Senior Account Director
Salary: Competitive Plus Benefits
Location: London Store Support Centre and Home, London, EC1M 6HA
Contract type: Permanent
Business area: Marketing
Closing date: 08 August 2025
Requisition ID: 400009970
We’d all like amazing work to do, and real work-life balance. That’s waiting for you at Sainsbury’s. We’re one of the biggest supermarkets in the UK with one of the largest websites. So marketing here really happens at scale. We move a lot faster than you’d think too, across Brand Planning, Brand Comms and Creative, Digital Marketing, CRM and Loyalty, Nectar 360, Insights, and Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability. More people shopping with us each week means more interactions. And thanks to data insight, we understand customers in a way that almost nobody else does. We work alongside incredible brand partners and the best agencies around. So if you have a passion to learn, grow and experience new teams, come and explore it all with us.
Why join us
Joining our team at Sainsbury's Zest as a Senior Account Director means being at the forefront of driving business growth, fostering creativity, and building strong client relationships within a collaborative and innovative environment. As a key player in our in-house creative agency, you will have the opportunity to lead strategic conversations, champion creative solutions, and guide high-performing teams towards delivering exceptional work that exceeds client expectations. With a focus on personal growth, stakeholder satisfaction, and continuous learning, you'll be part of a dynamic team where your contributions make a tangible impact on our clients and the success of Zest as a preferred agency of choice.
What you'll do
As the Senior Account Director at Zest, your role encompasses leading client relationships, driving business growth, and guiding the Tu and Sainsbury's client service and project management teams. You will play a pivotal role in collaborating with clients to propose solutions that address their challenges, champion creativity as a catalyst for market change, and ensure client satisfaction. Your responsibilities include acting as a strategic partner, creative advocate, business driver, and leader, fostering an environment for outstanding work and solidifying Zest's reputation as a preferred agency of choice.
Who you are
As a Senior Account Director at Zest, you are a strategic and creative leader with a deep understanding of clients' market challenges and business objectives, driving growth and fostering strong client relationships. Your ability to champion creativity, lead cross-functional teams, and navigate complex projects with resilience and emotional intelligence sets the foundation for delivering exceptional work that exceeds client expectations and aligns with broader business goals. With a passion for best-in-class creative solutions and a commitment to continuous learning and growth, you play a pivotal role in shaping Zest's success as a preferred agency partner for clients seeking innovative and impactful marketing solutions.
Essential Criteria
Leadership Experience: Proven experience in leading a team within an integrated creative agency.
Channel Experience: Demonstrated ability to manage the full channel ecosystem, driving growth across multi-channel outputs.
Strategic Insight: Expertise in leading and managing account strategy.
Client Experience: Proficiency in managing multiple clients and projects simultaneously within an integrated creative agency.
#LI-SM1
We are committed to being a truly inclusive retailer, so you’ll be welcomed whoever you are and wherever you work. Around here, there’s always the chance to try something new - whether that’s as part of an evolving team or somewhere else across the business - and we take development seriously and promise to support you. We also recognise and celebrate colleagues when they go the extra mile and, where possible, offer flexible working. When you join our team, we’ll also offer you an amazing range of benefits. Here are some of them: Moments that matter are as important to us as they are to you which is why we give up to 26 weeks’ pay for maternity or adoption leave and up to 4 weeks’ pay for paternity leave.
Starting off with colleague discount, you'll be able to get 10% off at Sainsbury's, Argos, TU and Habitat after 4 weeks. This increases to 15% off at Sainsbury’s every Friday and Saturday and 15% off at Argos every pay day. We've also got you covered for your future with our pensions scheme and life cover. You'll also be able to share in our success as you may be eligible for a performance-related bonus of up to 20% of salary, depending on how we perform.
Your wellbeing is important to us too. You'll receive an annual holiday allowance, and you can buy additional holiday. We also offer other benefits that will help your money go further such as season ticket loans, interest free car loan of up to £10k, cycle to work scheme, health cash plans, pay advance (where you can access some of your pay before pay day) as well access to a great range of discounts from hundreds of other retailers. And if you ever need it there is also an Employee Assistance Programme, you will also be eligible for private healthcare too.
Please see www.sainsburys.jobs for a range of our benefits (note, length of service and eligibility criteria may apply).
