Account Manager

**About TEAM LEWIS**

The company is an integrated communications agency that has gone from start-up to multi-national in a little over two decades. The company now ranks in the top 40 agencies worldwide and has 24 offices. Its success is due to a combination of factors: talented people delivering award winning campaigns; expanding client relationships into new markets or services; making strategic acquisitions. The agency, its people and client campaigns have won many prestigious awards, including Cannes Lions, Holmes Report, ICCO, PRCA and European Excellence.

**Purpose of the Role**

The Account Manager works with both their clients and their team to ensure the efficient and effective running of their accounts. They clearly understand their clients’ objectives and requirements, the commercial terms of their retained accounts and projects and level of resource required to service the accounts. Client facing, Account Managers translate quick but creative thinking into decisive action; providing team management, delegation of tasks and exceptional media relations skills.

**Key Responsibilities and Tasks**
- Client Management_
- Builds and maintains strong relationships with clients, establishing self and TEAM LEWIS as an invaluable long-term partner for marketing and communications services
- Manages all communication with the client and ensures deadlines and service agreements are met consistently by the team
- Works closely with the client and Account Director to regularly review account performance, identifying and communicating opportunities for additional PR, marketing and digital services
- Adds value to new business pitches by providing support with coordination, content generation and presentation preparation, in addition to attendance
- Schedules, organises and runs regular client meetings and calls, providing consultative advice on tactical communications activity
- Media Relations_
- Understands and avidly follows the news agenda, positioning clients and products within the wider news narrative
- Oversees all media relations activity on behalf of the client, maintaining key media contacts for campaigns and projects
- Builds, maintains and develops productive relationships with journalists, bloggers, influencers and analysts across national, trade and vertical media channels
- Utilises networks to create and maximise client coverage, advising on long-form and short-term narratives
- Maintains and promotes a sound understanding of current affairs relevant to the industry and the wider news agenda
- Deploys rapid response to breaking news on behalf of clients, reacting quickly to emerging stories in line with client profiles
- Content_
- Oversees and provides content creation for campaigns and projects including press releases, articles, blog entries, and other written material
- Drafts - and oversees the drafting of - a broad range of written materials including biographies, briefing documents, media alerts, soundbites, Q&As, backgrounders and boilerplates, ensuring a consistent level of high quality content
- Works with content experts to improve knowledge of techniques and writing styles across multiple channels and platforms
- Digital / Social Media_
- Uses social media platforms to expand own network, develop media relationships and positively impact client results
- Pitches additional digital content including infographics, animations and video to support written content and client aims
- Uses social media and proactively explores new tools, solutions and processes to continuously evolve and optimise client PR campaigns
- Provides social media insight as well as execution and management of related digital activity
- Works collaboratively with the digital team to increase the utilisation of digital services wherever possible
- Team Working and Development_
- Acts as a respected line manager, working closely with line reports to maximise strengths, improve weaknesses and support career development
- Line manages the account team, including coaching, supervision, assessment and review of junior team members
- Sets team objectives on a daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly basis
- Ensures the on-going achievement of all deliverable client objectives
- Monitors team activity levels against budget, increasing and decreasing individuals allocation where necessary
- Provides guidance to colleagues on how to best manage campaigns, including answering general new business requests
- Works with the HR team to reward, retain and develop your team and resolve any performance related issues
- Regularly attends and leads TEAM LEWIS training sessions and daily press briefings to enhance skills and develop knowledge
- Reporting and Analysis_
- Ensures that all activity and results are reported back to the client, providing insight and analysis where possible
- Communicates account performance internally (account reviews) to relevant stakeholders
- Provides detailed reports to the Account Director or senior