Client Director, Consumer Marketing
Edelman · Sydney
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Edelman’s Client Director – Consumer Marketing is a senior client leadership role responsible for leading and strengthening some of our most important consumer client relationships in Australia.
The Client Director will be a commercially astute, collaborative and inspiring leader with deep experience in consumer communications and integrated marketing. They will combine strong senior client counsel with an understanding of brands, consumers and culture to deliver high-quality, effective work that meets our clients’ evolving needs.
With responsibility for a portfolio of significant consumer clients and/or a major integrated account, the Client Director will focus on building enduring client partnerships, maintaining the health and performance of those relationships, and identifying opportunities for organic growth.
Working closely with Consumer Marketing leadership and specialists across Edelman, they will bring an earned-first, channel-neutral perspective to client challenges and mobilise integrated teams through our onE Edelman model.
The Client Director will also be an important people leader, setting a high standard for client partnership, commercial discipline and quality of work while coaching and developing the next generation of senior client leaders.
Qualifications & Experience
- Approximately 10+ years of relevant experience in consumer communications, PR, integrated marketing, advertising or related fields, ideally including significant agency experience.
- Significant experience working with leading consumer brands and a strong understanding of consumer marketing and brand communications.
- Proven experience leading large and complex client relationships and providing strategic counsel to CMOs, CCOs, Marketing Directors and other senior stakeholders.
- Demonstrated success in retaining and organically growing client relationships.
- Experience leading integrated campaigns and multidisciplinary teams across earned, social, influencer, creative, experiential, digital and paid channels.
- Strong commercial acumen, including experience managing scopes, budgets, staffing, forecasting and profitability.
- Proven people leadership experience, including coaching and developing teams and emerging leaders.
- Strong strategic thinking, problem-solving, communication, presentation and negotiation skills.
- High emotional intelligence, sound judgement and the ability to navigate complex client and team situations.
- Strong understanding of the Australian consumer, media and marketing landscape, with an interest in culture and emerging trends.
Responsibilities & Expectations
Client Leadership
- Serve as Client Partner across a portfolio of significant consumer clients and/or a large integrated client.
- Build trusted relationships with CMOs, CCOs, Marketing Directors and other senior client stakeholders.
- Develop a deep understanding of clients’ businesses, brands and audiences to provide proactive strategic counsel.
- Take responsibility for the overall health of key client relationships, including client satisfaction, retention, growth, quality of work and commercial performance.
- Provide channel-neutral counsel and mobilise integrated onE Edelman teams around client needs.
- Ensure consistently high-quality strategic, creative and executional delivery within agreed scopes, budgets and timeframes.
- Bring the best of Edelman’s capabilities, specialists, IP and products to clients where they add value.
Consumer Marketing & Integrated Excellence
- Bring a strong understanding of consumer brands, audiences and culture to client counsel and campaign development.
- Champion an earned-first approach and help develop work that earns attention, participation and conversation.
- Understand how earned, social, influencer, creative, experiential, digital and paid channels work together to achieve client objectives.
- Partner with strategy, creative and specialist teams to ensure strong briefs, meaningful insights and effective ideas.
- Maintain a strong understanding of changes in consumer behaviour, culture, media and the broader marketing landscape.
Commercial & Growth
- Take commercial responsibility for a portfolio of clients and/or a large integrated client.
- Maintain oversight of revenue, profitability, staffing, scopes and forecasts and ensure accounts are appropriately resourced.
- Ensure strong scope management and proactively address overservicing, scope creep and other commercial risks.
- Take responsibility for organic growth across the client portfolio, identifying opportunities to deepen and expand existing relationships.
- Understand clients’ broader business and marketing priorities and proactively introduce relevant Edelman capabilities and solutions.
- Contribute to new business opportunities and pitches where relevant and support agreed annual growth targets.
Talent & Leadership
- Be a visible and trusted senior leader within the Consumer Marketing team.
- Lead by example, setting a high standard for client leadership, collaboration, commercial accountability and quality.
- Coach and develop team members and emerging senior client leaders.
- Empower teams to take greater ownership of client relationships, strategic thinking and commercial performance.
- Identify and support the development and retention of strong talent.
- Foster a collaborative, inclusive and high-performing team environment.
- Role-model Edelman’s leadership values and behaviours.
Industry & Agency Contribution
- Maintain strong relationships across the consumer marketing, communications, media and creative industries.
- Stay connected to developments across brands, culture, media, creators and consumer behaviour.
- Build strong relationships across Edelman’s global Consumer Marketing and specialist networks.
- Contribute to internal training, industry opportunities and broader agency initiatives where relevant.
Edelman is committed to creating equality and diversity in our workforce. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, nationality, disability gender or age. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are strongly encouraged to apply.