Account Director, Retail

Who we are

We are William Reed. We are a global media group delivering exceptional content through events, digital, data & insight. From agribusiness, ingredients and food processing, to retail, hospitality & fine dining – we provide the inspiration, insight and connections to power our customers’ success. We have offices in Gatwick, Brighton and London, UK;
Montpellier, France;
Singapore and Chicago, US. In line with the Company’s current Agile Working Policy, the successful candidate would be eligible to work part of the week from our London office and to work remotely for the rest of the week.

Position: Full time – permanent

Location: London / Hybrid

Do you have a background in selling creative content, sponsorship and marketing solutions to high level stakeholders in enterprise level organisations? Do you thrive on acquiring new business and growing spend with existing clients, while nurturing and building strategic relationships with multiple stakeholders?

If so, we have an opportunity for an Account Director to play a pivotal role in driving business growth on Retail Week, the UK’s leading source for retail news and insights. You’ll develop a deep understanding of clients’ challenges and deliver integrated media solutions that go far beyond traditional advertising, delivering impact, innovation and measurable ROI.

• Building and nurturing long-term relationships with multiple stakeholders within large organisations.
• Positioning yourself as a trusted advisor and industry expert by understanding client business objectives and marketing priorities, leveraging insights from our editorial to provide clients with data-driven recommendations.
• Multi-threading accounts to expand influence and uncover new opportunities across different decision‑making units.

• Developing and executing annual and quarterly sales and business plans to achieve revenue targets and grow share of client trade marketing spend.
• Driving new business acquisition while growing existing accounts through strategic upselling and cross‑selling.
• Identifying gaps in client engagement and proactively proposing innovative solutions to address unmet needs.

• Selling a broad portfolio of media solutions, spanning advertising, thought leadership and integrated digital, print and event trade marketing solutions.
• Crafting compelling proposals that align with client objectives and demonstrate ROI.

• Leading on major projects ensuring commercial success and client satisfaction.
• Conducting continuous market research and analysis on the dynamics of key accounts and retail markets which might affect these clients.
• Acting as a brand ambassador for Retail Week at industry events and meetings.

• Proven high achieving track record in strategic media sales with enterprise-level multi‑national organisations in a fast‑paced highly competitive industry.
• Strong consultative selling skills with experience nurturing and upselling existing business; and driving new business and identifying new opportunities.
• Ability to develop and execute multiple strategic account plans at once and deliver complex, integrated creative solutions, including experience putting together multifaceted proposals.
• Confident sales planning and forecasting using Salesforce to manage pipeline, customer conversations and lead conversion.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, networking and relationship‑building skills with excellent collaboration capability especially with internal stakeholders.
• Fantastic presentation skills to deliver persuasive, high‑impact pitches.
• Strong organisational and prioritisation skills, with excellent attention to detail.
• Commercially astute with a passion for retail, media and/or events.
• Ability to demonstrate initiative, creativity, self‑motivation and resilience in achieving targets and a passion for exceeding client expectations.
• Strong MS Office skills and basic knowledge of Google / G Suite Products.
• Willingness to regularly travel and attend industry events and client meetings.