Assistant Vice President

Ruder Finn India; Gurugram District; On-site; INR 1,500,000 - 2,100,000; Full time

Job summary

Ruder Finn India is seeking a senior PR leader to guide high-impact, digitally driven campaigns for marquee clients. You’ll mentor a team, shape strategy at the client level, and drive measurable outcomes with a global mindset and local execution.

You’ll lead bold, integrated campaigns, ensuring cultural relevance and strong ROI, while building client relationships and agency growth. The role emphasizes leadership, mentorship, and strategic thinking in a fast-paced environment, with

Qualifications

• 14–16 years of PR or communications experience, ideally agency-side, with senior client responsibility.
• Proven track record in leading integrated campaigns, especially digital-first or tech-driven.
• Confident storytelling, presentation and client leadership skills.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a C‑suite sounding board and creative sparring partner for your client roster, shaping communications that impact business KPIs
• Be the architect to design innovative, integrated campaigns, ideally AI-led, digitally savvy, insight-driven, that elevate brand narratives and amplify ROI
• Bring fearless ideation to the table; you’ll pitch bold, brave strategies that challenge the status quo
• Translate business challenges into communications opportunities, ensuring every strategy is culturally relevant, distinctive and built for impact.
• Ensure communication strategies reflect industry-leading excellence and cultural resonance also exemplify maximum coverage for your client
• Lead through leaders- mentor Directors and Manager, building a culture of collaboration, curiosity, and creative excellence
• Cultivate an environment of “vibe”, ownership and belonging, from new joiners’ induction to team celebrations
• Focus your leadership on strategy and client impact, empowering your team to execute flawlessly and grow professionally
• Identify high-potential talent and actively create opportunities for career progression.
• Build new client relationships with passion, your energy and strategic vision open doors and fuel agency growth
• Deepen existing partnerships by identifying opportunities that emerge through insight-led analysis
• Champion Ruder Finn’s ethos at client meetings, industry forums, and thought leadership events
• Stay ahead of digital trends - AI, analytics, influencer ecosystems, and apply them to client storytelling
• Champion data-informed creativity, blending art and science in everything you do
• Own financial outcomes, scope projects precisely, track profitability, manage budgets and resources wisely.
• Partner with project managers to ensure disciplined delivery and client satisfaction
• Build managers, not dependency-coach Managers and Directors to independently handle clients, teams, business conversations and commercial decisions.
• Establish a strong managerial capability pipeline, ensuring the next generation of RF leaders is ready before the business needs them.
• Conduct regular coaching conversations focused on strategic thinking, client leadership, people management, delegation, difficult conversations and commercial acumen.
• Create on-the-job learning through client exposure, pitch leadership, mentoring and cross-practice collaboration.
• Hold directors accountable for developing their own teams, creating a leadership multiplier effect across the organisation.
• Partner with HR/L&D to identify capability gaps and translate them into targeted development interventions.
• Think beyond individual accounts and contribute to the growth strategy of the practice and the wider agency.
• Identify market trends, emerging sectors, talent capabilities and client needs that can create new revenue opportunities.
• Collaborate across practices to bring integrated RF solutions to clients.
• Build strategic partnerships and industry relationships that strengthen RF’s market position.
• Contribute to RF’s thought leadership, intellectual capital and reputation in the communications industry.
• Think like an agency leader: what is good for my client, what is good for my team and what is good for RF?

Skills

PR leadership

Client management

Digital storytelling

Team mentoring

Job description

Ruder Finn is one of the world’s largest independent communications agencies. Born in New York in 1948 with a restless ‘What’s Next’ spirit that still drives us today, it was one of the first PR agencies in the world. From bold ideas to breakthrough storytelling, we help brands, leaders, and causes stay ahead in a world that never stands still.

In India, our journey has been nothing short of electric. In just 7 years, we’ve scaled from a boutique agency to one of the fastest-growing large agencies in the country. Along the way, we’ve built a culture where people grow, experiment, and shine, proven by consistently leading the people and campaign award wins. With 250+ awards in the last 5 years and titles like Mid-Sized Agency of the Year and Large Agency of the Year (multiple times), we’re not just part of the conversation. We’re shaping it.

Why Ruder Finn India?

At Ruder Finn, we don't just do PR - we shape what's next. Here's why you'll love being part of our story:

• Tech at the core: Whether it's healthcare, consumer, or corporate, we bring a tech-first lens to everything we do. From RF.AIO to our Tech Lab and RF Studio, innovation isn't a department here, it's a mindset.
• Talent comes first: We believe in meritocracy and back it up by investing heavily in learning, development, and young leadership. If you've got the drive, you'll get the stage.
• Living "What's Next": Curiosity and hunger fuel us. We don't wait for trends; we build them.
• Punching above our weight: From social-first storytelling for global icons like Meta and Adobe, to high-energy campaigns with LGP and MG - we play in big leagues with bold ideas.
• Work hard, play harder: Yes, we deliver for our clients, but we're equally passionate about telling our own story. #LifeAtRF is about creativity, camaraderie, and culture - and our people bring it alive every day. Check it out- https://www.instagram.com/ruderfinnindia/

This is your chance to step into a role that’s as dynamic as the brands you’ll work with. You’ll lead bold campaigns, mentor a team of curious, high-energy talent, and drive ideas that don’t just get heard, they spark conversation. Think of it as a front-row seat to transformation: shaping strategies, championing digital-first storytelling, and making an impact that lasts. If you’re hungry for growth, ready to challenge the status quo, and excited to be a trusted advisor to senior leadership, this is where it happens.

What you will do:

Boss-Level Client Moves:

• Serve as a C‑suite sounding board and creative sparring partner for your client roster, shaping communications that impact business KPIs
• Be the architect to design innovative, integrated campaigns, ideally AI-led, digitally savvy, insight-driven, that elevate brand narratives and amplify ROI
• Bring fearless ideation to the table; you’ll pitch bold, brave strategies that challenge the status quo
• Translate business challenges into communications opportunities, ensuring every strategy is culturally relevant, distinctive and built for impact.
• Ensure communication strategies reflect industry-leading excellence and cultural resonance also exemplify maximum coverage for your client

Rally the Troops

• Lead through leaders- mentor Directors and Manager, building a culture of collaboration, curiosity, and creative excellence
• Cultivate an environment of “vibe”, ownership and belonging, from new joiners’ induction to team celebrations
• Focus your leadership on strategy and client impact, empowering your team to execute flawlessly and grow professionally
• Identify high-potential talent and actively create opportunities for career progression.

Making Waves, Winning Hearts

• Build new client relationships with passion, your energy and strategic vision open doors and fuel agency growth
• Deepen existing partnerships by identifying opportunities that emerge through insight-led analysis
• Champion Ruder Finn’s ethos at client meetings, industry forums, and thought leadership events

Digital meets Genius

• Stay ahead of digital trends - AI, analytics, influencer ecosystems, and apply them to client storytelling
• Champion data-informed creativity, blending art and science in everything you do
• Own financial outcomes, scope projects precisely, track profitability, manage budgets and resources wisely.
• Partner with project managers to ensure disciplined delivery and client satisfaction

Train the Leaders. Build the Bench.

• Build managers, not dependency-coach Managers and Directors to independently handle clients, teams, business conversations and commercial decisions.
• Establish a strong managerial capability pipeline, ensuring the next generation of RF leaders is ready before the business needs them.
• Conduct regular coaching conversations focused on strategic thinking, client leadership, people management, delegation, difficult conversations and commercial acumen.
• Create on-the-job learning through client exposure, pitch leadership, mentoring and cross-practice collaboration.
• Hold directors accountable for developing their own teams, creating a leadership multiplier effect across the organisation.
• Partner with HR/L&D to identify capability gaps and translate them into targeted development interventions.

Build the Business, Not Just the Account

• Think beyond individual accounts and contribute to the growth strategy of the practice and the wider agency.
• Identify market trends, emerging sectors, talent capabilities and client needs that can create new revenue opportunities.
• Collaborate across practices to bring integrated RF solutions to clients.
• Build strategic partnerships and industry relationships that strengthen RF’s market position.
• Contribute to RF’s thought leadership, intellectual capital and reputation in the communications industry.
• Think like an agency leader: what is good for my client, what is good for my team and what is good for RF?

The Quality Bar

• Be the final quality filter for strategic thinking, creative output, client communication and executive-level deliverables.
• Ensure teams move from “good work” to work that gets noticed, talked about and remembered.
• Raise the bar on storytelling, strategic counsel, innovation and execution across the portfolio.

Lead the RF Way

• Embody Ruder Finn’s values and leadership philosophy in every client, team and business interaction.

What We Expect from You:

• 14–16 years' PR or communications experience, ideally agency-side, with senior client responsibility
• Handling clients in the space of Consumer Tech
• Proven track record in leading successful, integrated campaigns-especially digital-first or tech-driven
• Confident storytelling skills, exceptional presentation and communication ability
• Strong leadership presence, enthusiastic mentor and team-builder - be the confidant for your team members, also a guiding light in moments of crisis
• Strategic mindset with entrepreneurial flair—identifying growth opportunities, shaping proposals, winning pitches