Senior Director (Partner), Consumer & Lifestyle
London, United Kingdom
Full Time
Consumer
Senior Manager/Supervisor
Who we are
FINN Partners is one of the fastest-growing global, independent agencies, with a heart and a conscience. With our HQ in New York and European HQ in London, we are one of Provoke’s Best EMEA networks to work for, counting 250+ colleagues across PR, digital, creative and intelligence (and 1,400 globally). In London, our offices in Old Street are host to teams specialised in travel, consumer & lifestyle, corporate, technology, and healthcare.
Our Consumer & Lifestyle team currently serves category-leading brands across F&B, High-Street, Beauty and Entertainment, including world-renowned food and drink brands, global betting and gaming clients, men's lifestyle and fashion retailers, and more. Our travel team represents numerous tourism boards, hotels and airlines, for which our work and teams regularly cross over.
Our Team: Consumer & Lifestyle
We are a team of 13 dynamic, creative and warm-hearted PR professionals. The team is newly-led by Senior Partner Gregory Cole, who joined FINN Partners in 2024 to establish FINN Luxe, our dedicated luxury offering. Gregory has 16 years of experience working on PR, social and reputation mandates with global brands and groups across Asia-Pacific and Europe, including Macy’s, MAC Cosmetics, Pan Pacific London, Longines, Lamborghini, L’Oréal Group, Emirates Airline, Michelin Guide, Marriott International, Kering, Chow Tai Fook and more.
We relish a challenging brief and applying our strategic mindset to new sectors, and there is scope to grow clients across lifestyle sectors including consumer goods, F&B, entertainment, fashion, beauty, wellness, sports, culture and more.
We channel our curiosity into creative ideas that capture attention, build brand love and deliver business results. With award-winning client work in brand campaigns, product PR, influencer relations and thought leadership, our ambition is to grow our creative firepower and work with global household brands in the UK and globally in tandem with our 40+ offices around the world.
The Role
This is a role for someone who wants to build something.
You will lead client relationships, drive new business and, critically, set a creative standard that wins industry recognition and unlocks new briefs. The mission is to make FINN Partners one of the most creatively exciting consumer PR agencies in the UK.
We are looking for someone whose instinct is to solve a brief with an original idea, and who understands how to make that idea work in earned media, culture and PR as well as broader marketing. Someone who can set and maintain a high creative standard across all Lifestyle practice output - campaigns, activations, partnerships, stunts and content. The Partner will champion ideas that can be entered into industry awards - PRWeek, PRmoment, Cannes PR Lions, D&AD - and build the agency's creative reputation externally.
In short, the Partner will be the creative and strategic engine of the Consumer practice, unlocking opportunities to work on high-profile, high-impact mandates across consumer sectors.
Primary Responsibilities
Grow the Practice
Reports to: Senior Partner, Consumer & Lifestyle
Direct reports: Primarily VPs and SVPs. The Partner may supervise Vice Presidents, Associate Vice Presidents, Account Supervisors, Senior Account Executives, Account Executives, Assistant Account Executives and other staff members, as needed. A Partner contributes to the professional development of his/her staff.
Skills Required
We are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and respected. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion, or belief.
To Apply
Please upload your CV and cover letter, as well as indicate your desired salary in GBP. While we appreciate the interest of all candidates, we will only respond to those with whom we have a greater interest.
FINN Partners is one of the fastest-growing global, independent agencies, with a heart and a conscience. With our HQ in New York and European HQ in London, we are one of Provoke’s Best EMEA networks to work for, counting 250+ colleagues across PR, digital, creative and intelligence (and 1,400 globally). In London, our offices in Old Street are host to teams specialised in travel, consumer & lifestyle, corporate, technology, and healthcare.
Our Consumer & Lifestyle team currently serves category-leading brands across F&B, High-Street, Beauty and Entertainment, including world-renowned food and drink brands, global betting and gaming clients, men's lifestyle and fashion retailers, and more. Our travel team represents numerous tourism boards, hotels and airlines, for which our work and teams regularly cross over.
Our Team: Consumer & Lifestyle
We are a team of 13 dynamic, creative and warm-hearted PR professionals. The team is newly-led by Senior Partner Gregory Cole, who joined FINN Partners in 2024 to establish FINN Luxe, our dedicated luxury offering. Gregory has 16 years of experience working on PR, social and reputation mandates with global brands and groups across Asia-Pacific and Europe, including Macy’s, MAC Cosmetics, Pan Pacific London, Longines, Lamborghini, L’Oréal Group, Emirates Airline, Michelin Guide, Marriott International, Kering, Chow Tai Fook and more.
We relish a challenging brief and applying our strategic mindset to new sectors, and there is scope to grow clients across lifestyle sectors including consumer goods, F&B, entertainment, fashion, beauty, wellness, sports, culture and more.
We channel our curiosity into creative ideas that capture attention, build brand love and deliver business results. With award-winning client work in brand campaigns, product PR, influencer relations and thought leadership, our ambition is to grow our creative firepower and work with global household brands in the UK and globally in tandem with our 40+ offices around the world.
The Role
This is a role for someone who wants to build something.
You will lead client relationships, drive new business and, critically, set a creative standard that wins industry recognition and unlocks new briefs. The mission is to make FINN Partners one of the most creatively exciting consumer PR agencies in the UK.
We are looking for someone whose instinct is to solve a brief with an original idea, and who understands how to make that idea work in earned media, culture and PR as well as broader marketing. Someone who can set and maintain a high creative standard across all Lifestyle practice output - campaigns, activations, partnerships, stunts and content. The Partner will champion ideas that can be entered into industry awards - PRWeek, PRmoment, Cannes PR Lions, D&AD - and build the agency's creative reputation externally.
In short, the Partner will be the creative and strategic engine of the Consumer practice, unlocking opportunities to work on high-profile, high-impact mandates across consumer sectors.
Primary Responsibilities
Grow the Practice
- Develop and grow senior level client relationships across lifestyle sectors.
- Personally lead and drive new business activity, from prospecting and credentials through to pitch and close.
- Counsel and build relationships with peers in industry and with other FP practice areas.
- Maintain and grow existing client business, and manage profitability and financial aspects of accounts.
- Represent FINN Partners at industry events, trade bodies and sector networks to build profile and generate leads.
- Play an active role in talent identification and recruitment for the practice.
- Lead creative concepting across the Consumer & Lifestyle practice, developing campaign ideas from a blank page, not just executing client briefs.
- Serve as the creative lead in new business pitches, developing and presenting original creative platforms to prospective clients at CMO and board level.
- Serve as senior counsel on large, complex briefs including product launches, brand repositioning, cultural moments and always-on programmes.
- Mentor and develop the creative instincts of the wider Consumer & Lifestyle team, building a culture where original ideas are expected at every level.
- Lead and mentor direct reports, and provide guidance for their own management of their own direct reports.
- Identify staff development needs and opportunities for team training
- Create a culture of ambition, initiative and collaboration within the Consumer & Lifestyle team.
- Work in close collaboration with FINN Luxe, FINN Travel and international FINN offices - sharing resource, intelligence and opportunities across practices.
Reports to: Senior Partner, Consumer & Lifestyle
Direct reports: Primarily VPs and SVPs. The Partner may supervise Vice Presidents, Associate Vice Presidents, Account Supervisors, Senior Account Executives, Account Executives, Assistant Account Executives and other staff members, as needed. A Partner contributes to the professional development of his/her staff.
Skills Required
- Demonstrated ability to network with potential clients and develop new business leads.
- Ability to generate profitability, budget programmes and manage client finances.
- Ability to motivate, lead and develop others.
- Demonstrable track record of originating campaign ideas that have been entered for, shortlisted at, or won industry creative awards - PRWeek, PRmoment, Cannes PR Lions, D&AD or equivalent.
- Fluency across the creative toolkit: copywriting, art direction, experiential concepting, social-first ideas, video and content.
- Understanding of what makes earned media work: news hooks, cultural moments, journalist and editor psychology; combined with the creative ambition to exploit those mechanisms at the highest level.
- Experience working in or alongside advertising, integrated or creative agencies, in addition to PR.
- Deep sector knowledge across at least two of: F&B, Beauty, Fashion, Retail, Sports - with existing relationships at brand and marketing director level.
- Additional language skills a significant advantage given FINN's global footprint.
- Entrepreneurial spirit, creativity and passion
- Honesty, integrity and trustworthiness
- Strategic and creative problem solving
- Staff leadership and development
- New business development and presentation
- Cross-practice and cross-cultural collaboration
- 10-12+ years of professional experience spanning both creative and communications disciplines, either through training in advertising or design, significant time inside an integrated or creative agency, or a career that has demonstrably bridged both worlds.
- Comprehensive understanding of the UK consumer brands market and of public relations.
- A strong creative portfolio or body of award-entered work that can be presented at interview.
- Familiarity with how leading independent creative consumer PR agencies develop and sell in creative ideas, and the ambition to compete with and surpass them.
- Proven track record at Account Director, Group Director or Partner level at a UK communications or creative agency.
- Demonstrable new business success: personally won and converted significant briefs, not solely supported pitches.
- Experience managing a team of 8 or more across multiple seniority levels.
- Experience working on international or multi-market briefs; familiarity with global agency network structures a plus.
- £65,000+ commensurate with experience.
- FINN Partners offers a suite of employee benefits including generous time off, wellness and professional development programmes, and above-average employer pension contributions, medical & dental insurance and life assurance, to name just a few.
We are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and respected. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion, or belief.
To Apply
Please upload your CV and cover letter, as well as indicate your desired salary in GBP. While we appreciate the interest of all candidates, we will only respond to those with whom we have a greater interest.
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