Senior Client Partner

Client Senior Partner

Client Leadership Team Overview The Client Leadership Team at Open Partners is the heartbeat of our agency: driving strategic vision, integration and performance through close, high-impact relationships. We blend Media, Creative and Data into cohesive, growth-oriented roadmaps and set the tone for Smarter, Faster, Better across everything we do. This is a privileged team of top-tier talent with drive and ambition who partner with clients to drive true business value and define and demonstrate what Agency of Next means.

Role Purpose To act as a consultancy-level leader responsible for running your portfolio like your own business, demonstrating total ownership of commercial performance, client satisfaction, strategic direction, and team capability. You will own senior client relationships, shape long-term strategy across media, data, and creative, and directly influence the commercial growth and long-term health of Open Partners.

Beyond your portfolio, you will act as an agency-wide leader shaping our operating model, partnering with the Client Delivery organisation, and driving future-defining initiatives (including AI, automation, and agent-based systems) to define what Agency of Next means.

What Success Looks Like in 6 Months

• C-Suite Influence: Established trusted, C-suite level relationships across your portfolio and identified key internal champions who actively advocate for OP.

• Integrated Strategy: Delivered integrated Effectiveness Roadmaps and RISE strategies that clearly articulate a single, commercially grounded business narrative across Media, Data, and Creative.

• Commercial Mastery: Established 100% control over your portfolio's commercial health, achieving high forecasting accuracy and identifying clear organic growth opportunities.

• Team Elevation: Guided your client pod to operate cohesively alongside the Client Delivery Centre of Excellence, with clear objectives and rising capability scores across the team.

• Agency-Wide Innovation: Actively leading or contributing to at least one agency-wide initiative shaping our AI, automation, or operating model vision.

Role Responsibilities

1. Portfolio Ownership & Integrated Strategic Leadership

• Run your client portfolio as an independent, high-performing business unit, unlocking organic growth and driving long-term value creation.

• Lead the development and deployment of Effectiveness Roadmaps, RISE strategies, Key Account Plans (KAPs), and Business Reviews to steer C-suite decision-making.

• Set and execute a single, commercially grounded business narrative that seamlessly integrates Media, Creative, and Data into business outcomes.

• Proactively frame complex marketing and commercial challenges into structured, insight-rich hypotheses, experimentation frameworks, and actionable roadmaps.

• Partner closely with the Client Delivery Centre of Excellence to ensure output quality, alignment, and operational excellence across portfolios.

2. Commercial Acumen & P&L Growth

• Own 100% of budgeted revenue delivery, margin protection, and overall commercial health across your portfolio with zero unapproved leakage.

• Drive 20%+ organic growth per year by identifying and converting upsell, cross-sell, and expansion opportunities based on strategic needs.

• Maintain forecasting accuracy and oversee scope management, contract negotiations, and formal business cases for client investment.

• Connect OP’s work directly to client commercial KPIs, financial outcomes, and multi-year value creation.

3. C-Suite Relationship & Influence Mastery

• Build and maintain deep, authoritative relationships at Board and C-suite levels, serving as a trusted partner and senior advisor.

• Cultivate and document client Champions who advocate for OP’s strategic vision and influence key internal decision-making.

• Lead high-stakes conversations with executive presence, emotional intelligence, constructive challenge, and consultancy authority.

• Spend meaningful physical time with clients through onsite sessions, immersion days, planning meetings, and workshops to deepen trust and accelerate impact.

4. Team Leadership & Capability Elevation

• Lead, mentor, and inspire a high-performing client pod, setting clear strategic direction, roles, and expectations.

• Elevate team capability scores across Core & Client Skills Maps and actively prepare future agency leaders for progression.

• Shape how cross-functional teams collaborate, embedding a culture of ambition, personal accountability, and operational excellence.

5. Forward-Thinking Innovation & Agency Leadership

• Drive the adoption of emerging technologies, generative AI, automation, and agent-based systems to evolve our consultancy value and modernise ways of working.

• Lead or contribute to at least two business-wide initiatives per year shaping OP’s operating model, AI vision, or agent-based consultancy tools.

• Apply full-funnel performance marketing expertise, guiding clients through performance transitions and modern measurement frameworks at every stage.

Your KPIs / Outputs & Results

• Client Satisfaction: Client NPS > 9 with senior client stakeholders.

• Client Influence: Documented C-suite/senior champions built with direct evidence of influence on client decisions.

• Commercial Ownership: 100% of Budgeted Revenue achieved, 20%+ organic growth per year, and forecasting accuracy with zero unapproved leakage.

• Strategic Delivery: 100% delivery of RISE strategies, Effectiveness Roadmaps, KAPs, and Business Reviews to full OP standards.

• Team Leadership: High-performing pod team with strong Core & Client Skills Map scores and visible readiness of future leaders.

• Business Leadership: Active leadership/contribution in business-wide initiatives per year.

• Agency of Next: Visible leadership in shaping OP-wide ways of working, AI/automation vision, and agent-based tools.

Skills & Capabilities Required

Must Have

• Consultative & Strategic Leadership: Proven track record in a senior client-facing consultancy or agency environment; ability to translate complex insights into clear, structured recommendations.

• Commercial & P&L Mastery: Advanced acumen in revenue forecasting, margin protection, scoping, fee structuring, and contract negotiations.

• C-Suite Influence: High emotional intelligence, executive presence, and proven capability leading Board/C-suite level conversations.

• Brilliant Performance Marketing Capability: Full-funnel performance marketing expertise, understanding how to transition clients through the funnel and implement measurement at every stage.

• Mobility & Travel: Valid driving licence, access to a car, and willingness to travel as required by the role.

Desirable

• Integrated Discipline Fluency: Deep working knowledge across Media, Data, and Creative strategies.

• Innovation & Tech Mindset: Fluency or active interest in generative AI, automation tools, and agent-based systems.

• Transformation & Growth: Experience in marketing transformation, growth strategy, or commercial modelling.

Role Details

• Reports to: Managing Partner

• You will lead: Client Leadership Team / Client Pod

• Location: Hybrid (Bonded Warehouse, Manchester / Remote)

• Hours / Days: Full Time (37.5 hours, 5 days per week)

• Contract basis: Permanent

• Requirements: Valid driving licence and car; regular travel required

Our Approach to Hiring

We hire based on mindset first. It is the biggest factor of success in our business. We believe you can grow that mindset in any walk of life and career background. We are looking for you to demonstrate a strong growth mindset and show us how you can fulfil the role by bringing your unique skillset and experience.

If you do not have direct industry experience but have the right mindset and transferable skills to excel, we want to hear from you. Tell us how you could make the impact we are looking for.

Expectations for all Open Partners Employees:

• Demonstrate and be committed to a growth mindset

• Follow our Employee Handbook

• Live by our values:

  • Smarter – Aim high, train hard, embrace next

  • Faster – Learn fast, adapt fast, act fast

  • Better – Think, say and do what’s best