Account Director - Creative Agency

The Role: Account Director  Location: Based 3 days a week in our Exmouth Market office in London, and 2 days worked remotely A Bit About Us Lucky Generals is a new era creative company, set up in May 2013 as an antidote to corporate adland - an industry struggling to adjust to the pace of change and the mind of today’s consumer. We are future-facing, hungry and entrepreneurial and we get out of bed each morning to create great, effective and culturally impactful work. Since 2013 we’ve grown to 80+ people split between London (70+) and New York. It’s a perfect size: big enough to tackle the most challenging briefs on the planet, but small enough for everyone to know each other’s name. What hasn’t changed is our ambition to be “ A creative company for people on a mission”  Who We’re Looking For In a nutshell, we’re looking for someone accountable, entrepreneurial, strategic and fearless: a great Account Director at Lucky Generals is always on a mission, driving the agency agenda and leading the team.  You’ll be at the centre of everything - driving and directing smart decisions, but with an ear to the ground. You’ll be able to look ahead to see the big picture and influence the agenda, whilst being close enough to the day-to-day detail to ensure the basics are always covered, the engine is working and the people are energized. Your focus should be geared towards creating the very best work, and it will be your job to help create the most fertile and positive conditions within the agency and within the client relationship.   The Nitty Gritty There are four areas of this role that we think create the luckiest conditions for the best work and that any successful candidate would need to be able to do. We know this is a pretty long list and you might not be an expert in all of it, but please still apply if you’re confident on most of it and would like to develop in the other areas. You might be being too humble! LEADERSHIP  At Lucky Generals, we have a flat structure and a flexible and organic way of working, where you are empowered to step up. As such, the Account Director should be a strong and visible leader both in the agency and with the client. On the front foot, setting high standards and steering the team towards the best outcome. Remember we are also a company of doers (not talkers), and you should be driving momentum with a can-do spirit.  Specifically an Account Director should also:

• Be hungry for the agency, and for yourself. 
• Don’t get bogged down. See the big picture and challenge the status quo.
• Listen well, make thought-through decisions, and speak decisively. 
• Create strong client relationships built on respect and your ability to add value and energy to the process. 
• Create a collaborative team-dynamic and an atmosphere that people want to be part of.
• Demonstrate Emotional Intelligence - see things from other people’s perspectives, and know the best way to get what you need from people. 
• Champion Diversity and Inclusion at Lucky Generals, both in the agency and within our work.
• Be skillful at managing up, down and across in the agency. Empower your team, use their time efficiently, and protect them when necessary. 
• Be able to give clear on-the-go feedback to those you manage. 
• Open meetings with clear objectives and close them with clear next steps. 
• Encourage debate, but be able to manage charged discussions with conflicting agendas and resolve them with positive energy. 
• Ensure we are the lead agency among other agencies, and act as brand guardian.
• Steer the process and look for ways to improve ways of working internally and with client relationships. Remember - we don’t care for bureaucracy at Lucky Generals, we champion agile ways of working.
• Act as a good role model for junior people in the agency and help develop their skills. 
• Nb. Great account management principles honed as an Account Manager remain key!

CREATIVE DRIVE  This is the lifeblood of Lucky Generals. Our creative outlook is broad, modern and differentiating. We think about the world as it is today: content-hungry, multi-channel and always-on way. We are committed to challenging the status quo and genuinely impacting
on popular culture regardless of the medium. An Account Director is expected to champion this creative agenda and push for strong, modern work at all times. You must keep positive momentum, navigate challenges and help craft the very best output. You are also encouraged to contribute creatively yourself! 

• Drive our creative ambition through the client team. 
• Understand what makes effective and culturally impactful work for your brand and for the agency, and always have a strong, articulate POV.
• Spot the potential in ideas, and suggest how it can be exploded across platforms and across the client organization/business.
• Identify potential challenges and ensure the agency is prepared to resolve them or be able to effectively push back. 
• Manage creative feedback carefully with teams - suggest solutions and use it as a springboard to better work. 
• Present ideas with imagination, conviction and persuasion. 
• Create the time and appreciation for craft – both ideas and executions. 
• Have an in-depth understanding of the production process across all media, and be able to add value when things are going well and not so well.
• Push for and champion diversity and representation in our work at all times.

STRONG STRATEGIC MIND  Effectiveness is in our DNA. This is partly because of Andy, our Strategic Founder’ personal prowess
in this area but equally it’s a cultural mindset that we all share. We are all about behavioural change - we want people to do things, not just feel things, as
a result of our work. So, an Account Director at Lucky Generals must demonstrate strategic understanding of client business and the total communications picture. Put it this way, if your planner is off sick, you should be able to articulate the agency strategic pov! 

• Be an expert on the client’s business and target audiences, and know their priorities. 
• Be familiar with modern marketing theories and business thinking. 
• Build a strong partnership with your planner; and keep their eyes on the prize. 
• Be able to drive strategy - be able to write briefs, instigate debate and successfully push for the execution of culturally impactful ideas.
• Ensure thinking, briefs and creative work are fit for today’s world: content-hungry, multi-channel and always-on.
• Have a POV on competitor strategies and work and their impact on your clients’ audience. 
• Be able to analyse consumer, market and brand data effectively, recognise insights, and understand research methodologies. 
• Push for strong effectiveness measures and stories, which are critical for agency case studies. 

COMMERCIAL RIGOUR  An Account Director at Lucky Generals should be savvy, demonstrate commercial nous and financial diligence. Lead your accounts with a ‘no surprises’ policy when it comes to finance. 

• Understand how the agency makes its money and how your accounts contribute to profit. Equally, be ready to flag any potential losses in income. 
• Ensure regular WIP sessions are in place with him and that your account runs smoothly. 
• Be responsible for clients’ overall budgets: be smart with their money and oversee your AM to track all financial exchanges with them. 
• Be an expert on the contract, fee and bonus structure on your accounts. Know what is chargeable and what is not. 
• Be able to produce a tactical fee proposal and negotiate with clients. Take an interest in bigger fee proposals. 
• Be responsible for the agency’s money: ensure the right agency resources are used and in a cost effective manner. 
• Actively interrogate cost estimates. 
• Understand the client’s financial process in order to manage cashflow - ensure we are paid on time, and before we have to pay out. 
• Minimize and preferably eliminate write-offs and ensure the agency doesn’t commit itself to work without client-approved budgets. 

An Account Director should also have a strong entrepreneurial streak. Specifically: 

• Proactively grow the client relationship.
• Look for improvements and efficiencies in how we work. 
• Spot commercial opportunities and new revenue streams for the agency on your accounts.
• Spot opportunities to make money via in-house production and instill this in your juniors.
• Be keen to learn about alternative remuneration models. 
• Grow your network. Stay in touch with clients that move. Build key partnerships outside of the agency and bring their expertise back into Lucky Generals
• Be able to lead a pitch!

Benefits and Perks:

• 25 days annual leave + Bank Holidays + 3 Lucky Days per year (days to be used for moments that matters to you)
• BUPA Private Health Insurance (post probation)
• Cycle to Work and CycleSaver bike subscription schemes
• 12 Self Space therapy sessions per year, 4 of which can be shared with family 
• Free lunch and breakfast available on site
• Industry leading maternity policy, fertility fund and people lead policies
• Dog friendly office
• Cultural and social initiatives including trips out (eg: gallery and museum trips, painting and pottery nights and visits to comedy clubs), hosts of inspirational speakers and outreach work.

Our Commitment to Equal Opportunities  At Lucky Generals we place diversity, equality and inclusion at the heart of everything we do, from the way we work together to the work we put out in the world. We are committed to ensuring that all our Generals and prospective Generals feel valued, respected and that they belong. We are committed to providing equal opportunities for all and this is reflected throughout all policies and practices at Lucky Generals Lucky Generals encourages applications from all qualified and eligible candidates and no applicant will be subject to unlawful or unfair discrimination on the grounds of gender, age, marital status, colour, race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, offending background, membership or non-membership of a trade union or political beliefs.