Group Account Director

Group Account Director (1- year Contract)

Ogilvy Health Canada

About Ogilvy Health:

Ogilvy Health is focused on driving superior outcomes in the ever-changing healthcare environment, an increasingly complex and evolving marketplace. We inspire brands and people to impact the world by keeping our audiences’ health and wellness needs at the center of every touchpoint. Ogilvy Health delivers insight, creativity, innovation, and engagement solutions for all healthcare stakeholders, patients, and consumers across the healthcare continuum. Through borderless creativity—operating, innovating, and creating at the intersection of talent and capabilities— Advertising, Experience, Public Relations, Health, and Consulting work fluidly across 131 offices in 93 countries to bring forth world-class creative solutions for our clients.

For more information on us, visit OgilvyHealth.com, or follow Ogilvy Health Canada on  LinkedIn.

About the Role:

The Group Account Director is a senior Account Management partner responsible for the senior client relationships for the Accounts in their groups and overseeing Account Directors or Senior Account Directors and their team members. The Group Account Director is the most senior person in contact with the clients’ businesses.  Beyond owning the brand strategy (in partnership with Account Directors), they own the Agency’s service offering towards their clients. They listen to client needs and challenges, become experts in the client's therapeutic area (TA), their business overall and their pipeline. They ensure strategic recommendations are made proactively to help the client's business thrive. They are responsible for growing the business relationship and offering value beyond the Agency’s traditional offering to ensure longevity and growth. Group Account Directors ensure strong strategy, delivery, and optimization of Agency resources towards an Account, relevant to the importance of the business for the Agency. They must be leaders within the agency teams to both Account and Creative sides as well as to Client teams. 

Group Account Directors are responsible for individual performance as well as mentoring their team in their professional growth. They are responsible for the team delivering on and surpassing client expectations. Group Account Directors, along with their team, are also responsible for client profitability, organic growth and take an active part in new business development. 

What You’ll Do

• Lead and review the high-level strategy and ensure a long-term relationship with the client which goes beyond the immediate brand assignments and service offering


• Challenge strategies, client direction, or ideas that are not aligned with brand positioning or long-term vision


• Responsible for ensuring that positive energy and attitudes are maintained


• Develop accounts creatively and financially and play a positive role in new business development


• Drive the client partnership and align agency resources around client priorities


• Clearly understand client objectives and strategic imperatives and effectively communicate their needs to the internal team


• Develop or review the overall communication strategy and tactical plans, based on a strong understanding of the client's context (TA, business type, corporate priorities & processes)


• Have full awareness of creative processes and techniques – including digital platforms


• Balance the expectations of clients with the execution of creative work. 


• Develop internal business planning processes that drive tight alignment and collaboration across multiple stakeholders


• Lead a team to provide the utmost level of client service and quality of work


• Develop high-level strategy and new offerings


• Liaise with clients and cross functional teams at a senior level


• Promote the expansion of business with existing clients


• Complete projects to a specific schedule and within an agreed budget


• Use your skills to push clients, and the agency, creatively and strategically


• Lead strategic client meetings and facilitate discussions to drive results for accounts

What You’ll Need  

• Superior strategic planning and presentation skills, organization, and prioritization abilities


• A persuasive and confident approach to creative and strategic mandates


• Effective team management capabilities


• A keen attention to detail and budgetary restraints


• A passion for the Advertising industry and Agency business


• Working knowledge of all media (print, TV, radio and digital)


• For Canadian Accounts: PAAB and ASC experience and negotiation skills


• A critical thinker with the ability to analyze and synthesize data and information


• A self-motivator, willingness to stay up to date in a fast-paced environment, engagement, and persistence


• Business planning skills, and team attitude regarding Agency planning for resource allocation


• Interest in science & health, learning attitude, strategic thinking


• Results oriented with a can-do spirit that loves to exceed expectations, meet deadlines, and overcome obstacles


• Ability to work independently and to take ownership while being a team player and mindful of others (partnership attitude)


• Business development attitude


• Enjoy listening, thinking, researching, learning, and adding value


• Applies the Company’s ideals to all decision-making business approaches

How We’ll Support You

Ogilvy Health celebrates its people. Fully. Enthusiastically. Unhesitatingly. We’ll empower you with the tools  and training opportunities you’ll need to succeed. We’ll give you the autonomy to seek out new paths and better ways of doing things. We’ll support you with colleagues who are experts in their disciplines, drawn from across the Ogilvy network. And we’ll provide opportunities for you to do work of which you’ll be proud, with people you’ll be proud to call your teammates.

Ogilvy Health Canada employees are encouraged to bring their ideas, experiences and perspectives, gleaned from their varied backgrounds, to the workplace.  We strive to create an environment in which all employees can feel comfortable to contribute to their fullest potential without regard to their race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.