SlipstreamJobs tracks this role from the company's public career site. Apply directly on the employer's site.
Grey, part of WPP's creative network, is seeking a Business Director to lead strategic client relationships and drive business growth across a portfolio of major brands including Procter & Gamble, Volvo, Haleon, Circle K, and Coca-Cola.
In this Director-level role, you will serve as a central pillar of agency leadership, managing an entire customer portfolio or business unit with full strategic, operational, and financial responsibility. You will act as a trusted strategic partner to C-level and VP-level clients, driving both organic growth and new business development for Grey.
Key Responsibilities:
- Build and maintain deep, long-term relationships with C-suite and senior leadership at client organizations, understanding their business models, market opportunities, and challenges in detail
- Proactively identify and develop organic growth opportunities within your portfolio
- Lead new business pitches from qualification through strategy development to final presentation
- Own full P&L responsibility for your portfolio, including revenue, margins, and resource allocation; negotiate complex annual contracts, statements of work, and fee structures
- Lead and inspire an interdisciplinary team of Account Directors and Account Managers; mentor and develop talent while fostering a culture of trust, excellence, and continuous learning
- Ensure optimal conditions for outstanding creative work and strategic innovation across all touchpoints (TV, digital, AI-enabled formats)
- Work closely with creative, strategy, and production leads on an equal footing
- Collaborate with executive leadership to shape Grey's strategic direction, optimize processes, and strengthen market positioning
You will report to senior management and work across both Hamburg and Düsseldorf offices as one integrated team.
Requirements:
- Minimum 10 years of relevant professional experience in leading creative, digital, or strategy agencies, with several years in a senior leadership role (e.g., Senior Account Director or Group Account Director)
- Proven track record in disciplinary leadership and development of large, diverse teams; experience managing complex matrix structures
- Entrepreneurial and strategic mindset; deep understanding of brand management in the digital age, market and consumer trends, and agency economics
- Excellent communication and negotiation skills; confident presence at board level; ability to present complex topics clearly, inspiringly, and persuasively in German and English
- Demonstrated success leading large, integrated new business pitches
- Passion for creative excellence balanced with commercial acumen; ability to think strategically upstream and connect business with creative solutions
- Collaborative leadership style; comfort with innovation and AI adoption in marketing
- Willingness to work hybrid with required in-office days
