Account Director - Partnerships, Events & Hospitality

THE OPPORTUNITY

This is an exciting opportunity to become a key member of the Bright Partnerships US team. As one of the early hires you will not only service clients but help to shape the offering in the US. The Account Director will lead one of our key client accounts to oversee a variety of deliverables around their global Formula 1 partnership - brand experience, customer hosting, guest experience, VIP hospitality, guest management, market engagement and travel & logistics.

You will be expected to add real value to our client’s business. You will plan, create and activate a range of experience-led B2B customer engagement programs. In addition to this you will have the opportunity to work on B2C event activations as and when needed.

You will support the client across all planning and activation, and oversee the team in managing the on-the-ground event & activity, in order to deliver seamlessly, on time and on budget. You will be required to manage a team of event managers & executives, onsite staff, as well as oversee all suppliers & key stakeholders involved.

The position is based in New York, USA with 2-3 days in the office and frequent national & international travel.

The ideal candidate must have extensive experience within Formula 1, with a working knowledge of race circuits/locations, The Paddock & The Paddock Club. You should love working in the sponsorship space, be brimming with ideas, grounded in smart strategic & practical thinking, and keen to deliver results.

KEY PROJECTS

This role will support the agency as a whole, specifically around the following areas;

1. Detailed project planning & management. The right candidate will be able to show how they have successfully developed and delivered VIP hospitality experiences for clients/brands within the Motorsport sector. The candidate should also have a strong working knowledge of designing and activating complex guest programmes, design & build projects and successful end-to-end event delivery.

2. Brand Management. A key part of the role will be to ensure that all deadlines are met, brand guidelines are adhered to & that the client’s objectives and brand touch points & story telling opportunities are top of mind during all activation planning & delivery. This will involve day to day communication with key Global Sponsorship Managers, internal stakeholders, local markets and 3rd party agencies and rights holders.

3. Stakeholder Communication. Successful candidates will also be able to demonstrate advanced communication skills, and proven management of broad range of internal / external / client-led stakeholders across multiple international markets.

4. Client Servicing. As an agency we pride ourselves not just on delivering world class, innovative programs, but also on the way we service our clients. A key task will be ensuring that you are always one step ahead of the client. You will need to be able to truly add value & to ensure the client has a positive experience of working with our agency.

5. Team Management. This role requires someone who is comfortable managing and leading a team, assigning and delegating projects and giving clear, regular direction when necessary. Regular planning meetings will be critical to help educate the team of what’s planned, expected & how as a team we may need to support one another at peak periods of activity.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES

· Develop strong knowledge of our client’s business strategy, solutions & services

· Oversee a wide range of events & guest programmes

· Oversee communications with local markets, providing support around and their local activations

· Lead on all guest communication, ticketing, invitations and delegate management

· Build relationships with key stakeholders, and key suppliers to ensure results & continual improvement

· Have prior experience / a good working knowledge across all Health, Safety, Security and Environment (HSSE), sustainability and any other relevant protocol, and therefore be confident in taking a leading role across these areas

· Demonstrate prior working knowledge of live event planning & delivery within Formula 1

· Create and present client-facing presentations, managing critical timings & client decision deadlines clearly & well in advance

· Negotiate and review supplier contracts, with support from legal team

· Oversee general operations planning & develop best practice processes and techniques

· Oversee project budgets & report to Finance and Vice President regularly

· Oversee and keep up to date on all areas of clients’ event activation projects

· Oversee and keep abreast of branding and production areas of t