Account Director - Retail Marketing and Brand Activation

Account Director – Retail Marketing & Brand Activation – £45,000–£60,000 Location: Maidenhead, Berkshire (hybrid, with travel to Croydon approximately every other week) Salary: £45,000–£60,000 Driving licence and access to a car required We're working with an award-winning brand activation and experiential marketing agency that's looking for an experienced Account Director to lead major retail marketing and brand activation campaigns for leading consumer brands. This is an excellent opportunity for a commercially minded, hands-on Account Director who understands how to turn creative ideas into successful campaigns across retail environments. You'll be responsible for leading client relationships, developing accounts and overseeing the delivery of integrated shopper, retail and experiential marketing campaigns. The role As Account Director, you'll take ownership of key client accounts, providing strategic direction while remaining closely involved in the practical delivery of campaigns. Responsibilities will include:

• Leading and developing relationships with key clients, acting as a trusted senior partner.
• Overseeing retail marketing, shopper activation, sampling, experiential and field marketing campaigns.
• Managing campaigns from initial brief and strategic development through to production, implementation and evaluation.
• Leading account teams and coordinating creative, production, operations, suppliers and field marketing partners.
• Ensuring campaigns are delivered successfully across retail locations, to agreed budgets, timelines and quality standards.
• Providing senior oversight of POS/POSM, in-store activations, product launches and promotional programmes.
• Managing account budgets, forecasting, profitability and commercial performance.
• Identifying opportunities to grow existing accounts and develop new business.
• Presenting campaign proposals, recommendations and performance results to senior client stakeholders.
• Mentoring and developing junior team members while maintaining high standards of client service and delivery. About you We're looking for an established Account Director or an experienced Senior Account Manager ready to take the next step. You'll ideally have:
• Significant experience within an experiential, shopper, retail marketing, brand activation or integrated marketing agency.
• A strong track record of managing major consumer brand accounts and delivering physical retail activation campaigns.
• Experience of FMCG, grocery, beauty, health and wellness or similar consumer-facing sectors.
• A thorough understanding of in-store marketing, POS/POSM, sampling, field marketing and experiential activations.
• Strong commercial awareness, including budget management, forecasting, profitability and account growth.
• Experience leading teams, managing multiple stakeholders and overseeing complex campaign delivery.
• Excellent client relationship management, presentation and negotiation skills.
• A proactive, hands-on approach, with the ability to balance strategic account leadership and operational delivery. We're particularly interested in people who have delivered campaigns within major UK retailers and understand the practicalities of making activation work across multiple locations. Location and travel You'll be primarily based in Maidenhead, with hybrid working and travel to Croydon approximately every other week, alongside occasional campaign-related travel. A full driving licence and access to a car are essential.