Account Director

Smile Digital; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading PR agency in Manchester seeks an experienced Account Director to spearhead client relationships and strategy. This hands-on role involves shaping narratives, developing impactful PR campaigns, and managing diverse teams. Ideal candidates will have strong agency backgrounds in PR and proven media relations expertise. This is an opportunity for ambitious professionals to elevate their careers within a dynamic environment.

Qualifications

• Proven experience managing multiple clients and complex campaigns.
• Comfortable crafting narratives and writing high quality content.
• Experience in leading PR strategies across integrated clients.

Responsibilities

• Own and lead strategic comms programmes across various clients.
• Develop reputation building PR strategies for measurable impact.
• Collaborate with teams to deliver integrated communication programmes.

Skills

Agency background in PR

Media relations expertise

Creative storytelling

Client presentation skills

Strategic thinking

Job description

Account Director, PR & Communications Agency (Manchester | Hybrid - 2 Days in Office)

A strategically led PR & communications agency with big ambitions and even bigger clients, being known for turning insight into impact, delivering campaigns that land in the headlines, influence opinion, and genuinely shift perception. They work across earned media, brand storytelling, corporate comms, thought leadership and integrated comms strategies, creating work that is both culturally relevant and commercially effective.

We are looking for a PR Account Director (or a strong Senior Account Manager ready to make the jump) to join their growing team in Manchester. This role is perfect for someone who knows how to own client relationships, lead strategy, and manage delivery all while staying hands on with storytelling, content, and media outreach.

This isn't a “press office only” role. They want someone who can think strategically, help shape narratives, build campaigns, navigate complex client challenges, and lead communication programmes end to end.

Your role will involve:

• Owning and leading strategic comms programmes across corporate, consumer or integrated clients
• Developing reputation building PR strategies that deliver earned media coverage and measurable impact
• Overseeing PR planning, media relations, press office management, reactive and proactive comms
• Leading on campaign development, messaging frameworks, story angles, content plans, hooks, thought leadership etc.
• Direct junior and mid level team members, ensuring high quality output across everything from pitches to press releases
• Work with senior leadership to grow accounts, spot opportunities, and ensure commercial delivery
• Support in new business, pitching, presenting, proposal development and creative thinking
• Collaborate with social, digital and content teams to deliver integrated comms programmes

We need you to have:

• Agency background is essential in PR, comms or integrated communications
• Proven experience managing multiple clients, senior stakeholders and complex campaign delivery
• Media relations expertise, national, trade, sector press, broadcast, and digital first publications
• Someone who can deliver PR plans and think upstream at brand, reputation and messaging level
• Comfortable crafting narratives, writing high quality content and leading creative storytelling
• Confident presenting to clients, managing expectations and leading strategic conversations
• Hungry, collaborative, and ready to take ownership of both accounts and direction

This role would suit someone who:

• Is already an Account Director in PR/comms or a Senior Account Manager ready for a genuine step up
• Wants more responsibility, more influence, and more opportunity to lead strategy
• Thrives in a fast paced, ideas driven PR environment
• Loves big ideas but cares deeply about execution, relationships and results
• Wants to play a key part in shaping the future of a growing agency

If you are a driven PR professional who knows how to lead clients, build campaigns and drive reputation through earned media and strategic comms, this is a chance to make your mark in an ambitious, well respected agency.

Apply now for immediate consideration