Account Director

You’ll bring at least 6 years of PR experience, strong media relationships (both old and new media), excellent client and communication skills, and a solid understanding of the travel industry. Additionally, you will have a strong grasp of environmental impact management and a passion for sustainable business practices

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of colour are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Lemongrass, we use a blind recruitment process, meaning personal details such as name, age, gender, and education are removed from applications to focus purely on skills and experience. This helps eliminate unconscious bias and ensures a fairer, more inclusive hiring process where every candidate is evaluated on their merits. We are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role and our company values resonate with you, but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every requirement in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles. 

We have a strong, values-driven culture and are a proud B-Corp, a community of companies that use the power of business as a force for good. Its aim is to create a sustainable, inclusive economy by reducing poverty and inequality, creating high-quality jobs and a healthier environment. 

Client leadership and strategic counsel 

• Act as the key senior contact for clients, providing high-level strategic counsel and ensuring client satisfaction and retention.
• Advise clients on broader business challenges beyond PR, including brand positioning, reputation management, and digital transformation.
• Manage and oversee multiple client accounts, ensuring exceptional service, timely execution, and campaign profitability.
• Build and nurture high-level media relationships, securing strategic partnerships and exclusive opportunities for clients.
• Oversee client reporting, monitoring KPIs, media coverage, and campaign success, ensuring timely and accurate delivery.
• Handle complex client challenges, providing solutions and managing delicate discussions such as exclusivity agreements and strategic positioning.
• Manage crisis communications strategies and provide senior counsel to clients during high-risk situations.
• Build and maintain relationships with international partner agencies.
• Ensure the client accounts are run profitably as well as ensuring we meet our environmental and social targets (carbon reduction for press trips and business travel, etc.).
• Lead on negotiations for contract renewals.
• Proactively identify and secure upselling opportunities for your clients – growing accounts and maintaining results.
• Lead quarterly and annual review meetings with clients, presenting data-driven recommendations and next-step strategies.
• Sign off on team monthly reporting and KPI’s
• Report into senior leadership team on scope of work and deliverables me

Digital PR & SEO

• Set the strategic direction for digital PR efforts, ensuring SEO and digital positioning are fully integrated into campaign planning.
• Oversee and approve competitor analysis and positioning audits, providing clients with high-value strategic insights.
• Guide teams on digital PR innovation, ensuring the agency remains at the forefront of evolving industry best practices.

Team leadership and mentorship

• Contribute to New Business proposals and pitches – with creative ideas, competitor research and industry knowledge.
• Proactively identify new business opportunities
• Contribute to Lemongrass blog posts and content production ideas
• Participate in in-person pitches and introduction calls with potential new clients – offering insights and experience relevant to the brand.
• Lead the team through ROCKS meetings, ensuring clear objectives and progress tracking.
• Identify opportunities for service development and growth
• Represent the agency and clients at key industry events, networking opportunities, and conferences.

Creative & Strategic Thinking

• Proactively lead the team through ideation and creative council sessions—bringing the latest trends and spotting opportunities for clients.
• Oversee the timely implementation of PR strategies, ensuring alignment with client goals and industry trends. Delivering campaigns on time and on budget.
• Monitor relevant media, social media, industry associations, and intelligence reports to increase relationships and knowledge on behalf of clients and the agency.
• Contribute to sustainability initiatives, ensuring PR efforts support environmental goals

• 6+ years of agency experience, ideally in travel or consumer PR, with a proven track record of leading successful campaigns and driving client growth.
• A strong communicator and team leader, skilled at motivating, mentoring, and inspiring teams to deliver outstanding work while fostering long-term client relationships.
• Advanced proficiency in PR analytics and digital tools, including Ahrefs, SEMrush, Google Search Console, and Google Analytics, to measure impact and refine strategies.
• Deep understanding of how PR influences SEO, ensuring media strategies align with digital objectives to enhance brand visibility and search performance.
• Confident in pitching, presenting, and articulating the agency’s value proposition, with the ability to secure new business and elevate existing accounts.
• Well-established relationships with top-tier journalists across travel, active lifestyle, and news sectors, ensuring strong media placements for clients.
• Skilled in researching and crafting compelling, high-quality content, including white papers, thought leadership articles, press releases, and blog posts.
• Highly skilled in attention to detail and time management, with the ability to effectively mentor and instil these strengths within the team.
• Proven track record in developing and executing high-impact PR strategies that drive measurable results.
• Adept at balancing hands-on involvement with effective delegation, ensuring the team delivers high-quality work on time and within budget.
• Thrives in a dynamic, fast-paced environment, demonstrating agility in managing shifting priorities.
• A strategic problem-solver who makes informed, decisive choices that drive client and business success.
• A trusted advisor to senior clients, fostering strong, long-term relationships and positioning the agency as an essential partner.
• Understands the interplay between people, planet, performance, and profitability, ensuring a holistic and sustainable approach to PR leadership.

• International languages.
• Curiosity of mind and wanting to learn.
• Passion for sustainable travel.
• Understanding of SEO tools and Google Analytics.

• One of the biggest perks at Lemongrass is that we work a 4-day week – on full 5-day pay.
• Hybrid working, generally one day (Monday) in the office and the others working remotely.
• Competitive Salary.
• Team Bonus Scheme with targets across social, environmental and revenue.
• Carbon literacy training.
• New business and recruitment bonus for introductions to us.
• Generous annual leave entitlement – not pro rata for the 4 day week and increases with length of service.
• Birthday day off.
• Sick pay.
• Responsible Company Pension Scheme.
• Team Volunteering Days.
• Charity Days.
• Lemongrass match personal charity donations.
• Private Healthcare, including optical, dental and mental health support and talking therapies.
• Worldwide Travel Insurance.
• Railcard for discounted rail travel.
• Yearly and half yearly appraisals.
• Career progression.
• Full Induction and on-going training.
• Monthly lunch and learns.
• Travel opportunities.
• Company updates – we want our team to know and feel part of what is going on within the business, we believe in transparency and accountability.
• Team socials and celebrations.

HUNGRY TO LEARN - We care about: opening minds, growing as individuals, and expanding our horizons.

MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS -We care about: symbiotic relationships, shared values and shared happiness. With a commitment to connecting with others and the world around us, we strive to build meaningful relationships.

FOR THE GREATER GOOD - We care about: being meaningful, sustainable and authentic. We want to be a part of the solution. In a changing world, we seek to make a positive impact for our clients, for Lemongrass, and for wider society.

LEADING THE WAY - We care about: carving a path, making change happen, and doing things differently. We’re leading the way in travel PR by combining traditional and digital methods with specific sector expertise.

Please Note: These duties defined in this Job Description are not definitive and may be subject to future amendments following appropriate consultation.