Account Director

Social is looking for an ambitious, purpose-driven Account Director with a passion for social and environmental impact to join our award-winning team.

Following significant growth and a string of major client wins, our London-based team is looking for a seasoned comms pro and strategic thinker who is creative, solutions-focused and able to wow our client with fresh ideas and results. You will be confident in providing top tier counsel to clients on communications strategy and media relations, as well as directing and leading PR projects and campaigns.

This is a hugely exciting time to join our fast-growing London team, which has tripled in size in just three years and has been listed by PRWeek as a top 10 ESG Consultancy for the last two years for our work in sustainability, ESG and impact comms. Social is a proud B-Corporation, committed to doing the right thing for people and the planet as well as driving profit, we have also been recognised as one of the Top 25 B2B PR agencies headquartered in the UK by the CIPR.

While this role is within our London-based team, we value hybrid and flexible working and would be very happy to discuss work patterns with people based outside the capital and who are able to travel in for regular team days and client meetings. We work with clients nationally, and the wider business has offices in Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool.

Experience in ESG, sustainability and social impact would be a distinct advantage, as would any experience of the following sectors: financial services and investment industry, net zero and renewables, social impact, built environment – housing, property and infrastructure – and public sector/local government.

A confident networker, you will be adept at building relationships in target sectors, and experienced in developing relationships with key contacts, commentators, industry spokespeople and senior journalists. As a senior member of the team, you will support the business in achieving its financial targets, help deliver new business opportunities and grow existing accounts.

Proactively managing several of your own client accounts, you will be skilled at balancing your account director responsibilities with supporting more junior colleagues. You will be able to confidently manage a team, delegate activity appropriately and motivate team members to provide the required level of tactical and creative output, while monitoring work to ensure it meets the highest standards.

In exchange, we offer the opportunity to work with a friendly, fun, inclusive and ambitious team who genuinely want to use communications, and business more broadly, as a force for good. We work with some amazing businesses, impact investors, non-profits, pioneering thinkers, entrepreneurs and individuals. Along with an attractive package (see below), what you’ll get from Social is an employer who cares about you and your development and about making a positive difference in the places where we work.

Your main responsibilities will be to:

• Establish and proactively manage senior client relationships
• Plan and implement successful communications campaigns across digital and traditional media
• Help develop results-driven communications and campaign strategies
• Recognise media angles, sell in and generate thought leadership and positive news angles across a broad media spectrum
• Support new business activity, identifying opportunities and leading on proposals and pitches
• Contribute to a positive office culture and to the wider business, exemplifying Social’s values
• Be a key senior member of the team, helping to shape our offer and be an ambassador for Social

Key skills:

• A keen understanding of strategy development and of how to use insights to shape effective communications strategies
• Highly organised and adaptable to rapidly changing situations
• A keen ability to recognise a strong media angle and know how to pitch this into both a client and a journalist
• High standard of professionalism when engaging with clients and other contacts
• A proven ability to develop and manage positive relationships with clients, colleagues and professional networks
• Outstanding writing skills, with experience of writing bespoke content for different audiences and media
• A solid understanding of digital and social media and how to integrate these channels alongside traditional PR to deliver excellent results
• A strong understanding of measuring and reporting the impact of communications and marketing activity

Required:

• An experienced media relations practitioner with strong journalist relationships and a deep understanding of the regional and national media landscape
• A proven track record of delivering effective results through communications and PR campaigns
• Managing individuals or teams, with a track record of motivating and managing others to deliver successful campaigns
• Strong project management experience and expertise in managing multiple projects concurrently

Desirable traits:

• Experience in ESG, sustainability and impact communications
• Knowledge of ESG and sustainability disclosure and reporting
• Experience with financial institutions
• Experience in property, place and/ or public sector PR

We are proud to be a certified B Corp and Great Place to Work® and offer all colleagues a number of benefits to support their work and home lives, including:

• Competitive salary and transparent salary bands
• Commitment to super flexible and remote working
• Thirty-five-hour working week
• Thirty days’ annual leave plus bank holidays (pro rata)
• Five days’ paid volunteering leave each year
• Learning and development programme
• Access to a medical cash plan, employee assistance programme and health and wellness apps
• Enhanced sickness, compassionate, maternity, paternity and adoption leave
• Regular team socials
• Access to discretionary company bonus scheme
• Statutory pension scheme
• Provision of home working equipment (including desk and chair) and IT kit (including laptop and mobile phone)

Everyone’s welcome

We’re an equal opportunity employer, committed to ensuring that we can all thrive, succeed, learn and grow, together. Our company is underpinned by a Life Happens ethos, which is a genuine guarantee that we have your back when you need us.