Role Overview
The Account Director leads the strategy, development, and execution of all trade communications and activation programs for an oil & gas brand. This role requires a highly agile, efficient, and independent leader who can convert business challenges into solutions, not just service requests. The Account Director builds strong, trusted client relationships by bringing clarity, problem-solving, and proactive thinking to every workstream — ensuring trade-facing materials and programs drive measurable commercial impact.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership
- Shape the trade communications strategy across distributors, workshops, retailers, fleets, and OEM partners.
- Convert product and brand strategies into clear, compelling trade narratives and toolkits.
- Demonstrate agility and independent judgement when advising clients on communication choices that strengthen commercial outcomes.
Content & Materials Development
- Oversee development of sell-in decks, product guides, POSM, mechanic toolkits, retail comms, and distributor enablement materials.
- Ensure information is technically accurate, market-relevant, and simple for trade partners to use.
- Drive efficiency in workflows, ensuring briefs, creative direction, and production move swiftly and with quality.
Trade Activations & Events
- Design and deliver trade activations such as mechanic engagement programs, partner summits, loyalty campaigns, and motorsport-linked experiences.
- Ensure operational excellence: planning, budgeting, logistics, and on-ground execution.
- Work with channel sales teams to integrate activations seamlessly into commercial plans.
Client Relationship Management
- Build strong, trusted relationships through clarity, responsiveness, and reliability.
- Position the team as solution partners — not just a servicing function — by anticipating issues and offering practical, commercial answers.
- Act as the senior escalation point, maintaining stakeholder alignment across brand, technical, sales, retail, and partner teams.
Performance & Operations
- Track KPIs for communications and activation effectiveness; turn insights into actionable improvements.
- Drive disciplined financial management: forecasting, budget stewardship, and profitability.
- Maintain operational control across timelines, approvals, compliance, and asset quality.
Requirements
Traits & Mindsets
- Agile: Adjusts quickly to changing client needs, business priorities, or market shifts.
- Efficient: Streamlines processes, removes clutter, and keeps projects moving without drama.
- Independent: Operates with minimal supervision; confident in decision-making and prioritisation.
- Problem Solver: Sees beyond tasks to diagnose root issues and present solutions.
- Relationship Builder: Instantly builds credibility, trust, and partnership with clients and internal teams.
- Commercially Sharp: Understands how trade communications influence revenue, loyalty, and channel performance.
- Calm Under Pressure: Maintains focus and good judgment in high-stakes or fast-moving situations.
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What We Do
Elmwood is a globally recognised, award-winning strategic brand design consultancy that builds brands with intent. From studios in London, New York, Singapore and Shanghai, we partner with ambitious companies to create brands that’s are more meaningful, more memorable, and ignite more momentum. Our approach — The Elmwood Way — brings clarity, creativity and intent to every step of brand building. As part of MSQ and a certified B Corp, we help shape some of the world’s most influential brands, including Unilever, Heineken, Coca-Cola, Haleon, Danone and Mars.
