Client Services Director

Founded in 2014 by friends and colleagues Stewart Hilton and Robert White, ZEAL has pursued its ambition to be the World's Most Recommended Agency by recognising that our amazing people are the key to our success.

We're proud partners to Nestlé, Carlsberg, Arla, Weetabix, Suntory, Bacardi, PZ Cussons, and more, delivering award-winning work across brand strategy, shopper marketing, experiential, partnerships, social and integrated campaign development.

Thrice named IPM 'Agency of the Year' and winner of the Campaign Experience Awards' 'Most Outstanding Creative Idea' (2024), our principles around our people are simple - you bring your passion, creativity and drive and we invest in your training, long-term personal development and give you the resources you need to thrive and create your best work.

We're passionate about creating an inclusive place to work that celebrates and values diversity and inclusion and ultimately, enriches our culture.

So, if working with leading global brands on award-winning campaigns sounds like your ideal day, look no further!

Role in summary

The Client Services Director is responsible for leading client relationships, ensuring the successful execution of shopper marketing, retail and experiential activation programmes, and driving agency growth through strategic account management.

This role requires a deep understanding of the shopper and retail landscape, strong leadership skills, and the ability to translate client objectives into high-impact marketing solutions.

What you'll be doing:

• Client Relationship Management: Serving as the primary point of contact for key clients, fostering long-term partnerships and ensuring satisfaction through implementing improvements.
• Developing and implementing strategic account plans to drive client success and maximise revenue opportunities.
• Cross Agency Collaboration: Working closely with the Marketing Director and MDs to ensure a joined-up approach to maximising the growth opportunities for clients.
• Collaborating with your London counterpart to set the Client Services benchmarks for success and to regularly review the progress on ways of working.
• Retail & Shopper Marketing Expertise: Leveraging your deep knowledge of shopper insights, in-store activation, omnichannel strategies, and promotional marketing to deliver effective solutions for clients.
• Team Leadership & Development: Leading and mentoring a team of account leads, ensuring high performance and professional growth. Owning the planning for resource requirements and the structures to deliver against the needs of the overall client portfolios.
• Campaign Execution & Oversight: Working closely with internal teams (Creative and Strategy) to ensure seamless execution of shopper marketing programs.
• Financial Management: Overseeing account budgets, forecast revenue, and ensure profitability across key accounts. Negotiate SOWs and contracts with clients.
• Industry Engagement: Staying ahead of trends in shopper marketing, retail media, and experiential activations to provide thought leadership and strategic guidance to clients.
  

What you'll bring to the role:

• Proven ability to drive business growth and client retention.
  
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and presentation skills.
• Ability to think strategically and translate client needs into actionable marketing solutions.
  
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to inspire and collaborate with cross-functional teams.
  
• Experience working with retail marketing programs, in-store activations, and digital shopper engagement strategies.
  
• Knowledge of emerging technologies in shopper marketing, including retail media networks, digital engagement, and data-driven personalization.
  
• Passion for creativity and innovation in the retail and shopper marketing space.
• Experience managing large-scale brand and retailer partnerships.

How we reward you:

• Contributory pension scheme
• Annual company bonus scheme
• Private Medical Insurance
• Life Assurance
• Continuous learning and development
• Enhanced parental benefits

Additional benefits:

• The last Friday of every quarter is a ZEAL Day off
• Christmas closure
• Work from home budget to help you achieve your dream set up
• Dog friendly offices
• A wealth of social events from our seasonal gatherings to our all company get-togethers

If this role is of interest, click 'apply now' to share your CV! No recruiters, please.

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