Group Client Director

Bastion was founded in 2009, built with the goal of bringing together world-class independent marketing communication agencies and experts, with complimentary skillsets, to deliver work that truly makes a difference.

Our culture is built on integration, collaboration, diversity, curiosity, creativity, and fun. We ask our team to be all in, to relentlessly think, pursue and discover imaginative ways to advance our client’s business, challenge norms, reject mediocrity and dare to be different (because the same is, well, just the same). We are never afraid to go against the grain in order to do work that moves people.

Role Overview

The Group Client Director is a Senior Client Service Representative with responsibility for the delivery and standards of the Agency’s service and product on accounts assigned by the Bastion Group. In this role, the Group Client Director provides strong leadership and strategic direction across the cross-functional Bastion team, and in addition provides perspective and leadership in the development of the highest possible quality of the product. The Group Client Director co-ordinates the day-to-day activities on behalf of the Bastion Group’s clients. They are also responsible for the supervision, and timely completion of assignments. The Group Client Director is also expected to present and gain acceptance of work created by the agency.

They will quickly be seen internally and externally as the “One Bastion” team leader across all aspects of the Client’s business, with a focus on strategy, brand, creative, design, PR and digital.

They should be involved in the identification of new business opportunities both with existing Clients and within the overall market.

Key Responsibilities

The Group Client Director has three key areas of responsibility: top level leadership/supervision over the operation of each account, long term marketing and account planning for those accounts, and bottom-line accountability for the accounts assigned.

Leadership/Supervision

• Acts as the integrated leader across all parts of the Bastion offering, so that there is a “One Bastion” team approach to the Clients’ business, helping influence the various parts of the Client organisation to all head in the same direction.
• Has a total view across the Clients’ business, so they are the one person in the agency who understands all workstreams’ objectives, status, next steps and outcomes.
• Provides stimulus for and creates new solutions to answer Client business problems or marketing objectives.
• Assists the client CMO with the development of marketing strategies.
• Is a proactive member of the Account Service team in all aspects of development and ways of working excellence.
• Motivates all agency contributors to ensure the highest level of professionalism.
• Monitors progress of all projects within area of responsibility.
• Counsels and coaches Account Directors, Account Managers/Account co-ordinators, monitors their work and provides appropriate direction.
• Approves/ assists team members to write briefs.
• Maintains positive and developing Client relationships.
• Ensures that strategies are executed in accordance with agreed upon Client needs.
• Ensures high quality of Agency product and service.
• Acts as arbiter and solves problems as needed.
• Keeps the Managing Director and General Manager informed of account status and issues.
• Represents the Agency in the development of initial new business opportunities.

Planning/Long Term Strategy

The Group Client Director must become totally knowledgeable of the product category in which the Client(s) operate. This includes competitive activity, research, industry information and other information that allows the preparation of meaningful competitive analysis

• Analyses all available marketing data and marketing through up-to-date knowledge of Client’s business and individual product performance.
• Is fully conversant with market dynamics and competitive activity in Client product categories.
• Makes recommendations based on an understanding of the long term strategy, plans and tactics of the Client.
• Develops workable budgets, work plans and realistic timetables.
• Initiates business building marketing/advertising proposals, creative exploration.

Bottom Line Accountability

The Group Client Director must be familiar with, and ensure the agency upholds the requirements and best practice principles of relevant client service commitments.

• Assist the General Manager in the establishment of annual operating budgets for each account.
• Provides monthly billings projections and updates as is deemed necessary.
• Makes certain that accounts are handled profitably and within parameters agreed with the MD/GM.

What You Bring

• Significant amount of senior agency experience, leading large, multi-faceted pieces of business.
• Proven experience of leading high performing teams, with a highly collaborative approach
• Hungry, strategic, big picture thinker yet across the details as needed.
• Experience of working with Agile ways of working ideal.
• Motivated by the opportunity to take Clients into a new way of working that enables momentum, speed to market, and ultimately delivers strong creative and digital communications.
• Treats these accounts within the agency as their own business, looking to best leverage agency resource efficiently and profitably.
• Ideally this person will have led other large accounts with multi-channel comms outputs (e.g. TV, content, print, PR, digital, direct, social etc). In addition to this, a good understanding of marketing and how to motivate customers along a path to purchase would be a real asset.
• From a cultural perspective, this person needs to be kind, straight up, fun, confident and a lover of empowerment.

What We Offer

• Flexible work in a hybrid work environment with mental wellbeing initiatives
• A supportive culture focused on collaboration and personal growth
• A truly integrated agency network that includes research, data, insights, creative, digital, experiential, reputation management, content production, performance, earned media, etc.
• The opportunity to lead fully integrated campaigns that expand your experience in the marketing and communications landscape
• Robust G&D program training throughout the year
• Happy Days
• Culture Club: a calendar of events that connects our team in creative and fun ways
• The Bastion Evolve mentoring program
• Inclusive parental leave that offers 12 weeks paid leave for primary carers
• CSR leave
• International Exchange Program