Job Description

Vice President, Public Affairs

Brussels

Who is Weber Shandwick

Weber Shandwick is a leading global communications network that delivers next-generation solutions to brands, businesses, and organizations in major markets around the world. As part of the wider Omnicom Group, we combine global reach with a strong local footprint - serving clients both locally and internationally. Guided by world-class strategic and creative thinkers, we have earned some of the most prestigious awards in the industry.

At Weber Shandwick, we believe in contributing value to earn value—whether that’s earned media, attention, reputation, loyalty, or business. Our culture is dynamic, inclusive, and open-minded. Here, you can be yourself, take ownership of your impact, and collaborate with a diverse team of media experts, strategists, creatives, digital specialists, and policy advisors. We invest in your growth and foster a supportive environment where creativity and innovation thrive.

What’s happening

Our EU Public Affairs Practice is growing, and we’re looking for a VP to join our Public Affairs team in the Brussels office. This is a great opportunity to have an impact on high-profile clients across a diverse range of sectors, including digital, energy, transport, sustainability, trade, and financial services and grow your career at a global, award-winning agency.

The successful candidate will demonstrate the following key attributes:

CLIENT AND WORK

• Own responsibilities for leadership of multiple client programs, budgets and integrated teams
• Serve as primary or day-to-day client contact on corporate reputation, public affairs and corporate communications accounts
• Serve as trusted advisor, counsellor and business partner to key client contacts and internal team members
• Facilitate dynamic team integration across the VBCs to create development of strategic plans, translating strategies into tactics, and ensuring team deliverables align with strategies; Successfully partner with IATs (Interagency Client Teams)
• Cast diverse, integrated teams with an emphasis on expanding engagements into new areas
• Successfully grow existing client budgets and pursues opportunities to engage other offices or Geos, specialty expertise, and IPG agencies to provide fully integrated marketing programs/experience for clients

LEADERSHIP AND TALENT DEVELOPMENT

• Spearhead agency projects focused on team culture, staff education and skill building
• Actively seek out own learning and advances skills (leadership and professional expertise) to better develop and coach others and build own cultural competency and ability to lead diverse teams
• Mentor and empower teams (across all departments) to do their best work, impress clients and grow remits
• Model agency values by actively sponsoring/mentoring emerging diverse leaders and diverse staff across all levels
• Manage team/direct reports and coach diverse set of employees within and outside of team to develop and advance our next generation of leaders
• Set tone for inclusive hiring on team, partnering with Talent Acquisition to establish and support inclusive hiring practices
• Is responsible for billability of self and teams

GROWTH AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

• Identify opportunities for agency growth and innovation and lead key new business pitches and organic client growth efforts
• Execute at least one idea per year that is turned into an agency case study and entered in industry awards
• Demonstrate understanding and competency in facilitating client needs across agency offerings (digital, strategic planning, analytics, etc.); can articulate and activate against our full toolkit of expertise
• Advance industry/sector leadership and drives agency reputation through industry thought leadership and relationships

BUSINESS ACUMEN

• Successfully manage capacity, utilization, resource management data, financial planning and proactively avoid revenue deficits and or overservice, collaborating with project management and finance on scope updates, implications
• Maintain proactive communication with Finance partners and provide as much notice as possible regarding changes in client budgets and/or staffing issues/changes; Enact solutions to make up any deficits in order to meet agency financial commitments
• Consistently and effectively communicate and support information regarding staffing, expenses, budgets or other initiatives
• Partner with Finance, HR, and office leadership to identify hiring needs/recommendations
• Develop knowledge of office P&L statements

Ideal Experience Required:

• Ideally you will possess many of the above skills and attributes
• Experienced account lead at an agency or with management experience in-house or in a political role
• With a passion for politics and public policy, you know how to make a strong case that will win the argument and have a track record of developing and delivering effective campaigns
• Unafraid to ask questions and to challenge clients’ and colleagues’ perspectives when necessary
• Highly organised with exceptional attention to detail
• Demonstrable experience in politics and communications. Your experience combines stakeholder engagement and policy insight

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