Job Description

Let's get down to business!
We have a terrific, on-site opportunity for a dynamic, Senior Client Business Director with a strong Media, Digital and Retail experience to join the team at a global retail solutions company in Cape Town.
Working with a strong Retail/FMCG focus with Digital execution of Media In-store, this is a pivotal leadership role for a heavyweight focused on unlocking sustainable, profitable growth through tactical client partnerships. You'll be at the helm of key retail media accounts, developing and implementing long-term strategic plans, identifying new revenue streams, and steering delivery across digital and in-store media touchpoints.
You'll own the full account P&L and ensure delivery against defined client OKRs. Your remit includes driving account growth, operational excellence, and client satisfaction across in-store and digital retail media.
You'll lead a dedicated client-focused team, ensuring they're equipped, motivated, and supported to deliver high-impact, insight-driven campaigns that align with both client priorities and business goals. From campaign performance to process optimisation, you'll oversee media sales, stakeholder relations, issue resolution and innovation roadmaps, ensuring the delivery of projects on time, to budget, and with measurable outcomes.
With your strong strategic thinking, financial acumen, and ability to nurture cross-functional collaboration, you'll play a key role in elevating both client results and internal performance.
If you're a commercially minded results-driven leader, with a curious, sharp mind, customer-centric, and able to lead with confidence and clarity, we'd love to hear from you. Show us your outstanding relationship-building skills, and a passion for retail and media, this could be your next big move. Apply today!
Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Account Planning

• Develop and execute the clients' long-term strategic account plan, guiding their growth and ensuring alignment with the mission, vision, and values of our corporate plan.
• Maintain comprehensive account plans to ensure delivery of strategic objectives and ensure team members are aware of client objectives and plans and are equipped to deliver these.

Client Relationship Management

• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, primarily focussed on senior stakeholders. Serve as their trusted advisor, being curious and proactive, not afraid to speak up, challenge, or make recommendations.
• Act as the primary point of contact for all account-related matters for senior stakeholders and ensure effective ways of working and strong relationships with client stakeholders at all levels across the account.
• Ensure the delivery of excellent client service across the account to encourage growth, repeat business, and drive customer satisfaction.
• Accountability for issue resolution. Anticipate and address client concerns in a proactive manner and work collaboratively with internal teams to resolve issues and deliver solutions.

Financial Management & Legal Compliance

• Oversee the financial health of the account, including budgeting, financial forecasting, and financial performance analysis, including accurate forecasting & record-keeping via CRM tool.
• Identify and deliver initiatives to improve account margin, with measurable improvements to profitability and / or cost base.
• Ensuring that all new business opportunities are budgeted accurately to generate profitable revenues. Proactively flag any risks.
• Work to ensure that the organisation complies with relevant laws and regulations and manages legal affairs appropriately.

Upsell & Cross-Sell

• Identify opportunities for upselling and cross-selling additional services, projects or solutions to clients, driving revenue growth and increasing client satisfaction.
• Support and potentially drive new business opportunities where needed, including proactively identifying potential new business opportunities, supporting in prioritisation of these opportunities, and supporting in pitch activity where needed.
• Where needed, participate in marketing activity for the business, including use of external voice and participating in thought leadership through social media platforms and events.
• Oversee marketing activities for own client, including owning and delivering client engagement plans, and supporting developing case study materials.

Stakeholder Relations

• Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders internally and - where needed - across the Advantage Smollen group.
• Support on the delivery of cross-functional OKRs and input into/adhere to all cross-function governance (e.g. boards).

Operational Management & Delivery

• Oversee team operations including (but not limited to) media sales, campaign planning and execution, performance analysis and project management.
• Ensure delivery of client outputs - be these projects, campaigns, sales targets - by team members.
• Ensure efficient ways of working, both with client teams and internally (e.g. with operations, insight, and creative teams). Use learnings from account to inform new processes and ways of working for clients and rolling these out to broader teams where relevant.
• Provide guidance and mentorship to team members. Support where needed on day-to-day task delivery. Own delivery of all strategic account initiatives, including day-to-day delivery of these as necessary.

People Leadership

• Recruit, develop, and retain a high-performing account team, providing clear leadership and fostering a positive team culture. Ensuring that the team managers and supervisors are enabled to keep their staff always motivated and well-trained.
• Act as an inspirational leader to your direct reports and the wider business and ensure we remain a Great Place to Work. Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.

Market Insight & Innovation

• Stay informed about the retail media industry using up-to-date knowledge, market trends, insights and understanding of competitive dynamics to shape the clients' strategy.
• Support team members to provide strategic recommendations to clients that evolve and improve retail media campaigns, including growing their media, retail, and category.
• Work closely with operations and product & proposition departments to understand innovation and the adoption of new technologies, and to identify the place for them in your account (s).
• Sponsor any pilots of new tools or customer solutions and ensure delivery of client plans that ensure your client(s) remains competitive in the market with improved business processes and customer solutions.

Requirements
The successful candidate must have/be:

• Educated to Degree level or equivalent. Marketing qualifications
• Strong Maths & English (or equivalent numerate/language) qualifications
• Coaching, management or people development qualifications
• Significant experience of Client/Account Management/Sales roles
• Strong Media, Digital and Retail knowledge and background.
• Experience of Retail, Marketing, Media or Retail Media industries
• Experience managing and leading a team of 15+
• Creation, development, and implementation of account plans
• Recent ad-tech supply and demand side market experience and knowledge
• Media/Digital agency experience
• Proficient in MS Office (Excel (Advanced), Access, Word etc.)
• Ability to interpret market insight and apply to client
• Media, Data management & Loyalty analytics platforms and systems
• Workflow solutions
• AI applications within media environments
• An understanding of marketing theory including media planning, buying and measurement across analogue and digital channels
• A strong understanding of retail and retail media industries
• Existing retail media network (UK or global) experience
• Inspiring leader
• Accountable
• Team player
• Strategic thinking
• Customer-centric
• Ability to create and establish solutions based on client requirements
• Logical mindset, with an excellent attention to detail.
• Strong collaboration and communication skills.
• Highly organised
• Curious
• Good at building relationships and rapport
• Ability to adapt and work in a fast-paced environment.
• Able to balance own workload and leadership of team
• Confidence to challenge stakeholders
• Strong presentation skills.

If you don't have the relevant experience required for this role, please consider your application unsuccessful.
City: Cape Town
Level of Expertise: Senior
Remuneration: Negotiable
Consultant: Viv
Reference Number: #Viv3111