Agency :Havas PlayJob Description :Job Title Business Director Reports To Managing Partner Role Summary Business Director role that sits within the Activations Tea m , leading one of Havas Play’s biggest Sponsorship clients – HSBC , and managing part s of their UK sponsorship portfolio. This role will also oversee additional clients spanning both sport and entertainment , with requiri ng experience in delivering live e xperience campaigns, activations & events . Key role in driving growth through opportunities within existing client base and by leading new business initiatives. Purpose of Role As a n experienced senior leader, this role is focused on delivering market leading partnership campaigns and projects at Havas Pla y , overseeing a variety of clients, including one of our biggest clients – HSBC . Requires exceptional client and team management skills, building brilliant relationships with internal stakeholders and external cross-agency groups. It is crucial for the role to have Sponsorship and activation experience, having managed different scale partnerships and events. Providing client counsel to senior clients and their teams, you will manage the overall performance of the client (s) and be accountable for financial growth. Manage varying scale budgets, ensuring the team are following Havas Play finance process. Forming part of the Senior Leadership Team, a BD helps to build, maintain , inspire and nurture the strongest t eam of integrated thinkers and brilliant do- ers , and proactively lead s areas that contribute to the ongoing vision and growth of the agency overall. Works collaboratively, seamlessly and respectfully with peers in Account Management, Strategy & Creative Teams. Have strong team leadership skills to ensure the account team performs to its highest standards. Key Responsibilities Senior Leadership Deliver brilliant strategic & creative programmes for all client brand portfolios, offering trusted guidance and counsel Plan, create, deliver and execute best in class partnerships across the relevant client base Demonstrate and share in-depth knowledge of the sport & culture industry – network, people, trends, insights and trade industry bodies Demonstrate and share in-depth knowledge of key cultural territories relevant to Havas Play client business e.g. sport , music, gaming, film etc. Be networked within these territories to deliver relevant collaborations and partners that ensure Havas Play remains as the ‘go-to’ agency for brands connecting through contemporary culture Work in partnership with the Strategy & Insights Team and Creative Team demonstrating an understanding of the creative process to deliver outstanding creative product Work in partnership and collaboratively with all senior Account Management team members to enable an efficient and profitable Account Management function, a truly integrated and motivated ‘one team’ team mentality Be senior counsel to clients and internally around any challenges with an ability to understand and talk knowledgably and work with our experts to gather opinion and deliver outstanding work Share a strong network of contacts that help enhance our client work and agency offer Client Specific HSBC - lead a team (inclusive of client services/account management , strategy, creative and studio ) to manage a portfolio of multiple partnership properties, including Tennis , Motorsports, Golf, Arts & Culture, and Music Be a strong strategic partner to Strategy team, helping shape overall partnerships strategy for 2026 and beyond Key lead role with Rights Holders, ensuring relationships are kept tight. Manage rights holders & partners, leveraging best practice process for effective rights management Lead on planning & execution of partnership campaigns Be a pivotal lead role within the inter-agency relationships, managing budget splits and ensuring all teams are delivering work/ updates on schedule Plan and deliver customer experiences , client engagement events & hospitality moments , including but not limited to fan zones, hospitality lounges, launch/announcement events, ad hoc activations Demonstrate strong knowledge of the activation & experiential space, with prior experience leading on brand experience campaigns with a live output Demonstrate experience working in 360 sponsorship campaigns, understanding all the different touch points, and when to bring in specialists i .e. : PR/ media/ social/ talent / M&E Client Management To develop, implement and drive a clear set of account management and client service principles and benchmarks that ensure that we provide the best possible work that drives and develops our client’s business. To develop and foster an entrepreneurial spirit within the Team, ensuring that client’s businesses are fully understood and that opportunities for new business are developed and actioned To act as senior day-to-day client contact for all accounts or groups of accounts. You should build a strategic business partnership with senior clients such that they value your tenure, input and opinions in relation to their business. Monitor and manage resources of the teams against agreed KPIs and budgets. This involves accountability for handling contracts, POs and invoices; ensuring timesheets are up-to-date and transparently explained to clients and the CEO / CFO; resolving issues, e.g., changing scopes of work, holiday cover, freelance requirements etc. To ensure that best practice is shared amongst your teams and that up-to-date records of work and knowledge of your client’s business is maintained and shared appropriate ly with the core team, the extended team and agency disciplines, such as new business. To develop and deliver a process with the Strategy & Insight Team to ensure that the effectiveness of every campaign, project is measured and evaluated. Organic Growth Be responsible and accountable for your client growth plan, ensuring you hit targets set (stretch & new income) To proactively contribute to the reporting and forecasting process and to provide accurate and timely information to the CEO a nd CFO (and others as appropriate) To ensure that all day-to-day financial management processes (e.g., billing, client facing reconciliations etc) are completed according to agency procedures. To be responsible for the profitable running of the client businesses/accounts, ensuring that resource levels match contracted levels to deliver growth and profitability To be contribute to the profitability of the Account Management Team and in turn the agency. New Business Growth Demonstrate an ability to lead, deliver and win a full pitch. Collaborate successfully with Strategy & Creative Teams and building winning relationships with prospective client (s). Confidently engage with clients and have a view on where additional growth could come from. Help to drive new revenue for the agency by spotting new opportunities and initiatives and develop proactively with Strategy & Creative Team(s) Actively look for opportunities with your client (s) to cross-sell other Havas Play capabilities e.g., Social, Partnerships , PR, Production - and actively promote other Havas agenc y specialisms Actively creating new business opportunities and selling Havas Play through contact and network mining. Maintaining and sharing a consistent action plan to reach out, communicate and meet with a prospecting list on a weekly/ monthly basis Write thought pieces and articles to inspire . Consolidate your area(s) of expertise through industry writing, mentorship and contributions. Be fluent in Meaningful Brands in Culture ( Havas Play brand proprietary tool, methodology and proposition) and look for opportunities to use this with prospective clients Write winning RFI’s & RFP’s and pitch docs Connect with peers in Havas Village London across the Havas Creative Network and Havas Media Network agencies to drive cross-agency new business opportunities and lead and be involved in co-pitches People / Leadership Exceptional leadership skills – selfless, self aware , inspirational , acting as a role model and mentor , being seen as a visionary, decision maker and problem solver . To take lead responsibility of talent management, succession planning, recruitment and communication within their group. Inspire , nurture, guide, motivate and manage the core team and extended members of the agency team to ensure that they perform at their peak and grow their careers . Ensure that the correct teams, resource levels and skills are set against each client . Ensure clear communication upwards and downwards within the team Develop the team , having a clear talent and training plan that allows individuals to develop professionally and the department to deliver its objectives . Monitor and drive the team to utilise the best and latest methods and tools to be competitive . Ensure that all staff have regular performance appraisals using the Havas Play process To be visible and approachable to all team members of the agency – your peers, your reports and the wider agency. People Management Direct management of specific direct reports , including AD, AM, SAE and indirect management (on project basis) of wider team, including account management and production roles Financial / Time Management Responsible for the growth and profitability of your account (s) and all related budgets and financial management #LI-TA1Contract Type :TemporaryHere at Havas across the group we pride ourselves on being committed to offering equal opportunities to all potential employees and have zero tolerance for discrimination. We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome applicants irrespective of age, sex, race, ethnicity, disability and other factors that have no bearing on an individual’s ability to perform their job. #J-18808-Ljbffr