Beauty Seen is the foundation that Seen Group is built on. Our passion and love for PR and communications precedes us and we are known for constantly pushing the boundaries of strategic content and creative experiences to ensure your brands come alive.
The Account Director is a true PR expert & a true inspiration to the account team. This role is instrumental in effectively developing and driving the implementation of strategic and results driven global to local communications plans. Reporting to the Head of Beauty, this role will be helping to lead the successful launch of the New York business and will drive growth and opportunities within the US market. The Account Director will demonstrate entrepreneurial efficiency and will have a hands-on approach. This ambassadorial role will bring Beauty Seen to the US market and will embody the values and ways of working of the SEEN group.
Key accountabilities:
1. Contribute to growth at Beauty Seen NY through client account and new business
2. Become Beauty Seen ambassador and build contacts in the industry
3. Develop senior client relationships
4. Ensure excellent campaign and client leadership
5. Financial, client budgets and assistance in P&L
6. Team recruitment and management, day to day team management
7. Be the cultural agent for Beauty Seen NY, ensuring SEEN culture is adopted by each new team member.
Roles and Responsibilities:
1. Entrepreneurial direction and business development
• Contribute to leading Beauty Seen NY with a small team and hands-on mentality
• Act as a true team player with a collaborative/no job is too small approach
• Deliver leadership counsel and expertise across your team but also the wider business, bring an inspirational and ambassadorial level to bring the Seen ways of working to life and help unify this across the US office
• Bring new business via industry contacts, networking and help grow our Beauty Seen NY offering to reach our target.
• Identify business leads and opportunities to organically grow existing client business by proactively pitching more PR or Seen Group integrated ideas
• Demonstrate the ability to develop credentials and write new business proposals
• Lead new business pitches alongside the Head of Beauty with Direction; Research, insight, creative, write decks and presentation
• Develop and write strategic client proposals – research, insights, creative & presentation
• Negotiate effectively with prospective new clients where necessary, including client budgets and scope of work
• Ensure client is aware of the wider services on offer from the Seen Group
2. Networking Ambassador
• Build a full understanding of the evolving US media landscape – ensure campaigns feature all aspects of the media landscape with a particular focus on the individual needs of brands
• Be on the ground mapping and building relationships with the key US press and influencers
• Develop an expertise of the US press and influencer landscape to become the person in the know and the go to PR
• Regularly engage with editors and identify opps for agency’s exposure
• Networking and attendance for key industry events to build our presence
• Come up with creative ideas to promote the business to the US market
• Keep abreast of industry trends and the latest cool places to know to ensure your campaigns are culturally relevant
3. Client Servicing & Strategy
• Demonstrate a deep understanding of client’s business in order to deliver strategic and creative campaigns against briefs
• Develop senior client relationships
• Ensure day-to-day teamwork is on brief, on time and on budget
• Lead client relationships
• Consult on briefing to presentation, and guide the team to ensure response is strong and aligns with asks and task
• Proactively pitch new ideas to the client – ensure concepts are aligned with overall business/PR objectives and strategy
• Develop and execute engaging campaign activity relevant to the clients’ brief and key objectives
• Demonstrate a proven, in depth knowledge not only of a client/brand – but also the wider market in which it operates. Be an expert in your field, demonstrate a clear understanding of client’s competitors and place in the industry and current trends in the beauty industry as a whole
• Be aware of potential issues facing your clients and offer appropriate solutions
• Develop, where possible, relationships with other areas of your clients’ business outside of the core PR/Comms team
4. Campaign Management & Creativity
• Provide insightful advice, team consultation & oversee team’s media output
• Roll out a creative and strategic global PR campaign and local on the ground activations
• Drive new media angles and proactively create new ideas, and feature placement opportunities
• Maintain senior media contacts and develop team media relations through introductions and face to face appointments
• Ensure b/vlogger outreach is integral to campaign output using a variety of assets (video, photo, competitions, copy)
• Consult and advise team on management of press trips, sponsored shoots, product launches and macro activity
• Support in the management and handling of potential issues/crisis situations
• Lead, organise and participate in internal brainstorming sessions
• Ensure team is monitoring media daily, including newspapers, magazines, broadcast, online & social channels for client opportunities and to keep abreast of competitor news – provide added value insight and counsel to clients
• Keep abreast of industry trends, developments and opportunities and demonstrate new ideas and proactive ways of thinking to your clients and team
• Oversee regular internal meetings take place on all clients – with team roles and responsibilities established on a weekly basis
• Oversee the delivery of weekly/monthly reports and ensure timely delivery for appropriate sign off prior to going to client
5. Targets & Finances
• Demonstrate the ability to grow Beauty Seen NY alongside VP against the target set while displaying expertise and ownership of the PL
• Proactively come up with solutions to ensure financial health of the business
• Manage department capacity planning & resource allocation
• Manage department billing with Finance
• Present coherent budgets & reconciliations
• Ensure correct contracts/agreements are in place for each client/brand/campaign
6. Inspirational Leadership
• Demonstrate ability to lead, nurture and develop your team: ensure that written KPIs are developed and shared with HR for all direct reports, manage reviews/appraisals as per the Seen process, ensure your team is clear on roles and responsibilities in both the short and long term, ensure your team adheres to Seen Ways of Working & Processes
• Be accountable for the development and retention of your team via regular health checks and the support of HR to address development needs and retention strategy where needed
• Bring the best industry talent to your team and the wider business with the support of HR to ensure an efficient and positive process from candidate to employee status
• Provide direction/leadership, support and guidance for any direct reports and the wider agency
• Demonstrate positive contribution to the whole Seen Group – beyond your day-to-day account/client work
