Group Business Director

We are looking for a Group Business Director to provide long-term vision, direction and momentum across one or more significant client businesses.

The Role

As the senior business lead, you’ll have ultimate responsibility for the strength of the client relationship, the quality of the strategic and creative output, the performance and development of the team, and the profitability and growth of the account. You’ll work closely with leadership to set priorities, raise ambition and make things happen, helping the business realise its full creative, personal and commercial potential.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of business-level strategy with planning leadership, keeping clients and agency teams ahead of category, culture and market change.
• Set the standard for creative excellence in partnership with creative leadership, creating opportunities for ambitious work and protecting its quality.
• Act as the senior cross-functional leader for the whole client and agency team, providing a clear vision and aligning resources around it.
• Build and sustain influential relationships with senior clients, stakeholders, media partners and new-business prospects.
• Create the conditions for operational excellence, troubleshooting challenges and ensuring complex work is delivered to the highest standard.
• Develop leaders across the account, providing autonomy, coaching, succession planning and clear development pathways.
• Own account profitability, forecasting, remuneration, resourcing, retainers, fees and project scopes.
• Identify and create commercial growth opportunities, including relevant cross-agency capabilities and new-business activity.
• Contribute to agency-wide leadership, department priorities, resourcing and capability development.

What you’ll bring to TBWA

• Extensive senior leadership experience within a creative or advertising agency, with responsibility for major client relationships or portfolios.
• The ability to operate as a trusted partner to C-suite and senior marketing leaders.
• A strong record of raising strategic and creative ambition while delivering measurable business outcomes.
• Outstanding leadership across multidisciplinary teams, including talent development and succession planning.
• Deep commercial capability across profitability, negotiation, scope, resourcing and growth.
• Clear, persuasive communication and the judgement to reconcile different perspectives and make confident decisions.
• A visible, positive agency leadership presence with the energy to turn direction into action.

The Pirate Spirit

You look beyond the obvious, question the familiar and find a way forward. You’re curious about what’s happening in culture, technology, the industry and our clients’ worlds, and you use those signals to unlock new opportunities for growth. You back great ideas, stay accountable for outcomes and care about the last 10% that turns good work into exceptional work.

About Us

We are TBWA\New Zealand, home to one of the most connected global networks in the world, providing both the best of local insight and delivery with global expertise.

At the heart of our approach is Disruption®: a philosophy and method that helps brands break with convention and unlock more purposeful and profitable futures. For New Zealand brands seeking to influence global audiences, Disruption® helps to ensure every piece of communication is impactful, allowing you to stand out disproportionately. Disruption® has been central to the rise of some of the world’s most valuable brands, including Apple, and it continues to fuel growth for our clients here in Aotearoa.

Campaign Brief Agency of the Year 2025

Most Effective Agency of the Year 2024

If this sounds like you and you’re interested, please share your cover letter and CV.

Please note: All applicants must have eligible working rights in New Zealand.