Account Director - Planning & Infrastructure

Location: London (Chancery Lane)

Working Pattern: Full time, hybrid working (3 days in office, 2 days flexible)     

About Grayling UK

Our people are in equal parts exceptional professionals and wonderful human beings.
We’ve created a culture that champions personal growth and development, empowering everyone to be creative, innovate and enjoy their work; so if you’re looking for your next move and are passionate about the built environment you’ve come to the right place.

About Grayling Planning & Infrastructure

Grayling Planning & Infrastructure delivers communications and engagement programmes that protect and enhance our clients’ reputations across:

• The UK’s energy transition – from policy insight to supporting major generation and transmission projects
• Economic development – including freeports, regeneration and new communities
• Infrastructure delivery – managing communications through construction and beyond

Our award-winning team works across Grayling’s nine UK offices, leading engagement for major TCPA and NSIP projects from consultation through to consent.

The Role

As Account Director, you’ll lead complex planning and infrastructure programmes, build trusted client partnerships and help shape the growth of our team and offering.

You will:

• Lead community and stakeholder engagement programmes from strategy to delivery
• Provide clear, strategic advice to senior clients
• Oversee account teams to ensure high-quality, consistent delivery
• Shape stakeholder insight and issues management strategies
• Support TCPA applications (and ideally DCO processes) through effective engagement
• Identify opportunities for account growth and support new business activity
• Mentor and develop colleagues
• Collaborate across PR, Public Affairs, digital and creative teams to deliver integrated campaigns

What We’re Looking For

We’re interested in hearing from people with experience in some of the following:

• Delivering community or stakeholder engagement programmes (agency or in-house)
• Working in energy, infrastructure, regeneration or the built environment
• Supporting TCPA applications (DCO experience is a bonus, not essential)
• Leading complex programmes and advising senior stakeholders
• Building strong, lasting client relationships
• Delivering integrated communications campaigns
• Supporting and developing team members

If your experience doesn’t align perfectly but you believe you could make a strong contribution, we encourage you to apply.

Our promises to you

• Flexible working arrangements, including hybrid working, a work from anywhere policy, flexi time and 4pm Friday finishes
• 25 days’ holiday, increasing by one day every year up to 30 days
• Additional day of leave on your birthday & gifted time off over Christmas
• A monthly cash allowance to use on the benefits most important to you - you'll have the freedom to choose how you enjoy it!
• Enhanced family-friendly policies
• Free subscription to Calm app
• Free breakfasts & fruit
• An abundance of personal development opportunities, through our internal training programmes
• New business and employee referral bonuses
• Interest-free season ticket loan & Railcard reimbursement
• Cycle to work scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme offering a 24/7 confidential advice line
• Life assurance

Get to know us

Grayling is one of the UK’s most connected communications agencies, working across Public Affairs, Planning & Infrastructure, Consumer and Corporate. With nine UK offices and more than 20 worldwide, we help organisations navigate complexity, shape conversations and make a meaningful impact through smart thinking, cultural insight and creative ideas.

We’re excited to keep raising the bar for impactful communications around the world and are proud that we have been named in PRovoke Media’s 100 Best Public Relations Agencies in the World.

Our commitment at Grayling is to combine our employees’ unique backgrounds, perspectives and experiences to build a more diverse and inclusive organisation that represents all of us and the businesses we work with.  We encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and will consider all applicants regardless of age, gender identity, ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, family or parental status, neurodiversity and disability status. If you need any adjustments during the application process, we’re here to help - just let us know.