Paid Search Account Director

Digital

Paid Search Account Director Job Description

Who are we?

We are PHA, a leading integrated comms agency with offices in London, Manchester, and Leeds. In 2024, we opened our first international office in Boston under the brand Dig & Dig. Founded in a small office off of Carnaby Street in 2005 by our Chairman and former newspaper editor Phil Hall, we have evolved to offer public relations, creative activations, social media, and digital marketing services to our enviable client roster. From renowned consumer brands to household corporate names, our teams deliver top-tier work to start-ups, global companies, and everything in between.

We are now looking for a passionate, ambitious, and entrepreneurial Paid Search Account Director to join our growing Digital team.

What will you do?

Practitioner Expertise, Leadership & Influence Requirements

As a Digital Paid Search Account Director, you are expected to be an established thought leader within the discipline — both inside the agency and in the wider industry. This role goes beyond operational excellence; it requires you to:

• Be the strategic reference point for Paid Search within the division, providing expert guidance to clients, colleagues, and the leadership team.
• Possess deep technical mastery across platforms, campaign strategies, and optimisation techniques, with the ability to translate complex concepts into actionable solutions.
• Lead by example in setting and upholding the highest standards of delivery, measurement, and reporting.
• Actively share knowledge and best practice frameworks to raise the capability of line reports, junior colleagues, and peers.
• Play an instrumental role in developing emerging leaders, ensuring a strong pipeline of talent for the division.
• Build an external profile as a sector and discipline expert, representing the agency at events, in industry forums, and through thought-leadership contributions.

Key Responsibilities

Client Leadership & Strategic Delivery

• Act as the senior account lead, developing and maintaining strong relationships with decision-makers across your client portfolio.
• Provide exceptional client management through clear, strategic communication and proactive counsel.
• Lead a portfolio of accounts with full responsibility for:
• Achieving and exceeding KPIs.
• Owning and evolving strategy to align with client goals and market changes.
• Driving innovation and ideation to keep campaigns fresh, relevant, and competitive.
• Managing budgets, costings, and invoicing to ensure financial accuracy and efficiency.
• Securing high retention rates through effective contract renewal processes.
• Present and evaluate campaign performance with a focus on meaningful, value-driven metrics.
• Deliver ‘surprise and delight’ moments to deepen client relationships and long-term partnerships.

Growth & Commercial Accountability

• Work to agreed fee income targets for your client portfolio, with defined responsibility for a percentage of the division’s total income and annual growth expectations.
• Drive incremental growth within existing accounts while maintaining retention of allocated income.
• Demonstrate an understanding of integrated agency capabilities and leverage cross-discipline collaboration to maximise client outcomes.
• Lead and own new business campaigns — from planning through to execution — identifying high-value opportunities for commercial expansion.
• Build detailed sector growth plans, incorporating research, insight, and target account suggestions, in collaboration with Sales & Marketing.
• Identify and begin to own potential sector specialisms within the division, working towards long-term Head of Sector responsibility.
• Actively develop your professional network to generate industry, partner, talent, and new business opportunities.
• Support quality control and continuity across sector-specific accounts agency-wide.

People Leadership & Talent Development

• Line manage junior colleagues, providing clear objectives, regular feedback, and career progression support.
• Lead account teams to deliver high-quality results, fostering collaboration and performance excellence.
• Demonstrate effective upward management, providing senior leaders with actionable recommendations and solutions.
• Work closely with the Department Head to identify, nurture, and guide junior talent.
• Serve as a mentor in the PHA Accelerate programme, inspiring the next generation of digital specialists.

Industry Authority & Thought Leadership

• Conduct proactive analysis using advanced tools to identify trends, risks, and opportunities for client and agency benefit.
• Maintain a sophisticated, in-depth understanding of paid search and relevant industries, positioning yourself as a strategic thinker both internally and externally.
• Represent the agency in external forums, events, and panels, and contribute thought-leadership content to enhance the agency’s profile.
• Devise and oversee campaign strategies for your client portfolio, embedding best practice and innovation into every project.

Agency Contribution & Cultural Leadership

• Actively participate in agency-wide activities and initiatives, encouraging engagement and cross-team collaboration.
• Attend and contribute to role-specific training via the PHA Academy and lead at least one training session annually.
• Take a senior role in company-wide initiatives, including culture teams, PHA PR, and working groups.
• Proactively suggest and shape new training programmes, culture initiatives, and PR opportunities, working with senior leadership to deliver these.
• Collaborate with the Department Head and the PHA Academy team to plan and deliver training sessions for the department.

What will you get?

Our extensive benefits offering rewards employees for the fantastic work they do every day. You can check out our full brochure here, but to give you a snap shot…

• Make memories last with our long-service awards, wedding and new baby gifts, and a holiday allowance that increases year-on-year from your second anniversary
• Spend time with family through 26 weeks’ full maternity leave pay, 26 weeks’ full adoption leave pay, six weeks’ full paternity leave pay, paid time off for antenatal care and fertility treatment, and flexible return to work options
• Get recognised for outstanding work with our £500 wow bonus, new business bonus, talent referral scheme, and monthly companywide awards
• Prioritise wellbeing with our healthcare cash scheme worth up to £2,000, early finish on Fridays, wellness hours, days, and vouchers, flexible working charter, and flexible hours
• Get involved with our culture initiatives, from regular socials, team sports, and company breakfasts, to development days, Equality, Diversity & Inclusion forums, and our PHAcademy training programme

If you’re passionate about helping our clients achieve their goals, not settling for the easy and forgettable, but challenging them to do better and be different in an environment that fosters openness, honesty, and diversity – we want to hear from you! In return, we’ll provide you with the opportunity to develop your unique talents so that they shine through your work, a role in which your voice is heard, and an extensive range of benefits, incentives, and rewards.

Please enquire or send your CV to [email protected], or apply via LinkedIn or our website.