Account Director

Overview

At Make, Account Directors are not just delivery leads. They are strategic multipliers.

This role exists to move clients up the value ladder: from execution support → to direction → to true partnership.

As AI commoditises execution, our differentiation is how we think: our judgment, our ability to reframe problems, our courage to challenge, and our skill in turning complexity into clarity.

• 1. Strategic Client Leadership (Thinking: Reframing, Judgment, Challenge, Narrative)
  • Act as a trusted advisor to senior client stakeholders.
  • Reframe client briefs when the problem is wrongly defined.
  • Challenge direction respectfully when it will not deliver outcomes.
  • Work collaboratively to shape strategy across social, paid, creative, SEO
  • Turn performance data into clear, commercial narratives clients can act on.
• 2. Commercial Ownership & Growth (Thinking: Judgment, Synthesis | Execution: Account Management)
  • Own account health, retention and expansion plans.
  • Identify and convert upsell opportunities based on insight, not volume.
  • Balance client ambition with agency margin and capacity discipline.
  • Partner with the Client Service Director on forecasting and growth planning.
• 3. Briefing & Specialist Translation (Thinking: Synthesis, Narrative | Execution: Brief Development)
  • Shape briefs that specialists can act on strategically, not tactically.
  • Translate specialist output into client-relevant business outcomes.
  • Identify cross-channel opportunities specialists may miss.
  • Ensure work ladders to the right objectives and KPIs.
• 4. Delivery Excellence & Ways of Working (Execution: Proficient+)
  • Oversee delivery across accounts with high standards and pace.
  • Anticipate and resolve risks before they escalate.
  • Maintain strong process discipline without killing momentum.
  • Ensure work is delivered on brief, on time and within scope.
• 5. Team Leadership & Development (Thinking: Curiosity, Judgment | Execution: Leadership)
  • Develop Account Managers and Executives through coaching, to operate independently and confidently.
  • Model intellectual curiosity, challenge and accountability.
  • Build a team that can operate independently and confidently.

You will be assessed against these core competencies:

• Reframing:
  Consistently questions whether the brief is the right problem.
• Judgment:
  Makes good calls; knows what "good" looks like.
• Challenge:
  Willingly and constructively pushes back on clients and colleagues.
• Synthesis:
  Connects dots across channels, data and context.
• Narrative:
  Turns insight into compelling stories that change decisions.
• Curiosity:
  Goes beyond the brief; brings external insight into the work.

• 5+ years in a digital, social or creative agency environment
• Experience leading senior client relationships
• Proven commercial and strategic accountability
• Comfortable operating across social, paid, creative and web
• Confident presenter and workshop facilitator
• Calm under pressure, decisive when needed

• Clients see you as a strategic partner, not an account handler
• Teams trust your judgment and direction
• Accounts grow through insight, not noise
• You raise the bar for thinking and execution around you

• Cycle to Work scheme.
• Company wellbeing programme.

• Access to team and personal development budget.
• Regular 'Lunch & Learn' sessions.

• 26 days' annual leave plus bank holidays.
• Enhanced parental leave.

• Hybrid working (Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday in office).
• Work from anywhere for one month per year. (anywhere within 1hr of GMT)

At Make, we value diversity, creativity, and innovation. We believe that a variety of perspectives makes us stronger, and we encourage applications from all backgrounds.

If you're enthusiastic about digital advertising and have a keen eye for detail, we'd love to hear from you. Please submit your CV and a brief cover letter outlining your experience and why you're a great fit for this role.