Client Director

Dentsu Aegis Network; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading integrated marketing firm in London is seeking a Client Director to manage client relations, providing strategic consultancy across UEFA properties. The ideal candidate has over 6 years of experience in sports and entertainment, excellent project management skills, and an ability to drive client success. This position offers a hybrid working environment, competitive benefits, and significant opportunities for career development.

Benefits

Private health & dental insurance

29+ days of annual leave

Career development opportunities

Flexible working hours

Qualifications

• Proven experience in client consultancy and account management.
• Strong understanding of the marketing and sponsorship landscape.
• Ability to execute on complex projects effectively.

Responsibilities

• Lead client relationships and ensure excellence in service delivery.
• Manage project timelines and resources efficiently.
• Support business growth by exploring new client opportunities.

Skills

Client relationship management

Project management

Strategic thinking

People management

Sponsorship expertise

Education

6+ years of experience in sports and entertainment

Job description

We are seeking an experienced Client Director to lead the client consultancy, and activation plans across men’s & women’s UEFA properties. Working with a leading global brand, this role will oversee the day-to-day management of a key UEFA partner, as well as providing strategic expertise and high-profile client consultancy across the team.

This role is to provide strategic recommendations and manage all resources to ensure the client’s needs are met. You will support the Business Directors in delivery on accounts, managing the capabilities and team to ensure on-time delivery and excellence in execution. You are viewed as a trusted advisor to the client and play a key role in developing your team.

Job Description

About Dentsu

Dentsu is an integrated growth and transformation partner to the world’s leading organizations. Founded in 1901 in Tokyo, Japan, and now present in over 145 countries and regions, it has a proven track record of nurturing and developing innovations, combining the talents of its global network of leadership brands to develop impactful and integrated growth solutions for clients. Dentsu delivers end-to-end experience transformation (EX) by integrating its services across Media, CXM and Creative, while its business transformation (BX) mindset pushes the boundaries of transformation and sustainable growth for brands, people and society.

MKTG Sports & Entertainment is an important part of our world-class offering. MKTG Sports & Entertainment is a global integrated agency that harnesses the power of sports and entertainment to impact human behaviour through meaningful marketing solutions and experiences. Our key differentiator is “knowing people better than anyone else” and using deep consumer insights to establish powerful connections between sports properties and brands.

Across strategy, measurement, content, hospitality and events, we connect the sports and entertainment industry and companies around the world to deliver meaningful marketing solutions and experiences that are truly differentiated. The experiences that we create engage customers, build memorable brands and deliver value.

We are part of Dentsu Sports International, a newly formed global sports network comprised of MKTG Sports + Entertainment, dentsu Sports Analytics and dentsu Sports.

The role

We are seeking an experienced Client Director to lead the client consultancy, and activation plans across men’s & women’s UEFA properties. Working with a leading global brand, this role will oversee the day’time management of a key UEFA partner, as well as providing strategic expertise and high-profile client consultancy across the team.

This role is to provide strategic recommendations and manage all resources to ensure the client’s needs are met. You will support the Business Directors in delivery on accounts, managing the capabilities and team to ensure on’time delivery and excellence in execution. You are viewed as a trusted advisor to the client and play a key role in developing your team.

Client Servicing / Account Management

• Lead and direct the client relationship
• Understand your client’s business and the wider industry competitor set.
• Know what makes your clients tick, how to make them stand out and support them in achieving marketing goals.
• Lead by example on client service excellence.
• Have full ownership and accountability for client/account fees and activation budgets.
• Understand and be able to report on the commercials of your client responsibilities.

Project Management

• Oversee and direct the client team to effectively and efficiently manage retained client work and project work.
• Hold overall responsibility for ensuring the project delivers above client expectations.
• Be accountable for the client team setting timelines, expectations, and meeting deadlines.
• Manage resource across the client team and escalate/inform BD's, of pinch points, resource requirements, resource solutions.
• Have oversight and be accountable for money in and out of client fee jobs and activation jobs, accurately budget, reconcile and report revenue to BD's.

Business Growth

• Play an important role in client development and new logo growth by directing new client and business briefs / projects.
• Work closely with BD's on overseeing New Business opportunities and allocating resource where available.
• Have an understanding of scope of work planning – outlining deliverables, fees and timelines.

People Management

• Act as a mentor and coach to your direct reports to help them develop in their role and career, promoting an inclusive environment where everyone’s voice can be heard.
• Provide regular on the go feedback and regular structured 121’s which focuses on performance.
• Discuss and agree clear performance objectives and L&D opportunities, which supports both the business and your direct reports personal ambitions, identifying areas of strengths and weaknesses.

What you bring

• A best-in-class operator in sport and entertainment, with a minimum of 6 years’ experience within the industry.
• Experience working with UEFA is preferred, but not essential.
• Experience in marketing either agency side, client side or with a rights holder working on sport sponsorships and activation programmes.
• Technical knowledge of sponsorships and partnership marketing, as well as attention to detail and drive to manage and develop existing activation programmes.
• Possesses the strategic thinking needed to develop campaigns, activations and integrated marketing solutions.
• Thrives in managing projects and enjoys working on sports/events and like to be part of a close-knit team.
• A strategic and logical thinker who can provide counsel to our clients and suppliers in delivering best-in-class solutions and client service excellence.
• Acumen to look at business performance for our clients and how this can be measured to make sponsorship assets more accountable.

A few of the benefits

• You’ll have a great compensation package, private health & dental insurance, corporate discounts and career development through Dentsu University, and free access to LinkedIn learning.
• 29+ days of annual leave (25 days of regular holidays, birthdays off and 3 additional wellness days).
• We also offer the opportunity to volunteer for up to 2 days per year and tend to close down the agency between Christmas and New Years.
• You’ll have a hybrid working schedule, with flexible start/end hours.

Inclusion and Diversity

At Dentsu, we embrace diversity and inclusion, valuing the unique perspectives and contributions of every individual. We believe that diversity fuels creativity and innovation, benefiting our employees, partners, and communities.

We welcome applications from all individuals, regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status, or any other protected characteristic. Beyond recruitment, we strive to create an environment where everyone feels respected, supported, and empowered to bring their authentic selves to work.

We recognize the importance of work-life balance and are open to discussing flexible working arrangements for all roles. If you need reasonable adjustments due to a disability or medical condition during our recruitment process, please contact us at [e-mail], quoting the reference number of the role that you are applying for. Your needs will be handled with respect and confidentiality to ensure an inclusive and accessible experience.

Location: London

Brand: Mktg Sports

Time Type: Full time

Contract Type: Permanent