Account Director
Burson
Date: 12 hours ago
City: Johannesburg, Gauteng
Contract type: Full time
Who We Are
Burson is the global communications leader built to create value for clients through reputation. With highly specialized teams, industry-leading technologies and breakthrough creative, we help brands and businesses redefine reputation as a competitive advantage so they can lead today and into the future. When you work at Burson, you are part of a global community of lifelong learners who thrive at the edge of innovation.
Burson is part of WPP (LSE/NYSE: WPP), the creative transformation company. For more information visit bursonglobal.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.
More About The Role
Job Title: Account Director
Practice: Consumer and Brand
Reporting to: Managing Director
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
As an Account Director, you will play a key role in managing client relationships, overseeing campaigns, and ensuring the delivery of exceptional results. You will act as a trusted advisor to clients, providing strategic counsel and leading the development of integrated communication strategies that align with their business objectives in SA and across Africa.
This role requires strong leadership skills, commercial acumen, and expertise in corporate communications, stakeholder engagement, and campaign execution. You will inspire and mentor your team, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and innovation while supporting their professional growth.
In addition to managing client portfolios, you will actively contribute to business growth by identifying new opportunities within existing accounts and participating in new business initiatives. Your ability to adapt to emerging trends, including digital PR, social media, and data-driven insights, will be critical in delivering innovative solutions that achieve measurable results.
What You'll Do
Our vision is for Burson to be the leading ‘academy company’ for creative communications professionals and emerging leaders. We provide a dynamic environment where ambitious colleagues come to elevate their skills, expand their networks, and ultimately, produce the best solutions for today’s leading brands. Our commitment to your growth is reflected in our robust benefits and people programs, which include professional development opportunities, mentorship programs with industry leaders, a vibrant and inclusive company culture fostering collaboration and innovation and packages designed to reward and retain top talent. We invest in our people because we believe their success is our success.
At Burson, we’re an agency of learn-it-alls. We recognize that the things we do best, creativity and communications, require a level of nuanced understanding. That’s why it’s imperative for us to hire extraordinarily talented people of all backgrounds and identities. Without that we can’t do the essential work of inspiring bold ideas, fostering constructive dialogue, cultivating meaningful experiences, and driving innovation and creativity for our partners. Your unique point of view—your talent—is what makes you a #BursonPerson, and it’s how we deliver exceptional results for our clients, together.
We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office around four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.
When you click the "Submit Application" button below, this will send any information you add below to Burson. Before you do this, we think it's a good idea to read through our Recruitment Privacy Policy. California residents should read our California Recruitment Privacy Notice. This explains what we do with your personal data when you apply for a role with us, and, how you can update the information you have provided us with or how to remove it.
Burson is the global communications leader built to create value for clients through reputation. With highly specialized teams, industry-leading technologies and breakthrough creative, we help brands and businesses redefine reputation as a competitive advantage so they can lead today and into the future. When you work at Burson, you are part of a global community of lifelong learners who thrive at the edge of innovation.
Burson is part of WPP (LSE/NYSE: WPP), the creative transformation company. For more information visit bursonglobal.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.
More About The Role
Job Title: Account Director
Practice: Consumer and Brand
Reporting to: Managing Director
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
As an Account Director, you will play a key role in managing client relationships, overseeing campaigns, and ensuring the delivery of exceptional results. You will act as a trusted advisor to clients, providing strategic counsel and leading the development of integrated communication strategies that align with their business objectives in SA and across Africa.
This role requires strong leadership skills, commercial acumen, and expertise in corporate communications, stakeholder engagement, and campaign execution. You will inspire and mentor your team, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and innovation while supporting their professional growth.
In addition to managing client portfolios, you will actively contribute to business growth by identifying new opportunities within existing accounts and participating in new business initiatives. Your ability to adapt to emerging trends, including digital PR, social media, and data-driven insights, will be critical in delivering innovative solutions that achieve measurable results.
What You'll Do
- Build and maintain trusted relationships with clients, acting as their key advisor on public relations and reputation management.
- Develop and execute multi-channel communication strategies aligned with client goals and market dynamics.
- Provide strategic counsel to clients, offering clear, actionable solutions that deliver measurable results.
- Leverage data-driven insights and analytics to inform strategies and uncover new opportunities for clients.
- Stay ahead of industry trends, including digital PR and social media, integrating them into client campaigns.
- Inspire and lead a high-performing team, fostering collaboration, accountability, and professional growth.
- Drive organic growth within existing accounts by identifying new opportunities and expanding client relationships.
- Contribute to new business pitches, proposals, and RFP responses to support agency growth.
- Proven experience in client service and account management within public relations, communications, or marketing.
- Strong track record of managing and delivering integrated campaigns across corporate, B2B, and B2C audiences.
- Expertise in digital PR, social media strategy, and data-driven communications, with a focus on innovation.
- Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build trust with clients and stakeholders.
- Demonstrated leadership skills, including mentoring and guiding teams while fostering an inclusive culture.
- Commercially savvy, with experience in budgeting, forecasting, and driving profitability within accounts.
- Proactive approach to identifying new business opportunities and contributing to pitches and proposals.
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, managing competing priorities with resilience.
Our vision is for Burson to be the leading ‘academy company’ for creative communications professionals and emerging leaders. We provide a dynamic environment where ambitious colleagues come to elevate their skills, expand their networks, and ultimately, produce the best solutions for today’s leading brands. Our commitment to your growth is reflected in our robust benefits and people programs, which include professional development opportunities, mentorship programs with industry leaders, a vibrant and inclusive company culture fostering collaboration and innovation and packages designed to reward and retain top talent. We invest in our people because we believe their success is our success.
At Burson, we’re an agency of learn-it-alls. We recognize that the things we do best, creativity and communications, require a level of nuanced understanding. That’s why it’s imperative for us to hire extraordinarily talented people of all backgrounds and identities. Without that we can’t do the essential work of inspiring bold ideas, fostering constructive dialogue, cultivating meaningful experiences, and driving innovation and creativity for our partners. Your unique point of view—your talent—is what makes you a #BursonPerson, and it’s how we deliver exceptional results for our clients, together.
We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office around four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.
When you click the "Submit Application" button below, this will send any information you add below to Burson. Before you do this, we think it's a good idea to read through our Recruitment Privacy Policy. California residents should read our California Recruitment Privacy Notice. This explains what we do with your personal data when you apply for a role with us, and, how you can update the information you have provided us with or how to remove it.
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