Account Director – Public Affairs & Policy

Agency:

Portland

Job Function:

Consulting

Job Subfunction:

Business and Change Consulting

Job Description:

Account Director – Public Affairs & Policy

We’re looking for candidates who would be a great addition to our team and bring fantastic experience to our clients. Whilst this job ad is for an Account Director, who we would expect to have around 5 years of experience, we would be happy to receive applications from candidates with 4-7 years of experience. If you’re shortlisted, we’ll happily chat more about the position and discuss the job level that would be most appropriate for you.

About Portland

Portland is a global advisory firm, helping companies, foundations, governments and organisations communicate effectively, grow and succeed. We advise clients navigating business and reputational challenges, including regulatory change, political transition, and legal disputes and crises, ensuring they seize opportunities to engage in policy discussions and in the media when it matters most.

Headquartered in London, with a network of team members in critical markets, our advisors are drawn from the worlds of politics, business, law and journalism. Our work is supported by specialist digital, research and creative teams, and backed by Omnicom’s global network and capabilities. Combining political nous and cultural savvy, Portland’s advisers build strategies and campaigns tailored to clients’ needs, delivering outcomes that make a difference.

PA & Policy Team

Portland’s Public Affairs and Policy Team advise on the UK’s increasingly complex policy, political and regulatory landscape. We work with clients across a wide array of sectors, including the built environment, tech and digital, financial services, and FMCG.

Our experience working with the world’s biggest brands and most disruptive start-ups means we are industry-leaders in delivering high-impact integrated campaigns.

The Role

• As an Account Director you will be a member of the management function in the Public Affairs team, which, alongside providing the highest quality client support, will include line management responsibilities and the opportunity to shape the team’s strategic focus.
• No day at Portland is the same, but your role will include:
• Providing strategic advice to clients and teams on issues relating to specific client programmes, political and policy issues
• Providing a leadership role on client account teams to devise, develop and execute engaging strategies to deliver client objectives.
• Writing and producing client-facing proposals, presentations, strategic plans, and other materials, both independently and in collaboration with Portland colleagues.
• Building strong client relationships and acting as a trusted advisor to senior clients
• Contributing to marketing and set piece events
• Playing an active role with Portland colleagues in identifying opportunities and pitching to secure new business
• Developing and maintain an active network of political and business contacts
• Acting as a line manager and mentor to junior colleagues in the team and across Portland

Key Requirements

• An Account Director would be expected to have at least 5 years’ experience working in politics, consultancy or in-house.
• You will bring an excellent Westminster network.
• You will have a strong knowledge of and interest in the UK political, policy and regulatory landscape.
• Successful candidates will also ideally have:
• A significant network within the Labour Party at national level
• A policy specialism: we’re particularly keen to meet candidates with a background in built environment and infrastructure. Candidates with experience in tech and digital, or energy are also of interest.
• Previous experience of line management.

What we offer:

At Portland we offer hybrid working, with our teams working together from the office three days a week. We are committed to development and have an open doors culture where you will have the opportunity to learn from some of the most experienced people in the business.

Our remuneration package also includes our competitive pension contributions, private healthcare or health cash plan, life assurance cover, company contribution to gym membership, wellbeing workshops and activities, company parties, birthday day off, lunch contribution each week and more!





Omnicom’s policy requires employees to work in the office for a minimum of three days a week, unless additional in-office days are directed by their agency or manager. Our objective is to increase this requirement over time, and many of our agencies as well as Omnicom’s corporate group already require five days of in-office attendance.

Omnicom is committed to hiring and developing exceptional talent. We agree that talent is uniquely distributed, and we’re focused on developing inclusive teams that can bring the best solutions to everything we do. We strongly believe that celebrating what makes us different makes us better together. Join us—we look forward to getting to know you. We will process your personal data in accordance with our Recruitment Privacy Notice.

Link to Recruitment Privacy Notice: https://www.omc.com/privacy-notice/