Senior Account Director
Who we are:
We are MatchFit (www.matchfit.agency), an award-winning communications agency that speaks the language of sport.
MatchFit isn’t just a catchy agency name – it’s a culture; a mindset; a behaviour. It’s a kitemark for our standards and values. It’s what shapes our people - natively part of sports consumer, fans, grassroots and business audiences.
It’s why we work with an indisputably world-class client roster of both sports brands (Topps, Fanatics, EA SPORTS, JD Sports) and rightsholders (The FA, Manchester City, LALIGA, The ECB).
It’s epitomised by our new Manchester office, a unique physical footprint that elevates our client servicing and attracts the best talent across the UK.
It’s present in our people-first environment that helps every team member, and subsequently every client, be the best version of themselves in their specialist field.
It’s why we are the sports communications specialists best placed to help world-class clients tell their stories, and the agency where the industry’s best talent can be a part of building something special.
With growing teams in London and Manchester, together, we speak the language of sport. If you want to join us, we’d love to hear from you.
Building an inclusive, people-first culture is a priority for us. We partner with organisations including BCOMS and 10,000 Black Interns, run a reverse mentoring programme designed to elevate lived experience and learning across levels, and support flexible observance of religious holidays so team members can align time off with their own faith traditions. A wider partnership with Inclusive Employers launches this year as part of our ongoing commitment to welcoming talent from all protected characteristics.
Recent Awards & Shortlists:
- Sport Industry Awards 2025: Specialist Agency of the Year
- UK Sponsorship Awards 2025: Agency of the Year
- Sports Business Awards 2025: Agency of the Year and Women’s Sport Business
- Football Business Awards 2025: Agency of the Year and Women’s Football Business
What we are looking for:
We’re looking for an ambitious Senior Account Director to join our fast-growing, independent sports communications agency.
You are a positive and collaborative leader with outstanding communication skills, insight-led creativity, and an unwavering drive to help shape and deliver high quality work.
We’d love to connect with someone who has a passion for a range of different sports, is a high-class comms operator, and is hungry to grow and build their dream career with us.
You would be joining MatchFit at an incredibly exciting time of growth, with several soon-to-be announced new business wins, a hugely talented team of communications specialists, and the opportunity to play a prominent role in shaping the next chapter of the agency.
As an integral member of the agency, you will live and breathe the agency’s core values (Growth, Expertise, Transparency, Togetherness and Bravery), ensuring they show up daily across the team. You will use the values as a foundation for business, client and team-related decisions.
Role overview:
Reporting to our Director, Caz Nicholls - previous Head of Comms at England & Wales Cricket Board(ECB) - you will play a key role within MatchFit, joining the extended Senior Leadership Team and leading several of our world-class clients with the aspiration to progress into a future leader of the business as part of the extended Management Team.
You should bring excellent rightsholder and brand experience within sports communications specifically, be comfortable working with elite talent, ambassadors and spokespeople across consumer and B2B campaigns, and be able to navigate clients through the business of sport.
People and Culture
In addition to overseeing direct line management and development responsibilities for team members, you would play a key role in leading by example, shaping the growth of junior staff across the agency and serving as an influential voice in resourcing and staffing decisions, alongside Caz.
You will have the opportunity to play a prominent role in building on the agency’s thriving culture together with our other Senior Account Directors, working closely with our People and Culture team.
Award-Winning Client Campaign Work
You will play a critical role in the conception and execution of strategically smart campaigns as a trusted, senior point of contact for multiple clients. You will be empowered to inspire, coach, and direct your junior team to ensure exceptional delivery aligns with your personal standards and MatchFit's core values.
As a fantastic sports communications practitioner you embody the values of ‘earned-first’ story telling and everything a contemporary agency offers, including creative campaigning, media relations, brand collaborations, influencer engagement, ambassador management, content creation, brand activations and live events & experiential.
You will have the ultimate responsibility for best-in-class delivery of client work, ensuring they are delivered timely, within budget and meet the client’s goals and objectives, set out within our own measurement and evaluation framework.
New Business & Client Organic Growth
A strong pipeline of new business is vital to the agency's commercial growth. You will play a key role in supporting the broader efforts of the Senior Leadership Team and Co-Founders, from participating in creds and chemistry meetings to strong involvement in pitch creation and presentation.
We empower staff at all levels to be involved in new business (we believe if a junior is on the team, they should be in the pitch!), so you will play an important role in coaching and guiding the team. And if there is an area you are passionate about or you have a dream client…let’s hatch a plan to make it happen!
Working with Caz as a mentor figure, you will be empowered to seek organic growth opportunities within your client portfolio, helping to drive the agency’s ongoing growth, building towards your own future as an Associate Director and Management Team member.
Successful candidate will:
- Have outstanding client servicing skills with a track record of quickly building trust and providing valuable counsel.
- Have brilliant leadership and teamwork skills.
- Have a desire to foster a fun but high-performing work culture.
- Have the ability to manage and communicate well, both with your team and agency leadership.
- Relish playing a prominent role in the creative process to conceive high quality work and sharpen earned-first ideas that deliver impact.
- Be comfortable applying strategic thinking and building high class documents and plans.
- Have engaging pitching and presentation skills.
- Have a reputation for being a fantastic role model, leader and coach for the team around them.
- Hold a natural love and enthusiasm for earned-first thinking and experience, leading their team to brilliantly execute campaigns.
- Be able to commute to our office in Shoreditch, London, Tuesday to Thursday.
Role benefits & details:
Financial & Performance Based Rewards
Annual Profit Share Scheme: Wholly discretionary annual profit share scheme and linked directly to business performance.
Pension Scheme: Matched to 3%, although you could contribute more
Time Off & Flexibility
24 Days Annual Leave Allowance: running January to December. Your allocation does not include the eight Bank Holidays, which you receive in addition. We also hope to close for 1.5weeks over Christmas and New Year, with no impact on holiday allowance, pending client work.
1-for-1 Day-in-lieu: for any time spent out at weekend client events.
Hybrid Working Policy: With Monday and Friday designated as work-from-home days.
Wellbeing & Lifestyle Perks
Private Medical Insurance: Industry-leading private medical insurance, offering primary care(including GP services), mental health support, in-patient and day-patient treatments, outpatient and surgical procedures and advanced cancer cover.
Juno Benefits Scheme: A flexible benefits platform connecting you to hundreds of available products, services and experiences aimed at improving your wellbeing, in and out of work.
Life Insurance: Four times annual salary as Death in Service.
Travel Season Ticket Loan.
Cycle to Work Scheme.
Learning, Culture & Team
Training and Development: including our varied ‘Lunch and Learn’ programme.
‘For You’ Day: One day a year, outside of holiday allocation, which is simply for you. The day has been spent celebrating birthdays, volunteering, experiencing culture, and watching sport!
MatchFit Sporting Moment: Our people have £250 each year to spend on a unique sport experience of their choice to further their passion for sport.
Team Socials: Every quarter, as well as an annual agency away day and end of year social.
Free Monthly Team Lunch.
Salary & Process
£59,000 – £64,000 DPE (inc. London weighting)
Please email SAD@matchfit.agency with your CV and expression of interest.
Closing date: Thursday 5th March