Account Director - Issues & Crisis

Hill & Knowlton is a strategic and creative partner to drive breakthrough opportunities for growth and value creation, advance corporate strategy, and build reputation capital and resiliency. We’re a proven partner for business and brand transformation. A full-service global firm, we provide strategic communication, marketing and corporate affairs solutions distinguished by intelligence and creativity. Hill & Knowlton is part of the Burson Group and WPP (NYSE: WPP), the creative transformation company. 

About Burson

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. Burson operates under WPP (NYSE: WPP), the creative transformation company. Learn more at www.bursonglobal.com.

OUR TEAM

We are the first and only large agency to structure itself around sectors to deliver deep industry knowledge, supported by specialist areas of ideas and strategy, content creation and publishing.

We expect our people to constantly evolve, reinvent their skills and set a new standard in the industry for their role, making our agency the perfect home for an ambitious self-starter.  We work with high profile clients to help them build, protect and enhance their reputations and manage their risks effectively.

Our clients include blue-chip brands, household names and FTSE 100 companies across all sectors.

THE ROLE & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced and constantly changing environment.
• Will be responsible for leading accounts with work spanning longer-term issues preparedness and strategic communications to and immediate crisis response.
• Some experience of financial management: responsible for fee recs, budget monitoring, revenue forecasting, fee negotiation, managing over-servicing levels, capacity planning across your accounts.
• The chance to develop your crisis and client counsel skills as part of one of the most respected issues teams in the industry, learning from some of the best practitioners in the field.
• The opportunity to work across a diverse portfolio of clients and industry sectors on a range of high- profile projects.

DESIRED ATTRIBUTES

• Intellectually curious with ambition, drive, and commitment to great results
• A confident team player who can quickly build strong relationships within the team and across the agency and motivate a group of ambitious junior staff
• Strong client handling skills; experience in delivering decisive counsel to senior clients
• Issues management experience for B2B and/or B2C clients
• Crisis communications or corporate issues/reputation management experience gained in an agency and/or in-house environment. Issues management experience for B2B and/or B2C clients and excellent written, verbal, and digital communications skills and the ability to work quickly to tight deadlines are essential.
• Strategic thinker, able to thrive in a fast-paced and constantly moving environment, who understands the broader world in which our clients operate and is interested in the news agenda.

OUR LONDON OFFICE

Burson employs over 300 people in the UK, and our stunning Southwark offices run over two floors as part of the larger WPP Campus, Rose Court. We have access to a beautiful roof terrace with panoramic views across London and a bar/restaurant area, which is a great spot for client meetings and socialising with the wider agency and other WPP OpCo’s. 

DE&I

At Burson, diversity, equity and inclusion are not just values; they are strategic imperatives that fuel our future in an industry built on the art of understanding, connecting and developing relationships. We believe that a diverse workforce is essential for inspiring bold ideas, fostering constructive dialogue and cultivating meaningful experiences that drive innovation and creativity. It also enables our agency to thrive and deliver brilliant work. For more information, visit www.bursonglobal.com.

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. 

 #LI-SF1

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.