Account Director

Job Description

Account Director / Client Leadership Lead

Function: Public Relations, Communications & Client Management

Reports to: General Manager

Role Purpose

The Account Director is responsible for leading and managing high-profile client accounts, ensuring the successful delivery of communications strategies, strong client relationships, and measurable business outcomes.

The role combines client leadership, strategic communications, team management, commercial growth, and operational discipline. The Account Director will play a key role in growing revenue, improving client satisfaction, strengthening media relationships, and enhancing the company's reputation in the market.

Key Responsibilities

Client Leadership & Relationship Management

• Lead and manage multiple high-profile client accounts, ensuring high standards of service delivery and client satisfaction.
• Build and maintain trusted relationships with clients, media, influencers, partners, and key stakeholders.
• Understand client needs, business objectives, and expectations to ensure communications strategies are commercially relevant and effective.
• Identify opportunities to grow existing client relationships through upselling, cross-selling, and expanded scopes of work.
• Resolve client-related challenges quickly and professionally, including operational, scope, financial, or service delivery issues.

Strategic Communications & Campaign Delivery

• Develop and implement integrated communications strategies and engagement plans aligned with client objectives.
• Oversee the creation and delivery of press releases, media pitches, speeches, reports, presentations, and other communications materials.
• Monitor campaign performance using relevant metrics, analytics tools, and reporting frameworks.
• Provide clients and internal stakeholders with clear insights, recommendations, and progress updates.
• Ensure communications campaigns are delivered on time, within scope, and within agreed budgets.

Business Development & Growth

• Support new business development through proposals, pitches, presentations, and client engagement.
• Generate and qualify outbound leads in line with business growth targets.
• Convert inbound and outbound opportunities into signed client agreements.
• Contribute to strategic partnerships, expert collaborations, and market-facing initiatives that strengthen the company's service offering.
• Represent the company's at industry events, networking opportunities, and conferences to raise the company’s profile.

Media & Stakeholder Engagement

• Build and maintain strong relationships with local, regional, and international media outlets.
• Develop and manage a media and influencer database, ensuring it is updated regularly.
• Create a structured media engagement plan aligned with the annual business plan.
• Strengthen relationships with Tier 1 and Tier 2 media outlets across Saudi Arabia, the GCC, and international markets.

Team Leadership & Development

• Manage, mentor, and develop the account management and communications team.
• Set clear KPIs and expectations for team members.
• Provide guidance, coaching, feedback, and training to support team performance and development.
• Facilitate knowledge sharing, best-practice transfer, and collaboration across teams.
• Identify team capability gaps and provide recommendations for future hiring or development needs.

Financial & Operational Management

• Manage client budgets and ensure all activities are delivered within agreed financial parameters.
• Monitor account profitability and ensure managed accounts meet or exceed planned margins.
• Maintain accurate revenue forecasts, pipeline updates, and client reporting.
• Implement and improve account management processes, SOPs, reporting templates, and governance standards.
• Ensure compliance with company policies and procedures, including Odoo usage, financial forecasting, timesheets, quotations, approvals, leave requests, and project setup.

Crisis & Risk Management

• Anticipate potential client, project, or account risks and recommend preventive actions.
• Manage communications crises effectively, ensuring timely resolution and protection of client trust.
• Maintain calm, structured, and professional communication during high-pressure situations.

Skills & Knowledge

The successful candidate should demonstrate:

• Strong client leadership and account management experience.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Proven ability to develop strategic communications plans.
• Strong media relations experience with established media and influencer networks.
• Experience managing, coaching, and developing teams.
• Strong commercial awareness and ability to grow client revenue.
• Ability to manage budgets, profitability, and forecasts.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to use campaign data to improve performance.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Strong understanding of PR, communications, media trends, and emerging industry practices.
• Confidence in managing senior stakeholders and presenting to clients.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced agency environment.

Experience & Qualifications

Experience:

8–15 years of relevant experience in public relations, communications, media, client engagement, or an agency environment.

Previous roles may include:

Senior Public Relations Manager, Senior Account Manager, Account Director, Client Services Director, or similar.

Industry background:

Public Relations, Media & Communications, Client Engagement, Agency Services, Event Management, or Strategic Communications.

Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations, Communications, Marketing, Business, or a related field. A master’s degree is an advantage.

Key Performance Indicators

Revenue Growth & Pipeline

• Meet or exceed new business revenue targets agreed with the General Manager and business plan.
• Generate at least 2 qualified outbound leads per quarter, with at least 70% progressing to proposal stage.
• Convert at least 30% of submitted proposals into signed clients.
• Secure at least 2 long-term client agreements.
• Manage inbound group leads effectively, ensuring strong conversion to proposal and signed client stage.

Client Retention & Expansion

• Grow revenue from existing clients by at least 15% through upselling and cross-selling.
• Maintain at least 90% year-on-year client retention.

Strategic Partnerships

• Secure at least 2 new strategic partnerships, expert relationships, or collaborations to support the company's service offering.

Team & Organizational Growth

• Set and monitor clear KPIs for the account management team by Q1.
• Conduct at least 2 training or knowledge-transfer sessions per quarter.
• Identify team gaps and provide documented recommendations aligned to business forecasts and expected client wins.

Financial Management

• Ensure at least 90% of managed accounts achieve or exceed planned profit margins.
• Maintain pipeline forecast accuracy within ±10% each quarter.

Process & Governance

• Implement clear account management SOPs and reporting templates.
• Ensure full compliance with the company's and group policies, systems, and procedures.

Media & Relationship Building

• Build and maintain a comprehensive media and influencer database by Q1, updated monthly.
• Develop a quarterly media engagement plan aligned with the annual business plan.
• Expand media relationships across Saudi Arabia, the GCC, and international markets.

Leadership & Collaboration

• Resolve at least 90% of client-related challenges effectively.
• Proactively identify project or account risks and recommend at least 3 preventive actions per project.
• Achieve “strong” or above ratings on at least 80% of external pitch reviews.

Innovation & Improvement

• Conduct quarterly reviews of technology adoption and its impact on client delivery and internal workflows.
• Lead at least 4 best-practice or learning sessions across teams annually.