Associate Director, Commercial – Global

EssenceMediacom is GroupM’s newest and largest agency, committed to delivering marketing breakthroughs for brands. It has disrupted the old models across media, creative, innovation and analytics to find new opportunities for advertisers and deliver truly integrated media solutions.

Born out of two pioneering agencies, EssenceMediacom fuses Essence’s performance, data, analytics, and creative technology DNA with MediaCom’s scaled multichannel audience planning and strategic media expertise.

As part of WPP, the world's largest marketing communications services group, and GroupM, WPP’s consolidated media investment management arm, we have access to the richest data, most robust benchmarks, and most advanced capabilities in the market. This helps us provide comprehensive solutions to all marketing challenges.

Our ‘breakthrough’ ambition is underpinned by our commitment to ‘continuous learning.’ We aim to ensure our people fulfil their potential by investing in their whole-person wellbeing, careers, and capabilities, which in turn helps grow our clients’ businesses.

EssenceMediacom, with 10,000 people across 120 offices in 96 markets, is one of the world’s leading communications specialists, with billings of more than US$21 billion (Source: COMvergence, 2021). Its global client roster includes adidas, Coca-Cola (TCCC), Dell, Google, Hasbro, Mars, NBC Universal, P&G, Richemont, and Sony.

Find out more at www.essencemediacom.com. Alternatively, follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.

Reports to: Global Commercial Director

The role

The Associate Director provides support and assistance to the Commercial Director, local and regional CEOs, Client teams, Trading functions and digital teams and specialist departments (as well as regional or local commercial teams), and where applicable the Global CFO and GADs and Client Presidents.

The EssenceMediacom Associate Director, Global Commercial is tasked with the job of guiding the organisation through the commercial landscape. This means assisting our commercial remuneration approaches with current and potential new incoming clients.

1. To assist, explore and exploit the commercial opportunities that arise within the business and to ensure that the business is best placed to take advantage of those opportunities
2. Assist with the creation and development of bespoke commercial solutions for our clients and our business
3. Support a portfolio of clients, for which they manage key client relationships with their relevant commercial counterpart (client side) and ensure smooth / pragmatic running of the overall accounts. This role will also take “lead” some of the clients in their portfolio with their Director’s support.
4. Safeguard the agency. Ensure that the Agency is protected by ensuring that all appropriate contractual paperwork is in place.

Accountabilities include:

• Primary commercial contact point for specified cluster of clients and internal stakeholders
• Primary commercial contact for regional leads and local markets
• Assist with leading and developing the following:
  • Existing client fee and contract negotiations
  • Construct and negotiate all commercial proposals for new business pitches
  • Red / Green Schedule Management
  • Client Incentive Management
  • Client payment term extension requests alongside the market CFO
  • Client rate card creation
  • Assist Client Commercial Dispute Management alongside Commercial Director, CEO and FCFO
  • Support the CFOs with client audit management (NDA's, scope agreement, pre-audit, supervision of audit, audit report review and commenting, client management)
  • Work with the trading team to ensure trading linked incentive mechanics are achieved
  • Out of scope service fee negotiation (e.g., Creative Systems, Social, Sports, and other specialist services)
  • Support the Legal team with data processing and client contracts
• Ensuring compliance and best practice in the set-up of new business operations.
• Ensure all appropriate contractual paperwork is in place and signed
• Develop and drive organisational change where and as required by the business

A bit about your skills and experience:

• Must show a proactive approach to problem solving
• Desire for continuous improvement, for yourself as well as any direct reports you may have
• Must be good at delegating, supporting junior staff where necessary – overall great with teamwork
• Must have a passion for developing your direct reports if applicable
• Innovation/Initiative required
• Communication at all levels of the company

• Leadership, ability to affect change, influence others and propose solutions / decisions to the Director

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