients.

Skills

Client relationship management

Commercial acumen

Project management

Communication

Problem-solving

Education

7+ years in client services or account management

Tools

Office

Cloud-based project management tools

AI tools

Job description

Quick Version (Before You Scroll Past)

Package: £55,000 base salary (pro‑rated if part‑time). OTE £70,000 including performance bonus. Profit share on top.

Hours: Full‑time or 0.8 FTE – your choice, agreed at offer stage.

9‑Day Fortnight: Compress your hours over 9 days and take every other Friday off. This is a contractual option, not a perk we might take away.

Location: Central London, hybrid. 3 days in the office, flexible hours between 08:00‑18:00.

How to Apply: Do not just send a CV. Tell us why this role interests you, what you would bring, and why you are a strong fit. Then attach your CV. Applications without context will not be prioritised.

Please Note: We receive 400‑500 applications per role and cannot respond to everyone. We will only contact candidates we wish to take forward. There is no visa sponsorship available – applicants must have a permanent right to work in the UK.

About Ideas + Outcomes

Ideas + Outcomes transform the future and create lasting value for businesses worldwide. A creative company founded on one truth. When you know your customer, you change the game.

Our work spans retail and ecommerce, healthcare and pharma, education, and the public sector. Much of it is complex. Most of it matters.

We are Drum Recommended, rated 9.3/10 by our clients.

The Role

This is a hands‑on Account Director role focused on day-to-day client ownership and delivery.

You will be the primary lead for a portfolio of accounts, typically 3–6 active clients. Your portfolio value will vary with mix and is expected to sit below the threshold that would warrant a dedicated Client Partner position.

You will brief work, drive delivery, solve problems, and be the first call when clients need support. You will work with project managers on larger or more technical programmes, while remaining accountable for the client experience and commercial outcomes.

You are accountable for both revenue and profitability. Good revenue with poor margins does not work. You will grow accounts where appropriate, protect margin, and ensure work is delivered on time, on budget, and to a standard that keeps clients coming back.

Base salary is supported by a performance bonus tied to client retention, account growth, client satisfaction, Drum Recommends ratings, and referrals.

What You’ll Do

Account growth and development (20% of your time)

Identify and develop opportunities to grow revenue within your existing accounts. Understand client business objectives, spot gaps, and propose solutions that deliver measurable value. Support new business efforts when opportunities align with your experience or client sector. Participate in pitches and RFPs from brief stage through to handover, ensuring smooth transitions when new work is won. Build trusted advisor relationships with senior client stakeholders (with senior escalation support available when required).

Client relationship management (20% of your time)

Maintain strong, proactive relationships with clients across your portfolio. Conduct regular reviews, check‑ins, and planning sessions appropriate to account size and complexity. Tease out challenges, blockers, and unspoken problems before they escape. Be the client’s first point of contact when something needs solving. Ensure clients feel heard, supported, and confident in the agency’s ability to deliver.

Project and programme delivery (60% of your time)

Manage the day‑to‑day delivery of client projects and programmes. Translate client needs into clear, actionable internal briefs for creative, UX, strategy, and development teams. Brief teams properly, ensuring context, constraints, and success criteria are understood. Attend and contribute to client workshops, working sessions, and planning meetings. Work in partnership with project managers on larger or more complex programmes, maintaining overall client accountability. Drive work through the business, removing blockers and keeping momentum. Manage budgets, timelines, and scope to protect margin without compromising quality. Ensure delivery standards meet or exceed client expectations and contribute to 9/10+ Drum Recommends ratings.

Commercial accountability

Own the revenue and profitability performance of your client portfolio. Forecast revenue accurately and flag risks or opportunities early. Manage scope, budget, and client expectations to protect margins. Ensure invoicing, reconciliation, and financial reporting for your accounts is accurate and timely. Contribute to the agency’s overall financial health through disciplined account management.

Who You Are

We are looking for a T‑shaped client services professional. Deep in client management, commercial ownership, and delivery – but broad enough across disciplines to hold your own in conversations about brand strategy, creative development, campaign planning, UX, and web development. You do not need to be a specialist in any of these, but you need to understand enough to brief well, challenge constructively, and translate between client needs and specialist teams.

The best people for this role have typically worked across integrated or multi‑discipline agencies. They understand how campaigns, creative, brand, digital, and development connect – and they know how to orchestrate work across those disciplines without losing the thread.

Beyond that, you are:

• Naturally curious. You ask questions, dig into the detail, and want to understand how things work and why they matter.
• Commercially minded and comfortable owning numbers.
• A natural problem solver who thrives in the detail but does not lose sight of the bigger picture.
• Calm under pressure and capable of managing multiple priorities without dropping the ball.
• Confident briefing and working alongside creative, technical, and strategic teams.
• A strong communicator who translates complexity into clarity for both clients and internal teams.
• Consultative by nature, with the ability to challenge clients constructively when needed.
• Driven by outcomes, not activity. You care about what gets delivered and how it performs.
• Accountable and self‑motivated. You do not need to be managed, but you know when to ask for support.

Experience and Skills

Experience: A minimum of 7 years in client services or account management within agency environments. We would expect experience across at least three solid agencies – people who have only worked in one place tend not to have the breadth we need. A proven track record of managing accounts, driving delivery, and growing client relationships is essential.

Integrated background: You must have worked across multiple disciplines, not just one channel. We need someone who has lived in environments where brand, creative, campaigns, digital, and web development sit under one roof, or who has built that breadth by moving between agencies.

Sector experience: Strong preference for healthcare, pharma, or retail experience, ideally across both B2B and B2C. A credible background in at least one regulated or complex sector will set you apart.

Commercial acumen: Strong understanding of budgeting, forecasting, profitability, and revenue management.

Project management: Able to manage projects directly when needed, and equally able to work alongside seasoned project managers on larger projects and programmes, enabling them to deliver and succeed.

Client relationship management: Proven ability to build and maintain senior‑level client relationships, with evidence of retention and satisfaction.

Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Able to present, facilitate, and negotiate with confidence.

Technical proficiency: Comfortable with Mac, Office, cloud‑based project management and collaboration tools, and AI tools. Some practical experience using AI in a professional context is expected.

Organisation: Exceptional organisational skills, attention to detail, and ability to work at pace in a deadline‑driven environment.

Team collaboration: A natural collaborator who works well with project managers, creatives, strategists, and developers without relying on formal line management authority.

What Success Looks Like

• Consistent revenue and profitability performance across your client portfolio, in line with agreed targets.
• Client retention rates of 90%+ with evidence of account growth year‑on‑year to agreed targets.
• Clients rate their experience at 9/10 or higher on Drum Recommends.
• At least two client testimonials or case studies directly attributable to your account management within the first 12 months.
• Active contribution to new business wins through pitch support, sector expertise, or smooth post‑sale handovers.
• Recognition through the agency’s bonus structure for demonstrating the behaviours we value: client retention, growth, satisfaction, recommendations, and referrals.
• 4 referral conversations from your network in conjunction with the sales team. We do not need you to sell, just facilitate the conversation.

Reporting and Working Relationships

You will report to the Group CEO. You will work closely with colleagues in strategy, creative, UX, development and project management.

Benefits

• Salary: £55,000 base salary (pro‑rated if part‑time)
• On‑Target Earnings (OTE): £70,000 (including performance bonus based on client retention, account growth, client satisfaction, Drum Recommends ratings, and referrals)
• Employment type: Permanent employee. Full‑time or 0.8 FTE (to be agreed)
• 9‑Day Working Fortnight: Compress your hours over 9 days to enjoy every other Friday off
• Hybrid Working: 3 days per week in office
• Flexible hours: 08:00‑18:00
• Annual Leave: 25 days (FTE), plus bank holidays, increasing with service
• Pension: Penfold
• Life Insurance
• Profit Share: Based on company performance, so everyone benefits from our collective success
• Recognition: Employee of the Quarter and Year Awards, including an extra half‑day holiday for quarterly winners