PR Account Manager

MSL is a leading integrated strategic communications agency in South Africa. We specialise in helping companies protect and raise the profile of their brands, as well as positioning them as market leaders in their respective industries. This is achieved via our four key communication disciplines: PR & Communications, Digital, Brand and Events & Training.

Location: Johannesburg

As an Account Manager at MSL, you are on top of all day-to-day initiatives in your portfolio of clients you know what needs to happen, when it needs to happen, and ensure that it gets done. You are the primary point of contact for clients, and they trust you. With the help of your team (Intern/AA/AE), you ensure reporting is slick and accurate. You own the editorial plans for clients and are involved in strategy development, alongside your SAM/AD/SAD. You own the monthly billing process and will start to get to grips with the concept of profitability for your stream.

Client services

• Client relations: Demonstrate excellent client relationships and ability to manage their expectations.
• Client meetings: Drive participation in client meetings, managing meeting protocols, agendas, etc.
• Understanding: Demonstrate a detailed, thorough and informed understanding of your clients’ businesses and knowledge of their competitors, for effective idea generation.
• Demonstrate value to your clients by keeping them abreast of competitor news.
• Reviews: Take responsibility for planning and compilation of client review documents/
• presentations/reports, and participate in client review meetings with your team.

Agency operations

• Billing: Accurately review billing arrangements for clients and action monthly billing timeously.
• Timesheets: Demonstrate effective time recording and reporting (daily, accurate data logged on Chase, as per Groupe deadlines).
• Coverage: With Intern/AA/AE, take ownership of daily coverage tracking for reports and timeous client coverage updates.
• Reporting: Ensure quality, timeous monthly reports are delivered, and initiate new reporting ideas and processes where improvements can be made.
• Budget: Start to work with SAM/AD/SAD to understand stream budget and profitability.
• Know the agency and the Publicis Africa Groupe (PGA): Demonstrate familiarity with both MSL and PGA's organisational structures and offerings.

Business development

• Grow your ability to identify opportunities for organic growth of existing business and business retention.
• Grow your ability to draft proposals and improve your pitch preparation skills, in conjunction with your SAM/AD/SAD.

People development

• Become a role model and mentor for junior staff and be seen as an ambassador for the company.
• Conduct appraisals for junior staff.
• Contribute to, and participate in, personal development activities for junior staff (i.e., coaching, workshop development, etc.).
• Actively look to maintain and build positive working relationships with colleagues.
• Assist your fellow AMs with skill development and peer-to-peer mentorship.

Core capabilities

• Account management: Demonstrate real-time knowledge of all client activities, ensure status documents are accurate and updated, run client status meetings and take ownership for client and agency initiatives.
• Media relations: Drive journalist relationship-building initiatives within the team, across your full client portfolio, display an excellent knowledge of the South African media landscape (and an interest in the broader African media landscape), develop solid media relationships, and oversee the effective running of your team’s entire media relations process.
• Pitching skills: Write and pitch excellent quality, relevant story angles to targeted media and stakeholders, finding creative, newsworthy angles with minimal input from your SAM/AD/SAD.
• Writing: Demonstrate an ability to write effective content for your full client portfolio, and have the ability to effectively brief the content team when specialist help is needed.
• Project management skills: Take responsibility for specific projects from start-to-finish.
• Strategy: Develop, alongside your SAM/AD/SAD, strategic and tactical client programmes, plans and calendars.
• Research: Demonstrate effective research skills, and assimilation and presentation of information.
• Media lists: Ensure your team regularly updates media lists, informs the broader agency of media changes, compiles tailored media lists per client content piece, and ensures that master client media lists are kept updated.
• MSL Newsdesk: Participate in daily newsdesk/media meetings and ensure relevant news and angles are marked and shared with clients.

Personal attributes

• Quality: Consistently deliver quality work to professional, MSL standards.
• Detail-orientated: Execute unwavering attention to detail in all aspects, including documents, presentations, emails and all other communiques.
• Proactive upskilling: Constantly work to ensure an excellent understanding of content for all clients (even beyond your portfolio), your client’s industry, staying abreast of the broader news environment and spotting opportunities for media conversation building.
• Proactive learning: Demonstrate use of the Marcel Classes portal and other internal training sessions to upskill yourself, taking initiative and responsibility for your learning journey.
• Taking initiative: Demonstrate consistent self-starter approach.
• Time management: Display impeccable time management skills and help your AA/AE/SAE manage their time and deadlines.
• Profile: Manage and build your own profile within your team and the broader agency.
• Respect: Acknowledge and respond to instructions from senior staff as soon as possible (email, instant message or spoken).

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Should you not hear from us within 2 weeks after submitting your application, please consider your application as unsuccessful

Publics group is proud to be an Equal opportunity employer and prohibits any forms of Discrimination or Harassment. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all our employees in line with our Employment Equity plan. All appointments will be based on Qualifications, experience and best fit but preference will be given to all affirmation action candidates or designated groups.