Account Director

About Us

Zeno is an integrated communications agency born from PR, with a presence across North America, Europe, APAC, and beyond. In Australia, we embrace a boutique vibe, enhanced by our extensive global network. This unique combination allows you to thrive within an agile team while accessing a wealth of resources for multi-market accounts and tapping into a huge array of global resources. Our diverse clients include global tech, consumer, and B2B brands, as well as local Aussie businesses. We’re looking for someone with a curious nature and a passion for leading corporate and B2B accounts.

Zeno Australia recently won the PR Awards Asia-Pacific 2024: Best Culture of the Year Award. We are purpose-driven and committed to a positive culture that supports and nurtures, while also inspiring everyone to push limits and to embody our Fearless Pursuit of the Unexpected motto. We also offer a benefits package like no other

About the Job

This is a full-time position located in Sydney CBD, with flexible working from home options two days a week. As an Account Director at Zeno, you will provide senior counsel for account teams and support the Managing Director and Senior Account Director in all operational aspects of our fast-growing business. While driving business development will be part of your role, your strategic mindset, strong financial acumen, and creative thinking will be key to your success. You’ll have a keen eye for identifying new business opportunities as they arise.

You will be working with a team of bright and enthusiastic communicators and a client portfolio comprising professional and financial services, technology, FMCG, and some of the world’s most innovative and fast-growing companies.

B2B and strong corporate comms experience is essential, with the capability to manage campaigns encompassing employee engagement, C-suite executive profiling, and issues management. You will also be confident in driving purpose, sustainability, and social impact programs.

You will need to be able to devise and execute integrated data-led communications programs that support clients in achieving their commercial and reputational objectives. A day in the life could include developing an RFP, managing a team and mentoring, reconciling account budgets, managing servicing levels, running media training workshops, troubleshooting client queries, and a whole lot more.

We are looking for an Account Director who will be a team player and who likes to get things done without drama or ego interfering Please note that at least six years’ agency experience is essential, with a minimum of two years in an Australian agency. Strong local market and cultural knowledge is required.

- Being an effective client strategist who is fully empowered to fulfil and execute your role, and able to lead, support, and inspire your teams
- Strategically managing key relationships with client leads at the local, regional, or global level, and growing client revenues
- Assisting the Managing Director to achieve team vision, strategy, and business objectives and cascade to the wider team, ensuring enhanced collaboration of the agency’s various communities together
- Providing strategic, trusted counsel to clients, while leading and mentoring your team
- Day-to-day responsibility over a portfolio of clients, including budget responsibility, strategy, and planning, and managing delivery and execution.
- Reviewing client KPIs to ensure account leads deliver KPIs on time and on budget
- Contributing to the overall positive culture in the office
- Being a passionate people advocate and developer of future talent
- Being a positive role model in leadership values and behaviours
- Having fun – and helping others enjoy their work too

Client Focused

- Support the Managing Director and wider team to deliver high levels of client satisfaction.
- Lead and deliver best practices at all touch points of client service
- Ensure delivery of the high-quality solutions within the budget scope and timeframe agreed.
- Lead the strategic development of projects and long-term campaigns for clients
- Act as an ambassador for integration and be able to upsell any service in the agency
- Be a trusted advisor to the senior client’s contacts

Talent and Leadership

- Be an effective client strategist fully empowered to fulfil and execute your role, and able to support and inspire the team
- Develop relationships with key contacts across the Zeno global network
- Be a strong people advocate and developer of future talent
- Identify, shape, attract, and develop talent across all levels
- Retain and develop talent through mentoring, motivational feedback, and learning opportunities
- Make decisions whilst considering the needs of the whole agency
- Manage teams to maximize performance and productivity
- Be a positive role model and a real team player. Get involved - with no task too big or small

Marketing, New Business, and Networking

- Lead business development with a focus on brands with purpose and values that align with Zeno’s philosophy
- Bring capability to deliver end-to-end new business, from pipeline to pitch-and-win
- Undertake proactive and reactive new business strategies to ensure year-on-year growth
- Participate in and contribute to internal training offerings and industry opportunities
- Network amongst client groups and relevant industry peers
- Stay up to date with emerging technologies and trends and demonstrate expert understanding of how they integrate into communication marketing programs
- Review and approve new business and new project budgets before submission to the client

Financial Management

- Establish achievable revenue growth targets annually. Manage servicing levels of accounts by scoping and resourcing work appropriately
- Ensure forecasts are accurate and aligned with monthly resourcing requests: ensure budget allocations are accurately split across the agency per the resourcing plan; alert the Managing Director to any changes to scope or budget as they occur
- Ensure the team follows Zeno’s financial policies and procedures, and that your responsibilities in this area are diligently adhered to
- Ensure work completed aligns with budgets; identify and address potential for scope creep. Ensure client is aware of any discrepancies in expected deliverables and available budget; work with client to reprioritize work or expand budget as needed

Our Values and Culture

To succeed at Zeno, you need to align with our core values, as these underpin everything we do. We are:

Fearless: We push ourselves and each other into the unexpected

Collaborative: We work together to get somewhere better

Entrepreneurial: We pave the way for our people to make big things happen

Inclusive: We are a place where everyone can be seen and valued as their true, authentic selves

Kind: We communicate openly and directly, always acting with empathy

Ambitious: We aim high, determined to advance our individual and shared goals

We are a TEAM, we always support each other, we lift each other up, and help each other succeed.

Checklist

- 6+ years’ experience, including B2B/Corporate/Fintech expertise
- 2+ years’ experience in an Australian agency environment
- Effective communication – active listening and the ability to persuade and negotiate
- Confidence in presenting ideas and providing senior counsel to internal and external audiences
- Strong problem-solving and analytical skills
- High emotional intelligence
- Good judgement and willingness to take risks
- Creative and forward-thinking
- A passion to tell interesting and insightful stories for our clients supported by solid media, influencer, and stakeholder networks
- Experience leading projects for brands with diverse communications requirements
- Independent thinking, courage to challenge the norm, and confidence to generate fresh ideas
- Excellent written skills from pitch response to media release, case study, by-line, and online content production
- A genuine passion for the industry we work in, the brands we work with, and looking to grow and learn as part of a driven and ambitious team
- Flexible, team player keen to mentor and nurture junior team members
- Positive outlook – ready to set an upbeat, positive tone in the office and online
- Fearless, resourceful, and tenacious – able to hit the ground running

Our Culture, Perks, and Values

Awards and client wins aside, it is our culture that really sets us apart from other agencies. We are fiercely protective and supportive of our people, who are our greatest assets. We invest heavily in training and career development, and we also work hard to ensure that work does not take over your life. We set clear boundaries and have many benefits in place to support your well-being.

Benefits for full-time employees include:

- Flexible Working
- Weekly 3 days in office, 2 days from home (with phone and internet allowance)
- Finish at 4.00 pm on Friday year-round
- Finish at 1.00 pm every Friday before a public holiday
- Global 30-day Work from Anywhere policy
- Work from anywhere for 30 days, as long as you have reliable wi-fi and can work within reasonable Australian time zones
- Stopover Holiday Extension - three nights’ accommodation paid if you are visiting a city with a Zeno office, and you want to work from
- Aussies Abroad anniversary trip with flights and accommodation to visit another Zeno APAC office

- Leave
- Anniversary leave day off
- Birthday leave day off
- Annual Zeno Day of Play – a day off to have fun
- World Mental Health Day Off
- Bonus Christmas leave between Christmas and New Year

- Training
- Zeno Fearless University - internal training modules
- Zeno Internal Training sessions - with regional and global leaders
- External Training Opportunities

- Wellbeing
- Self-Care Days (when you need to take a day for yourself, no doctor’s note is needed)
- Headspace subscription
- Employee Assistance Program counseling services

All benefits and rewards are subject to the company policies and procedures, and the time of activation. The Company has the right to make changes or remove any benefits and rewards at any time.

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