Senior Account Director

Polite Playground is a tech-first experiential and brand activations agency. Fifteen years in, a team of twelve, and a client base that keeps coming back. We're now hiring a senior leader to take operational ownership of the business.

About the role

The Senior Account Director will hold full responsibility for the day-to-day running of the agency — revenue, margin, pipeline, delivery, and team performance across every function.

You'll work directly with our co-directors, reporting on commercial performance and strategic priorities on a weekly and monthly cadence. The directors are stepping back from day-to-day operations to focus on an exciting new venture within the portfolio, and this role exists to ensure the business continues to operate confidently and profitably under your leadership.

The path from here

This is a Senior Account Director role today, with a clear runway to General Manager. We are not looking for someone who has plateaued at AD — we are looking for an operator in their commercial stride who wants the next step, and who will earn the GM title, and the salary uplift that comes with it, by proving it out over 12 to 24 months.

Key responsibilities

• Own the agency sales pipeline end-to-end — pricing, margin, deal quality and forecasting
• Lead the agency's most significant pitches and senior client relationships
• Manage and develop the team across account management, sales, design, development and production
• Act as the senior authority in the office, and the primary escalation point for the team
• Provide the directors with clear, regular reporting on commercial performance, risks and resourcing needs
• Identify opportunities for growth, efficiency and operational improvement

What we're looking for

• 7+ years' experience in an experiential, activations or comparable agency environment
• Strong commercial acumen and confidence working with a P&L
• A proven track record of leading and developing high-performing teams
• The judgement to make decisions independently, and the maturity to know which decisions warrant a conversation
• Senior presence and credibility, without ego — the right candidate will take the time to understand the business before reshaping it

What we offer

• A senior leadership role in a profitable, well-established agency with a strong reputation
• A defined progression path to General Manager
• Direct access to, and partnership with, two founders who will back you and give you the autonomy to lead
• A Chippendale-based office with hybrid working arrangements
• Applications should include a CV and a short cover note outlining why this role is the right fit. Every application is read.