Group Director, Communications Design

As Group Director, Communications Design you are at the forefront of bringing the next generation of planning to life. As the Design leader of your client group, you are responsible for ensuring the adoption and adherence of communications design principles across your client base, ensuring your team consistently delivers best in class idea led, culturally empowered communications ecosystems that drive effectiveness.

Job Responsibilities

Client 

• Act as lead design counsel for clients at key periods (eg. annual planning) or across key projects (eg. New launches) 
• Responsible for communications design product excellence across major planning initiatives across designated client base 

Internal 

• Responsible for team’s adoption of best in class communications design approaches and innovation, and adherence to planning process 
• Oversee collaboration with external partners (creative agency), and internal strategy and partnerships teams through the planning process to ensure creative excellence, strategic fit and commercial feasibility of the Connections Design approach 
• Oversight of connections architecture development, analytics strategy and ecosystem delivery across owned, earned, shared & paid (OESP) 
• Responsible for best in class quality and consistency of every output from the communications design client team they oversee, in line with the communications design discipline vision 
• Responsible for ensuring team is effectively resourced, and talent has the right training and support to operate at the required level 

Commercial 

• Responsible for ensuring profitable integration of Specialty Business Unit (SBU) leadership within design team 
• Oversee opportunities to grow scope to appropriate communications design staffing levels and up-leveled talent on client assignments 

New Business 

• Manage the product outcomes for new business efforts across pitches for Communications Design resource, including casting talent, running brainstorms, integrating with partnerships & SBU’s on

Desired Skills & Experience

• 10+ years in integrated planning role in media, publisher / vendor, or communications discipline (digital, content) 
• 5+ Experience leading, managing and motivating a team 
• Public Policy/Government category account experience is preferred 
• Performance marketing mindset and experience is highly preferred
• Ability to lead strategic thinking for integrated marketing communication plans encompassing traditional and non-traditional media strategies 
• Ability to ensure consistency and best practices across all projects; strong project management skills 
• Strong organizational, analytical and leadership skills 
• Proven ability to develop and maintain high level professional relationships with senior clients, colleagues and vendors 
• Ability to assess client needs for utilization and development of planning and research tools and resources 
• Excellent communication skills both written and verbal 
• Strong experience/involvement in new business planning and presentations skills 

Employment Transparency

It is the policy of Mediabrands, division of the Interpublic group, to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, creed, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, citizenship, genetic information, veteran status, disability, or any other basis prohibited by applicable federal, state, or local law. 

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice. 

The employer will make reasonable accommodations in compliance with the American with Disabilities Act of 1990. The job description will be reviewed periodically as duties and responsibilities change with business necessity. Essential and other job functions are subject to modification. Reasonable accommodations may be provided to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.  

For applicants to jobs in the United States: In compliance with the current Americans with Disabilities Act and state and local laws, if you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation to apply for a position with Mediabrands, please email accommodation@mbww.com

About Us

Initiative is different to other media agencies.

We are not trapped by a legacy structure primarily centered on paid advertising. Instead, we are liberated by a new world structure designed to deliver highly differentiated and highly effective communications strategies for our clients.

We are the world’s fastest growing media agency built upon the strongest strategic capability of any agency in the market. Core to this strategic proposition is the belief that the faster a brand can move through culture the more relevant it can become. We call this Cultural Velocity ™. Our process is designed to create ideas that move through culture through unique insight, market leading analytics and strategic media brilliance. Our new world model is comprised of “craft centers” – Client Advice and Management, Strategy, Communications Design, Partnership and Culture, Insights & Analytics.