About Us

Initiative unlocks business growth for the world’s most ambitious brands. We believe in the power of media to reshape our industry and orchestrate a brand’s entire consumer experience, by balancing both what unites people and what makes them different. 

When brands unite people in culture, they build Fame, and when brands connect individuals to their unique journeys, they build customer Flow. 

Media responsibility is at the forefront of everything we do, whether it’s creating media plans that reflect the diversity of our communities, promote brand safety, and foster sustainability. 

Our agency celebrates diversity in an inclusive environment where all of our 6,000+ strong talent across 90+ markets feel seen, heard, and valued. Our vision is to create not only a better media company, but also a better media industry, and maybe even a better world. 

Department Overview

Initiative is LEGO’S Global media agency of record, responsible for strategy, integrated media planning and activation, measurement, and data & technology services across + 40 countries. We are constantly growing and evolving our remit with LEGO and to support this growth we are looking for a talented Associate Director to support this vision.

Client Advice & Management (CAM) craft acts as both business partner to the client and internal leader to brief, inspire, motivate and drive our teams to deliver the highest quality integrated solutions across a full spectrum of communication disciplines – Strategy, Communications Design, Partnerships and Mediabrands Specialty Business Units in areas like Social, Programmatic, Mobile, Search and Innovation.

Role Description

Based out of our London offices and working closely with other crafts dedicated to LEGO, you will drive orchestration of the wider team’s output across a range of  franchises, with a particular focus on Global Brand campaigns. 

A new role in our team structure, built to lead day-to-day client servicing of LEGO Brand and management of the Multi-market Activations function. The Director will co-lead Client relationships alongside the Group Director, manage workflow and provide direction for the team to deliver business-appropriate, best-in-class solutions for LEGO Global Campaigns.

Client

• Build and lead day to day relationships with LEGO Brand & Sustainability clients. Key market liaison and key client contact, managing scoping, prioritisation, deadlines & team resources.
• Financial stewardship of these key clients including scoping out of additional resources, overseeing use of resource & deadlines and connecting with resource to oversee First in Class execution. Finally, ensuring finance and billing is reconciled on time and in full.
• Lead/Oversee planning recommendations (Online and Offline) that will deliver on client’s prescribed objectives and KPIs
• Ensure all deliverables / projects are realised through operational excellence (on time and error-free)
• Understanding of your client’s business objectives and KPIs and how Initiative’s work product relates to and drives those client objectives.
• Support clients in finding solutions to business challenges faced by leveraging relationships across other parts of the LEGO business.
• Support upskilling clients with proactive educational, insight and analysis work on upcoming trends/ platform guidelines and channel learnings.
• Understand & track workflow and timelines across disciplines and SBUs. Implement improvements to project plan process, workflow, client reporting and how tools are used.

Internal

• Day to day driver and quality manager of the team supporting team delivery against deadline as well as team upskilling and improvement.
• Coordinate international regions including providing support/guidance/ updates for local markets
• Project manage campaigns/cross-SBU work including leading planning, buying & activation of media
• Work with Strategy and Comms Design to pull in Specialist Business Units to plan effective marketing campaigns aligned with client stated objectives and KPIs
• Have a wider understanding of campaign set up process including Booking, Trafficking, Campaign evaluation & optimisation and Reporting & work with team to ensure elements are completed for every project, on time and error-free.
• Update ASANA platform (work management platform designed to help us organize, track, and manage work and LEGO tasks) with current and upcoming projects.
• Support local Initiative offices with questions/queries around centralised partnerships/ activations projects and processes.
• Lead on internal global communication workstreams to ensure Initiative Regional Teams have visibility of upcoming projects and are aware of budget support required from their markets.
• Demonstrate ’IJ way’ in all projects and with direct reports. Proactively come up with new suggestions.

REQUIRED SKILLSET & EXPERIENCES:

• A strong awareness of the end to end campaign planning and activation process (Including Online, Offline and Kinesso specialisms of Programmatic and Social) is required in order to set SLAs and manage client expectations.
• Global / regional activation experience preferred, but we’re open to local only experience as well.
• Strong organisational and prioritisation skills, especially setting expectations around delivery deadlines for internal team resource.
• “Small business” mentality when it comes to problem-solving and devising new process to put in place to support evolving client workflow and projects.
• Hands on online (& offline) planning experience
• Client facing experience (Including Senior Clients)
• Ability to work collaboratively as a team player across several internal and external teams, SBUs and Local & Regional (and Global) craft centres
• Highly detail-orientated and confident in managing multiple different workstreams in tandem while delivering to deadlines.
• Positive and solution-oriented (glass half full) outlook
• Microsoft Excel (Pivot tables) proficient and fluent in PowerPoint slide curation.
• Strong communication, interpersonal and negotiation skills
  
  

Employee Transparency

At Mediabrands and Kinesso, we celebrate difference and believe this makes us stronger. Mediabrands and Kinesso are equal opportunity employers and committed to championing an inclusive culture that provides a sense of belonging for all our employees. We do not discriminate against any applicant based on age, disability, race, colour, ethnicity, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, belief, marital status or any other characteristic protected by law.

Please reach out to our Talent Inclusion Specialist Jess at [email protected] if you would like to have a confidential conversation regarding any adjustments that would ensure our recruitment process is accessible for you. Please note requesting a reasonable adjustment will not affect your application.

The Perks

We aim to provide all our people with a supportive and fun work environment where you can develop your full potential and benefit from the broad range of opportunities within the agency. When you join us, we want to make sure you feel valued – and that you are rewarded for your fantastic work. So, we also offer a range of benefits:

• Flexi–leave, with 25 days annual leave to be taken as minimum. In addition to your holiday entitlement, the office usually closes between Christmas & New Year
• Free breakfast and free lunch
• Early finish Fridays
• Core Hours (Mon-Thurs, flexible start/finish times)
• Retail discounts
• Electric vehicle salary sacrifice car scheme
• Wellbeing programme, including Headspace & flu jabs
• Interest free season ticket loan
• Paid time off for Volunteering
• Group Income Protection
• Life Assurance
• Private Medical Insurance or Health Cash Plan (dependent on level)
• Group Personal Pension Plan with matched contributions from 3-6%
• Generous Parental Leave & Pay
• Independent mortgage advice
• Financial education
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Free eye tests
• Flexible benefits including Dental, Travel insurance, Cycle to Work, Gym Discounts and many more!