Business Director

DEPT® is a Growth Invention company built to help the world’s most ambitious brands grow faster. Operating at the intersection of technology and marketing, our 4,000+ specialists deliver growth invention services across Brand & Media, Experience, Commerce, CRM, and Technology & Data. We’re 50|50 tech and marketing, partner-led, and first to move. Clients include Google, Lufthansa, Meta, eBay, and OpenAI. We have been certified B Corp and Climate Neutral since 2021.

JOB PURPOSE 

The Business Director ensures its pod is set up to deliver outstanding work while building commercially and operationally successful client partnerships. The BD will be responsible for developing senior client relationships, overseeing complex programmes of work, and leading cross-functional teams through strong collaboration, communication and operational excellence.

We don’t believe in siloed teams – creative, technology, media and data overlap in all roles at  DEPT®. This person will oversee the strategy for the Client Services discipline and ensure client teams are working collaboratively to deliver against a single vision and our client’s business priorities. They will represent DEPT® to our clients, adding value to relationships beyond organisational skills doing a mixture of account management and strategic planning, not your typical suit. 

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Build long-term relationships with C-level stakeholders, understanding what drives them personally and commercially
• Support Business Directors to build annual client strategies
• Find and convert upsell and cross-sell opportunities across our services
• Work with the management team on new business requests, proposals and onboarding
• Own revenue forecasting and the accuracy of your pod’s trackers
• Lead contract and cost negotiations, and support group heads on client commercial affairs
• Hold a view on the wider commercial picture - overheads, investment, third-party costs, and client-side issues that affect the partnership
• Work with Finance and Operations to protect client profitability
• Line-manage and mentor your team, acting as the final escalation point on key clients
• Build training and development programmes that visibly grow people
• Partner with Creative, Tech, Media and Design leads on team configuration, process and quality
• Manage demand and capacity, spotting skill gaps before they bite
• Lead or support strategic initiatives tied to our business objectives for the year
• Keep strategy and priorities visible across teams
• Spot excellent work and get it into case studies and creds

WHAT YOU BRING

• Significant client services experience in an integrated or digital agency
• A track record of running complex campaigns across creative, media and consultancy
• Experience managing large client and agency teams, laterally and vertically
• Confidence working with director and C-level clients on strategy, not just delivery
• Commercial fluency: forecasting, reconciling revenue, and understanding what makes an account profitable
• The ability to create energy; people want to be on your team
• Comfort with data, and with moving quickly when the brief changes

WE OFFER

• A flexible, hybrid working policy
• The choice of medical healthcare providers (Bupa or Medicash) 
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays and your birthday off each year
• Company pension scheme 
• EAP scheme
• Ride to work scheme 
• Enhanced family friendly policies
• Buddy Program: You will be paired with a ‘Buddy’ to help you through your first weeks’ at DEPT®
• A reputation for doing good. DEPT® has been a Certified B Corp® since 2021 and named ‘Agency of the Year’ at both The Lovies and The Webby Awards.
• Awesome clients. Whether big or small, local or global — at DEPT® you’ll get the opportunity to work with clients of all sizes and across all industries. And we celebrate all of our successes together!
• The opportunity for possibility. We want to enable you to do what you do best and help you develop your skills further with training, development and certifications.
• Global annual DEPT® Cares Month in which employees come together and donate their skills to support local charities.

WHY DEPT®?

We are a Growth Invention company built to help the world’s most ambitious brands grow faster. Operating at the intersection of technology and marketing, we create what is next by pioneering ideas, acting fast, and moving further because standing still just is not in our DNA.

We are drawn to people who stay curious, move with intent, and never stop inventing. Our culture runs on three values: better together, relentlessly curious, and get sh*t done. It is how we work, how we grow, and how we make things that matter.

At DEPT®, you will find the freedom to explore, the space to collaborate, and the trust to make a real impact for our clients, for each other, and for the world we are helping to build.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION 

At DEPT®, we take pride in creating an inclusive workplace where everyone has an equal opportunity to thrive. We actively seek to recruit, develop, nurture, and retain talented individuals from diverse backgrounds, with varying skills and perspectives.

Not sure you meet all qualifications? Apply, and let us decide! Research shows that women and members of underrepresented groups tend not to apply for jobs when they think they may not meet every requirement, when in fact they do. We believe in giving everyone a fair chance to shine.

We also encourage you to reach out to us and discuss any reasonable adjustments we can make to support you throughout the recruitment process and your time with us

Want to know more about our dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion? Check out our efforts here.