Paid Search Account Director

About the Role:

MG OMD are searching for an experienced PPC Account Director to join their award-winning team, across the Giffgaff account. This person will find themselves working closely with all the major search (PPC) platforms to deliver best-in-class advertising campaigns for some of the UK's biggest household brands. An ability to establish strong working relationships with clients and media partners is crucial, as is the capacity to both collaborate with and challenge vendors on all aspects of search advertising. The Account Director role also has a particular focus on commercial acumen within the team.

• The Account Director will be responsible for ensuring the implementation of planned strategies, alignment with MG and client business goals, and adherence to commercial agreements. They will lead and set the strategic direction for search across their accounts, and as part of media planning, map growth opportunities through the search maturity framework to incorporate the latest practices, products, and approved vendors.
• As the senior lead across their accounts, they should feel comfortable advocating for the strategic direction to clients and stakeholders across the organization, ensuring that PPC aligns with other paid media activities. Ad hoc support for new business pitches may be required to support the agency's growth.
• The Account Director will need to demonstrate strong skills in leadership and team management. This involves leading the account and supporting the team, providing thought leadership and strategy, managing relationships both internally and externally, and ensuring that processes are followed rigorously. Team management will involve onboarding new team members, as well as fostering the overall growth and development of specialists within the team.

As an Account Director you should be 100% confident in your knowledge of paid search and comfortable recommending strategies & tactics to clients.

You will have solid experience in integrated search campaign management and be able to ensure all work is delivered on time and to the high standard required.

An in-depth working knowledge of the Google Ads platform is a must (with experience using SA360 and other bid management platforms a bonus).

Supporting the wider activation team on day-to-day implementation, alongside driving client performance to meet targets and expectations.

• Commercial acumen: Ensure bookings, billables and utilisation in accordance with commercial agreements and business priorities.
• Planning: You will be able to forecast and plan to the client's business goals, delivering detailed responses and engaging with internal teams.
• Implementation: Roadmap and lead key workstreams whilst engaging the relevant stakeholders for seamless execution to advance search maturity.
• Organised: You are organized and able to create and work through processes to ensure best-in-class account management.
• Client Management: You are comfortable engaging with a client and senior stakeholders daily, advocating for search strategies that support account growth.
• Team Player: Be a team player and develop talent within the marketing team to help them achieve their full potential.
• Platform Experience: Google and Microsoft Ads experience. Search Ads 360 experience is a preference but not essential.
• Pro Active: Cultivate a growth mindset and self-entrepreneurship, identify areas of growth and take relevant actions.
• Develop & Grow: Be able to install strong and robust processes, that are evolved over time according to client nuances. Identify areas to support and grow your existing team.

Specific deliverables

Planning: Ability to plan efficiently, deliver detailed responses and work with internal teams collaboratively.

• Able to make plans when needed. Through annual, quarterly, monthly and ad hock situations.
• Work collaboratively with the MG Digital Client Team and other specialist channels during planning phases.
• Monitor performance and respond accordingly to actuals vs forecasts.

Client Management: Day to day management with the client, building a strong partnership.

• Being able to communicate efficiently, effectively and professionally.
• Able to be calm during unforeseen circumstances.
• Present, vocal and supportive during client reporting meetings.
• Able to work through challenges and new ways of working with a new client.

Day to Day: Working across a range of tasks on a day to day basis. This includes:

• Managing and working with the specialists.
• Monitoring campaign performance daily and ensuring changes needed are being communicated.
• Supporting the team and delivering training, 1-1s and overall management.
• Working with the Business Director on technology innovation and implementing solutions.
• Supporting MG OMD with a variety of other tasks where needed, such as with pitches.
• Working collaboratively with the Digital Client Team and wider client internal teams.
• Being a team player.

About MG OMD:

With over 500 employees working across some of the UK's leading brands including the John Lewis Partnership, Virgin Media O2, British Airways, Specsavers, HM Government, LNER, Sony Pictures and Age UK; it is our people who ultimately make the award-winning difference.

So, true to our ethos, we work hard at creating a spirit and atmosphere that inspires our people to be considerate, honest, and professional whilst also being stimulating, imaginative and inspirational.

We want people who are great to work with, fun to be with and who genuinely care; about each other, our clients, our media partners and doing great work.

In return, we provide an amazingly collaborative culture, where open communication and an unwavering commitment to diversity of thinking, diversity of background and diversity of skillsets runs through everything we do. All backed up by the highest standards of training, development and support in the industry; so much so, that we have attained IPA (Institute of Practitioners in Advertising) CPD Gold Accreditation for the 12th year running and maintained our CPD Platinum Accreditation for the 7th consecutive year, showcasing our commitment to continuous professional development. We were also featured in the Sunday Times Best Places to Work List for 2023 with an impressive 84% engagement rate.