Business Unit Manager - Influencer

Dentsu Creative CPT (Pty) Ltd; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 1,100,000 - 1,700,000; Full time

Job summary

Dentsu Cape Town seeks an experienced Unit Manager for the Influencer practice to drive strategic direction, client management, and team leadership across Lead and Strategy tracks. You will own talent budgets, casting approvals, and cross-sell opportunities while ensuring creative output aligns with brand objectives.

You will oversee profitability, run rates and stakeholder sign-off, mentoring Lead-tier staff and maintaining a high standard of deliverables.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Media or related field.
• Postgraduate qualification advantageous.
• Experience 5-8 years in influencer marketing, social media or digital account management, including at least 2 years in a team leadership or account ownership role within an agency or brand environment.

Responsibilities

• Set and approve account direction across Lead tracks, ensuring influencer strategy aligns with client business objectives and broader brand strategy.
• Hold final sign-off on creator casting and commercial fit, following casting proposals from Strategy Lead and execution by Client Delivery Lead.
• Set engagement standards, escalation protocols and audience interaction frameworks for community management across the unit.
• Lead major client meetings, senior relationship management, escalations and growth conversations.
• Sign off on reporting narratives, strategic recommendations and client-facing conclusions across the account.
• Identify and pursue upsell and new business opportunities within existing accounts.

Skills

Strategic thinking

People leadership

Client relationship management

Commercial mindset

Education

Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Media or related field

Postgraduate qualification advantageous

Tools

Upfluence

Aspire

Grin

GWI

Brandmapp

MS Office Suite

Magnetic

Asana

Job description

Own the overall success of assigned client accounts within the Influencer practice, including strategy direction, client relationship management, team leadership and commercial performance. Ensure alignment between brand objectives, cultural relevance and campaign execution while driving growth, retention and high standards across all outputs. The Unit Manager is the direct line manager for all Culture & Influencer Lead-tier team members (both Client Delivery and Strategy tracks) within the unit. Decision‑making authority is high within the approved scope, covering talent budget management, hiring input and creator casting sign-off. Scoping and commercial sign‑off sit with the Client Service Director and Chief Culture Officer & MD; the Unit Manager's role commences on PO, resourcing the job card and running the unit. Process ownership covers delivery governance within the unit and the operation of the CSA 9‑step Creator Selection & Onboarding Framework. The Unit Manager monitors account profitability, run rates and cross‑sell opportunities at portfolio level, flags scope changes and margin risk to the Client Service Director / Chief Culture Officer & MD, and approves strategy, talent direction and partnership fit against brand and commercial objectives.

Job Description

We hire for mindset and develop for skill. These are the non‑negotiable behaviours at this level.

Strategically minded

You connect day‑to‑day delivery to the account's broader growth and retention story, and approve campaign direction to ensure creator, content and platform ecosystems align with brand strategy.

Commercially fluent

You manage talent budgets and margin health within the approved scope, monitor account profitability, run rates and cross‑sell opportunities, and raise scope changes to the Client Service Director / Chief Culture Officer & MD early.

People‑focused

You directly line‑manage Lead‑tier team members across both tracks, mentor them, set KPIs and create the conditions for them to do their best work.

Client‑trusted

You lead senior relationships, manage escalations calmly and identify growth opportunities.

Culturally credible

You bring an informed point of view on the South African creator landscape to strategy and pitch conversations and hold final sign‑off on creator casting and commercial fit.

Accountable

You own account health end to end and do not let issues sit unresolved.

Readiness for the next level

Is demonstrated by stepping into market‑wide leadership, driving national strategy or running multi‑account clusters. Demonstrate Dentsu leadership attributes through the eight ways model.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Strategy & Account Leadership Set and approve account direction across both Lead tracks, ensuring influencer strategy aligns with client business objectives and broader brand strategy.
• Hold final sign‑off on creator casting and commercial fit, following casting proposals from the Strategy Lead and execution by the Client Delivery Lead.
• Set engagement standards, escalation protocols and audience interaction frameworks for community management across the unit.
• Lead major client meetings, senior relationship management, escalations and growth conversations.
• Sign off on reporting narratives, strategic recommendations and client‑facing conclusions across the account.
• Identify and pursue upsell and new business opportunities within existing accounts.

Team Leadership

• Directly line‑manage all Lead‑tier team members (Client Delivery and Strategy tracks), including performance reviews, development planning and addressing performance gaps early.
• Set operating standards, processes and accountability frameworks across the unit, ensuring all influencer delivery runs through the CSA 9‑step Creator Selection & Onboarding Framework.
• Monitor workload health across Leads, Executives and Associates and elevate resourcing risks to the Chief Culture Officer & MD.
• Coach and develop Lead‑tier team members, identifying and actively developing at least 1 successor per year.

Commercial & Operational

• Manage talent budgets and margin health across the account within the approved scope, owning delivery governance within the unit and escalating scope changes and commercial decisions to the Client Service Director / Chief Culture Officer & MD for sign‑off.
• Approve campaign direction and ensure creator, content and platform ecosystems align with broader brand strategy.
• Ensure all team members comply with PO protocol, scope sign‑off and timesheet requirements.
• Report on account performance, retention risk and growth opportunities to the Client Service Director and Chief Culture Officer & MD, including at the weekly operating sync.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Media or related field. Postgraduate qualification advantageous.
• Experience 5-8 years in influencer marketing, social media or digital account management, including at least 2 years in a team leadership or account ownership role within an agency or brand environment.

Key Tools

• Influencer management platforms (Upfluence, Aspire, Grin or equivalent), social platform analytics suites, audience research platforms (GWI, Brandmapp), MS Office Suite, agency management systems (Magnetic, Asana).

Additional Information

B-BBEE / EE Preference will be given to candidates from designated groups in line with Dentsu's Employment Equity Plan.

Location: Cape Town

Brand: Dentsu Creative

Time Type: Full time

Contract Type: Permanent

About dentsu

For over 120 years, innovation has been a core tenet of our offering – exploring new ways to reach, engage and nurture relationships with audiences. Together we drive a multiplier effect for clients at a global scale, through the development of Integrated Growth Solutions that are underpinned by our promise to clients: innovating to impact. Be a force for good. Sustainability is a vital part of our business and an important area of focus for our clients. We’re leading the way – helping to build a more sustainable planet. Dream loud. In this moment of transformation, we need our people to be fearless, embracing change and ambiguity, driven by the love for their work and excitement for the future. Team without limits. We create opportunities for connection and collaboration between our colleagues and clients, building a sense of belonging and having some fun along the way. Find out more about us Who we are Our Social Impact Our work.