Business Director

MessageSpace; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Uncapped commission

Central London office

Direct exposure to MD

Premium media environments

Job summary

MessageSpace, a leading London-based media buying agency, is hiring a Business Director to own new business development, deepen presence in financial services, and explore adjacent verticals in politics, pharma/healthcare and energy.

The role reports to the Managing Director, offers autonomy over the pipeline, and a generous uncapped commission; total on-target earnings will exceed £100,000 for the right candidate.

Qualifications

• Minimum 8 years in media sales, public affairs, or media planning and buying.
• Established senior industry contacts in financial services and/or public affairs.
• Proven track record of winning and managing major client accounts.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a new business strategy to grow retained key accounts.
• Leverage a strong network to generate warm introductions and convert them into agency relationships.
• Create compelling cross-channel media proposals for B2B and B2G campaigns.
• Own the full commercial lifecycle from prospecting to pitch, close, onboarding and growth.
• Meet and exceed quarterly and annual revenue targets for new business.
• Collaborate with the team to integrate elite audience targeting into proposals.
• Represent the agency at industry events and conferences and build opportunities.

Skills

Networking

Strategic thinking

Sales leadership

Communication

Relationship management

Tools

Programmatic advertising

Job description

MessageSpace is the UK's leading specialist media buying agency for political influence and reputation campaigns. We connect brands with the decision-makers that traditional media agencies cannot reach: parliamentarians, regulators, senior civil servants, C‑suite executives, and the advisers who shape policy and markets.

Our client roster includes some of the world's most recognised brands, from Airbnb and McDonald's to EDF, Lloyds, and Visa. We combine exclusive publisher relationships, proprietary Westminster audience research, and a programmatic trading desk with targeted out-of-home, video, and connected TV capabilities. The result is full-spectrum campaigns that demonstrably shift opinion among the audiences that matter most.

The Opportunity

We are hiring a Business Director to take ownership of new business development and drive the next phase of MessageSpace's growth. This is a senior commercial role with a clear mandate: bring in new accounts, deepen our presence in financial services, and contribute to adjacent verticals in politics, pharma/healthcare and energy.

You will report directly to the Managing Director and have the autonomy to shape your own pipeline, supported by an Account Manager and Account Executive. The role carries a competitive base salary with a generous, uncapped commission structure; for the right candidate, total on-target earnings will comfortably exceed £100,000.

This is the kind of opportunity that only comes from a profitable, growth-oriented agency with a start-up mentality and serious ambitions.

What You Will Do

• Develop and execute a new business strategy that materially increases the number of retained key accounts across financial services, public affairs, or other target growth verticals
• Leverage an established personal network of senior contacts to generate warm introductions and convert them into agency relationships
• Build and present compelling, insight-led media proposals for B2B and B2G (business-to-government) campaigns spanning digital display, programmatic audio, OOH, print, video, and connected TV
• Own the full commercial lifecycle from prospecting through to pitch, close, onboarding, and ongoing account growth
• Meet and exceed quarterly and annual revenue targets for new business
• Collaborate closely with the MessageSpace team to integrate our political and elite audience targeting capabilities into every proposal
• Represent the agency at industry events, party conferences, parliamentary receptions, and networking opportunities where business is won
• Contribute to the agency's broader strategic direction, identifying new market opportunities and shaping the service offering to meet them

The non-negotiable: you must have a minimum of 8 years' experience in media sales, public affairs, and/or media planning and buying, with a demonstrable track record of winning and managing significant client accounts. Equally important, you must bring an established, active network of senior industry contacts in financial services and/or public affairs, people you can pick up the phone to and generate real opportunities.

• Proven agency experience is essential; in-house marketing, corporate affairs, or government relations experience is a strong complement
• Strong understanding of B2B, B2G, and brand campaign strategies, and how media buying fits within a broader influence or public affairs programme
• Track record of successful business development with evidence of pipeline generation, conversion, and account growth
• Experience creating and presenting cross-channel media plans to senior stakeholders
• Strategic thinker with an entrepreneurial mindset and sharp commercial acumen
• Exceptional communication, presentation, and relationship management skills
• Self-starter who thrives with autonomy while collaborating effectively with a small, expert team

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct experience advising or selling to clients in financial services (asset management, banking, insurance, fintech) or the wider public affairs ecosystem (consultancies, trade associations, corporates with government-facing briefs)
• Existing client relationships that could translate into near-term pipeline for MessageSpace
• Deep knowledge of the UK political media landscape, including national newspapers, specialist political and financial publishers, and the growing role of partisan and digital-first outlets
• Understanding of programmatic advertising, data-driven audience targeting, and how these complement traditional media buying
• Experience operating in or alongside the EU policy landscape; Brussels and EU market exposure is highly valued

What We Offer

• Competitive base salary plus a generous, uncapped performance-based commission structure delivering total on-target earnings in excess of £100,000 for the right candidate
• Opportunity to build and lead a new business vertical with significant growth potential inside a profitable, well-established agency
• Direct line to the Managing Director and a seat at the table in shaping the agency's commercial strategy
• A platform to work with premium media environments: national newspapers, Politico, the Financial Times, The Spectator, New Statesman, PoliticsHome, and many more
• A small, expert team (no bureaucracy, no committees) with deep domain knowledge in political and financial audience targeting
• Central London office in Victoria, SW1

MessageSpace is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from all qualified individuals.