Group Business Director

Initiative Aotearoa; Auckland; On-site; NZD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Initiative Aotearoa in Auckland seeks an experienced Group Business Director to lead a portfolio of key client relationships, delivering strategic, commercial performance and integrated media solutions across paid, owned and data-enabled channels.

This 12-month fixed-term maternity cover offers a senior, high-impact role with scope to influence clients, partners and teams, while maintaining strong revenue, profitability and contractual commitments.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience across media planning, advertising, technology and/or data
• Strong strategic media planning capabilities and understanding of media fundamentals
• Exceptional communication, presentation and influencing skills
• Strong commercial acumen and experience managing revenue and profitability

Responsibilities

• Lead a portfolio of client at a senior strategic and commercial level.
• Build trusted relationships with senior client stakeholders and become a valued strategic advisor.
• Challenge client thinking with clear rationale and commercially sound recommendations.
• Lead and oversee high-impact strategic presentations and media solutions.
• Champion integrated, full-ecosystem planning across paid/owned media, data and tech.
• Identify proactive opportunities to move beyond BAU and grow clients.
• Maintain strong commercial accountability across revenue, profitability and contracts.
• Ensure ongoing optimisation and performance improvement across client activity.
• Build strong relationships with senior media owners, platforms and partners.
• Collaborate with investment, strategy, creative and specialist teams to deliver connected solutions.
• Contribute to thought leadership and industry initiatives.

Skills

Senior leadership

Strategic media planning

Commercial acumen

Presentation & influencing

Negotiation

Data & technology understanding

Relationship management

Leadership

Job description

Our mission is to build Fame & Flow™ for brands. We believe in the power of media to orchestrate a brand's entire consumer experience, creating widespread awareness, recognition and cultural relevance while connecting customers through seamless, engaging experiences across every stage of their journey.

We're looking for an experienced Group Business Director to join our senior leadership team on a 12-month fixed-term maternity cover contract, playing a key role in the continued growth of our agency, our clients and our people. This is a senior, high-impact role for a commercially minded and strategically driven media leader who thrives on working with senior clients, challenging convention and turning ambitious ideas into meaningful business results.

About the role

As Group Business Director, you'll take strategic and commercial leadership across a portfolio of key clients, acting as a trusted senior advisor and ensuring they receive exceptional thinking, service and results. You'll work across the full communications ecosystem from paid media and channel strategy through to data, technology, audiences and creative connections looking beyond traditional media solutions to identify new opportunities and deliver work that makes a genuine difference to our clients' businesses.

What you'll be doing

• Lead a portfolio of client at a senior strategic and commercial level.
• Build trusted relationships with senior client stakeholders and become a valued strategic advisor.
• Challenge client thinking when required, bringing clear rationale, fresh perspectives and commercially sound recommendations.
• Lead and oversee high-impact strategic presentations and media solutions.
• Champion integrated, full-ecosystem planning across paid media, owned media, data, technology, audiences and creative.
• Identify proactive opportunities that move clients beyond BAU and create new avenues for growth.
• Maintain strong commercial accountability across your portfolio, including revenue, profitability, investment and contractual commitments.
• Ensure ongoing optimisation and performance improvement across client activity.
• Build strong relationships with senior media owners, platforms and industry partners.
• Work closely with Initiative's investment, strategy, creative and specialist teams to deliver connected solutions.
• Contribute to thought leadership, industry education and initiatives that elevate both our people and our agency.

About you

You're an experienced media leader who is comfortable operating at both a strategic and commercial level. You'll ideally bring 5+ years of experience across media planning, advertising, technology and/or data, with a strong understanding of the modern media ecosystem.

You'll also bring:

• Senior client leadership experience.
• Strong strategic media planning capabilities and understanding of media fundamentals.
• Exceptional communication, presentation and influencing skills.
• Strong commercial acumen and experience managing revenue and profitability.
• The ability to build credibility and trust with senior clients and stakeholders.
• Strong negotiation and consulting skills.
• A solid understanding of data, budgeting, technology, audiences and how they can be used to drive marketing and business outcomes.
• An understanding of client businesses, category dynamics and emerging market trends.
• A proactive, entrepreneurial mindset and a genuine appetite for innovation.
• The confidence to challenge convention while bringing people with you.
• A collaborative, accountable and solutions-focused approach.

It would be a bonus if you have experience working in a financial services, FMCG and/or retail environment, with a strong understanding of client service and the commercial needs of these categories.

Most importantly, you'll be someone who sees opportunities where others see challenges and has the influence, commercial thinking and leadership capability to turn those opportunities into action.

Why Join Initiative Aotearoa?

At Initiative Aotearoa, we're building something special. We're a team of curious, ambitious and collaborative people who believe great work happens when people feel supported to be themselves, challenge convention and have a bit of fun along the way. As part of Initiative's global network, we combine world-class thinking with a distinctly local perspective. We work with ambitious brands, stay close to culture and aren't afraid to do things differently.

We're looking for people who bring ideas, energy and their own point of view to the table. In return, you'll join a collaborative and inclusive team where you can learn, grow, make an impact and do some of the best work of your career.

Bring your whole self. Back your ideas. Make an impact. That takes Initiative.

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