The Role
QUICK LOOK
Package: £55,000 base salary (pro-rated if part-time). OTE £70,000 including performance bonus. Profit share on top.
Hours: Full-time or 0.8 FTE - your choice, agreed at offer stage.
9-Day Fortnight: Compress your hours over 9 days and take every other Friday off. This is a contractual option, not a perk we might take away. Or work a standard 5 day week.
Location: Central London, hybrid. 3 days in the office, flexible hours between 08:00-18:00.
How to Apply: Do not just send a CV. Tell us why this role interests you, what you would bring, and why you are a strong fit. Then attach your CV. Applications without context will not be prioritised.
Please note: We receive 400-500 applications per role and cannot respond to every applicant individually. We will only contact candidates we wish to take forward. There is no visa sponsorship available - applicants must have a permanent right to work in the UK.
THE ROLE
This is a hands-on Account Director role focused on day-to-day client ownership and delivery.
You will be the primary lead for a portfolio of accounts, typically 3-6 active clients. Your portfolio value will vary with mix and is expected to sit below the threshold that would warrant a dedicated Client Partner position.
You will brief work, drive delivery, solve problems, and be the first call when clients need support. You will work with project managers on larger or more technical programmes, while remaining accountable for the client experience and commercial outcomes.
You are accountable for both revenue and profitability. Good revenue with poor margins does not work. You will grow accounts where appropriate, protect margin, and ensure work is delivered on time, on budget, and to a standard that keeps clients coming back.
Base salary is supported by a performance bonus tied to client retention, account growth, client satisfaction, Drum Recommends ratings, and referrals.
WHAT YOU'LL DO
Account growth and development (20% of your time)
Identify opportunities to grow revenue within existing accounts. Understand client objectives, spot gaps, and propose solutions that deliver measurable value. Support new business efforts where they align with your experience. Participate in pitches and RFPs from brief through to handover. Build trusted advisor relationships with senior client stakeholders (with senior escalation support available when required).
Client relationship management (20% of your time)
Maintain strong, proactive relationships across your portfolio. Conduct regular reviews, check-ins, and planning sessions appropriate to account size and complexity. Surface challenges, blockers, and unspoken problems before they escalate. Be the client's first point of contact when something needs solving.
Project and programme delivery (60% of your time)
Manage day-to-day delivery of client projects and programmes. Translate client needs into clear, actionable internal briefs for creative, UX, strategy, and development teams. Brief teams properly, ensuring context, constraints, and success criteria are understood. Attend and contribute to client workshops and planning meetings. Work with project managers on larger programmes, maintaining overall client accountability. Drive work through the business, removing blockers and keeping momentum. Manage budgets, timelines, and scope to protect margin. Ensure delivery meets or exceeds expectations and contributes to 9/10+ Drum Recommends ratings.
Commercial accountability
Own revenue and profitability for your portfolio. Forecast accurately and flag risks or opportunities early. Manage scope, budget, and expectations to protect margins. Ensure invoicing, reconciliation, and financial reporting is accurate and timely.
WHO YOU ARE
We are looking for a T-shaped client services professional. Deep in client management, commercial ownership, and delivery - but broad enough to hold your own in conversations about brand strategy, creative development, campaign planning, UX, and web development. You do not need to be a specialist in any of these, but you need to understand enough to brief well, challenge constructively, and translate between client needs and specialist teams.
The best people for this role have worked across integrated or multi-discipline agencies. They understand how campaigns, creative, brand, digital, and development connect - and they know how to orchestrate work across those disciplines without losing the thread.
Beyond that, you are:
Naturally curious. You ask questions, dig into the detail, and want to understand how things work and why they matter. Commercially minded and comfortable owning numbers. A natural problem solver who thrives in the detail but does not lose sight of the bigger picture. Calm under pressure and capable of managing multiple priorities without dropping the ball. Confident briefing and working alongside creative, technical, and strategic teams. A strong communicator who translates complexity into clarity for both clients and internal teams. Consultative by nature, with the ability to challenge clients constructively when needed. Driven by outcomes, not activity. You care about what gets delivered and how it performs. Accountable and self-motivated. You do not need to be managed, but you know when to ask for support.
EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS
Experience: A minimum of 7 years in client services or account management within agency environments. We would expect experience across at least three solid agencies - people who have only worked in one place tend not to have the breadth we need. A proven track record of managing accounts, driving delivery, and growing client relationships is essential.
Integrated background: You must have worked across multiple disciplines, not just one channel. We need someone who has lived in environments where brand, creative, campaigns, digital, and web development sit under one roof, or who has built that breadth by moving between agencies.
Sector experience: Strong preference for healthcare, pharma, or retail experience, ideally across both B2B and B2C. A credible background in at least one regulated or complex sector will set you apart.
Commercial acumen: Strong understanding of budgeting, forecasting, profitability, and revenue management.
Project management: Able to manage projects directly when needed, and equally able to work alongside seasoned project managers on larger projects and programmes, enabling them to deliver and succeed.
Client relationship management: Proven ability to build and maintain senior-level client relationships, with evidence of retention and satisfaction.
Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Able to present, facilitate, and negotiate with confidence.
Technical proficiency: Comfortable with Mac, Office, cloud-based project management and collaboration tools, and AI tools. Some practical experience using AI in a professional context is expected.
Organisation: Exceptional organisational skills, attention to detail, and ability to work at pace in a deadline-driven environment.
Team collaboration: A natural collaborator who works well with project managers, creatives, strategists, and developers without relying on formal line management authority.
WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE
Consistent revenue and profitability in line with agreed targets. Client retention of 90%+ with evidence of account growth year-on-year. Clients rate their experience at 9/10 or higher on Drum Recommends. Two client testimonials or case studies attributable to your account management within 12 months. Active contribution to new business wins through pitch support, sector expertise, or smooth post-sale handovers. 4 referral conversations from your network with the sales team. We do not need you to sell, just facilitate the conversation.
REPORTING AND WORKING RELATIONSHIPS
You will report to the Group CEO. You will work closely with colleagues in strategy, creative, UX, development and project management.
BENEFITS
Salary: £55,000 base salary (pro-rated if part-time) On-Target Earnings (OTE): £70,000 (including performance bonus)
Employment type: Permanent. Full-time or 0.8 FTE (to be agreed)
9-Day Working Fortnight: Every other Friday off (contractual) Hybrid Working: 3 days per week in office
Flexible hours: 08:00-18:00
Annual Leave: 25 days (5 day week FTE) or22.5 days (9 Day Fortnight) plus bank holidays, increasing with service
Pension: Penfold Life Insurance Profit Share: Based on company performance
Recognition: Employee of the Quarter and Year Awards, including an extra half-day holiday for quarterly winners