Senior Account Director III 5284824007

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Employment Type: Full-time

Location: London

Work Site Type: On-site

Building a Brand Starts with a Story

FIRST is a leading global brand experience agency providing Content, Creative, Digital Technology, Management & Delivery, and Data & Insights services. For 30 years, we have utilized three flexible delivery models: Embedded teams, Corporate Campus operations, and a Full-Service Agency.

Managing over 37,000 events & projects annually across 110 countries, FIRST serves 130+ brands, specializing in Fortune 500 companies within the Financial Services, Technology, Healthcare, Media, and Professional Services sectors. FIRST is part of the broader Encore family of companies. Encore is a global leader in event production and technology.

Consistently recognized for excellence, recent honors include 2026 Chief Marketer Agency of the Year, the Ad Net Zero Award for sustainability, and more.

Learn more at www.firstagency.com

What You Would Get To Do

The Senior Account Director III is responsible for the strategic direction and growth of the account including client engagement and satisfaction, financial performance, profitability, contracts and invoicing. The Senior Account Director will be the primary point of contact for external clients and internal FIRST teams, while ensuring the health of the account and instilling consistency across the regions. The ideal candidate will lead on client service, develop a team-based approach to situations and encapsulate the FIRST brand. The candidate should be a motivated professional with exceptional client management, commercial acumen, business development experience and excellent interpersonal skills.

Your Contributions

Existing Accounts

Responsible for developing and executing account sales plans and growth strategies
Responsible for Contract renewal and maintenance

Act as the main point of contact for Procurement/Sourcing related to SOWs/Work orders, Purchase Orders and overall contract management
Manage additional changes of scope and addenda
Responsible for oversight of the scope of work and for the account meeting mutual contractual compliance requirements (KPIs, SLAs, reports required); ensuring the account delivers on expectations and remains within the bounds of the contract

Financial Management oversight

Invoicing (annual budget and monthly Service team charges and scalable (including travel and expenses in collaboration with Operations)
Ensure account profitability
Responsible for account budget management with the Global Business Director and Commercials team
Responsible for accurate and timely forecasting of contracted pipeline activity and updating/communicating budget revisions to internal/external stakeholders

Lead on communications between FIRST and client stakeholders as a unified point of contact and conduit for information and client initiatives
Identify opportunities to add value, deepen client relationships and extend services to maximize account profitability
Lead on the development of and adherence to the annual client engagement plan
Develop a thorough understanding of the client’s business, industry and keep abreast of external issues and events that could impact client objectives
Client management - POC for Global account issue escalations that could have a material impact on the contract
Responsible for leading quarterly business reviews
Maintain accurate records in Salesforce
Subcontractor contract management and compliance (vendor performance and obligations)
Support executive level account reporting and presentations
Collaborate with marketing and strategy team for tailored communications to clients

New Business

Act as the main point of contact with the client for new business opportunities
Responsible for Business development

Understand the client’s service model, strategy and identify where FIRST can add value
Create an account planning approach and develop a pipeline of growth opportunities across the client’s business
Qualify all new business opportunities and bring in the needed expertise and capability from across FIRST to deliver on commitments to clients

Own and lead the proposal lifecycle

Conduct the initial brief from the client
Engage with relevant internal service line leads to develop appropriate solutions and implementation planning, in collaboration with department heads
Lead and own the proposal/RFP process until business is confirmed/declined
Responsible for Contracting (POs/Work orders)
Work with the Commercials team to create and update budgets
Conduct handover for implementation of service
Interact and collaborate with Agency and Solutions activities within the account

Contribute to industry insights and best practices
Maintain an awareness of relevant market trends affecting the account and developments in the industry

What We Are Looking For

10+ years’ experience preferred within an agency or events environment, with experience both in client management and event delivery on large client accounts

Strong and consistent track record of meeting and exceeding account/departmental targets and objectives
Experience with corporate/financial clients is highly preferred
Extensive experience in working with and managing senior clients

Strategic thinker with ability to make decisions and recommend actionable strategy
Critical thinker and a trusted advisor who considers both client needs and what is best for FIRST to strengthen our business
Innovative, creative and self-motivated individual who is open to looking at new, efficient ways of working and willing to challenge the status quo
Equally as comfortable talking strategy and delving into the details of day-to-day business processes, financials and data.
Highly credible with excellent written and verbal communication skills enabling you to quickly build respect and trust and leverage your voice to influence at all levels of the organization.
Able to work in a collaborative manner, solicit input and advice from others, ask questions, apply critical thinking, be comfortable with ambiguity and navigate a highly matrixed organization.
Ability to create change management plans for projects or change initiatives acknowledging all aspects including - analysis, planning, implementation, and communication
Excellent project and task management skills
Knowledge and understanding of data and reporting
Resourceful and highly motivated individual with the ability to work independently, think analytically and remain calm under pressure to meet established deadlines
Willing to travel when required
Ambitious, proactive and resourceful; solutions-oriented
Experience working in a global organization

At FIRST, we believe our teams' passion, creativity, and commitment drive our success. That's why we offer a range of benefits and perks to support your personal and professional growth

Private Medical Insurance with BUPA from day one
28 Days Annual Leave PLUS Bank Holidays
Personal Volunteer Day
20 Days of Sick Pay each Year
Enhanced Parental Leave (Maternity & Paternity)
Wellness Stipend
Complimentary access to Headspace, Rocket Lawyer & Maven
Life Insurance
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Cycle to Work Scheme
Season Ticket Loan
Mobile Phone Allowance
Pension Scheme Enhancements
Discretionary Bonus Structure
Global Opportunities: With a presence in 7 countries worldwide, including headquarters in London, New York, and Singapore, you may have the opportunity to work on exciting projects across different locations.

#LI-TS1 #LI-Hybrid

FIRST is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind. FIRST is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees and to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications without regard to race, color, religion or belief, national, social or ethnic origin, sex (including pregnancy), age, physical, mental or sensory disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital, civil union or domestic partnership status, past or present military service, family medical history or genetic information, family or parental status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. We stand firm: FIRST will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics. If any candidate feels that they are unable to meet the requirements of the role, please get in touch to discuss adjustments or other suitable roles.

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