Account Director (Sports Cars)

JOB DESCRIPTION 

Position – Account Director (Sports Cars) 

Role – Full time, employed

Location – Silverstone, UK – Hybrid working (at least 3 days in the office) with global travel 

Term – Full-time, employed 

Salary – Dependent on experience 

About Us 

Ignition Collective is a forward-thinking sports and entertainment marketing agency that does brilliant things, together. We specialise in delivering exceptional marketing and client service solutions, building partnerships that inspire creativity and drive real results across sport, entertainment, and special projects. We’re passionate about igniting ideas and fuelling possibilities, bringing energy, innovation, and impact to everything we do. 

The Role 

Be part of Ford Racing’s next chapter in endurance racing. As Account Director at Ignition Collective, you will be responsible for delivering Ignition’s marketing and activation services for Ford Racing’s sports car programme – predominantly in the Hypercar and LMGT3 classes of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), with the 24 Hours of Le Mans at the heart of the story. 

You will lead the agency account and turn the client’s objectives into an integrated plan across brand activations, content, digital activity, hospitality and events. Working with specialist teams and suppliers, you will own delivery of the agreed services, creating experiences that connect with guests, partners and audiences around the world.  

Reporting to the Senior Account Director, you will lead a newly formed team of account and event professionals. You will set clear priorities, develop your people and take responsibility for delivery quality, budgets and account profitability, with the client’s objectives and the agreed agency scope guiding the work. 

You will work closely with senior client stakeholders, rights holders and Ignition’s specialists to develop marketing and activation plans for client approval and lead their delivery throughout the WEC season. Based at Silverstone with hybrid working, the role includes international travel, race-weekend working and hands-on responsibility at events. 

If you love motorsport and want to lead the agency team bringing an ambitious international programme to life beyond the track, this is your chance to make your mark. Bring your leadership, ideas and drive to Ignition Collective, and help create outstanding experiences throughout the programme. 

Key Responsibilities 

Client and Stakeholder Relationships 

• Act as the client’s main day-to-day contact at Ignition, building trusted relationships with senior client stakeholders 
• Understand the client’s brand, marketing and business objectives and translate them into clear briefs and delivery priorities 
• Use your understanding of motorsport to recommend relevant marketing and activation ideas that add value for the client 
• Coordinate with the client’s markets and business units to align activity, guest requirements and approvals across the programme 
• Develop the annual marketing and activation plan with the client, securing approval for objectives, scope, budgets and measures of success 
• Build effective working relationships with the FIA World Endurance Championship, the ACO and relevant rights holders 
• Identify opportunities to grow Ignition’s services on the account where they meet the client’s needs and create clear client value 
• Manage expectations and constructively challenge requests, balancing client objectives with agreed scope, resources and commercial considerations 
• Coordinate with relevant media partners and other agencies to support agreed programme activity

Team Leadership and Collaboration 

• Lead and develop a team, including at least two direct reports, setting clear objectives and providing regular feedback and coaching 
• Align the sports car hospitality and events team with the wider marketing and activation plan, ensuring consistent delivery across the programme 
• Create a collaborative team culture with clear responsibilities, accountability and high delivery standards 
• Prioritise workloads and allocate resources across competing deadlines, budgets and client requirements 
• Ensure the team produces clear briefs, delivery plans and supporting materials for each work stream and event 
• Brief and coordinate creative, digital, production and communications specialists, and work with finance and legal teams as required 
• Keep senior agency leadership informed of account performance, escalating risks, opportunities and client issues promptly 
• Contribute to wider agency growth through collaboration, continuous improvement and relevant new business opportunities 

Marketing and Activation Delivery 

• Lead Ignition’s delivery of the agreed marketing and activation services for the WEC Hypercar programme, from brief to final reporting 
• Translate approved strategy into integrated workstreams across brand activations, content, digital activity, hospitality and events 
• Coordinate creative, digital, production and communications specialists against clear briefs, budgets and delivery schedules 
• Oversee campaign and content delivery, securing client approvals and ensuring consistency with brand guidelines and agreed objectives 
• Connect activity across channels and race weekends so audiences experience a coherent programme 

Event and Hospitality Delivery 

• Lead the planning and delivery of agreed events, aligned with the client’s brand guidelines and objectives 
• Collaborate with the Hospitality and Operations Director – Sports Car to deliver hospitality experiences, aligned with the client’s brand guidelines and objectives 
• Combine strategic planning between events with hands-on leadership at the circuit 
• Coordinate suppliers, venues and partner agencies against clear briefs, schedules and agreed standards 
• Deliver professionally managed events that create engaging guest experiences 
• Allocate event resources to meet agreed deliverables, deadlines and budgets 
• Ensure event materials and supporting creative and digital assets are approved and ready for delivery 
• Lead pre-event briefings for the onsite team, contractors and third-party suppliers 
• Deliver activity in line with applicable sponsorship agreements and maximise the value of available contractual rights and assets 

Budget and Commercial Management 

• Own the management of agreed marketing, activation, content and event budgets within Ignition’s approval processes 
• Protect account profitability through accurate costing, commercial awareness and effective resource planning 
• Manage supplier procurement and negotiations, balancing quality, value and delivery 
• Track expenditure against approved budgets and identify ways to improve value and effectiveness for the client 
• Ensure timely post-event and project reconciliation, working with the finance team 
• Scope and cost opportunities to grow the account, ensuring additional services deliver value for the client and are commercially viable for Ignition 
• Maintain accurate budget forecasts and visibility of committed costs and anticipated expenditure 
• Manage out-of-scope requests through Ignition’s change-control process, securing approval for additional work and costs before delivery 

Measurement and Reporting 

• Agree KPIs with the client and report on marketing, activation and event performance against approved objectives 
• Lead post-event and campaign reviews, using feedback and results to improve future delivery   
• Evaluate success through the strength of the client relationship, team performance, delivery quality, budget control, account profitability and results against agreed KPIs 

Account and Programme Management 

• Manage Ignition’s agreed services from briefing and planning through delivery and reporting, maintaining clear ownership across all work streams 
• Keep project plans, schedules, approval records and the project management system up to date 
• Identify and escalate delivery, commercial and client risks promptly, ensuring clear actions and owners 
• Maintain visibility of agreed scope and flag potential changes before committing additional resources or work 

Systems and Digital Skills 

• Proficient in Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint and Teams 
• Confident using project management tools to track work streams, deadlines, budgets and approvals 

Essential Experience and Skills 

• At least six years’ experience in strategic account management, with responsibility for complex marketing, activation or event programmes 
• Proven experience leading and developing teams, setting priorities and coordinating specialist disciplines 
• A track record of managing senior client relationships and translating business objectives into effective delivery plans 
• Ability to undertake international travel, sometimes at short notice, and work at race weekends and events, including evenings and weekends when required 
• Experience owning substantial budgets, managing forecasts and protecting account profitability 
• Excellent written and verbal communication, presentation and stakeholder management skills 
• Experience managing multiple projects and international programme delivery, including suppliers and onsite teams 
• Strong organisation, sound judgement and close attention to detail under pressure 
• Full driving licence and comfortable driving abroad 

Desirable Experience 

• Experience within a marketing agency, a motorsport team or a sports rights holder 
• Knowledge of endurance racing, the FIA World Endurance Championship and the ACO
• Experience delivering automotive brand activations and premium hospitality programmes 

What You Will Get from Us 

• Impactful Career – grow your career and make an impact in a supportive, innovative, inclusive, and fun workplace 
• Flexible hybrid work policy – 3 days in, 2 days’ work from home model that supports work-life balance 
• 25 days holiday allowance, plus bank holidays 
• Wellness days – two wellness days per annum 
• Your birthday off 
• Pirkx – access to wellbeing discounts and perks 
• Weekly health and wellbeing coaching sessions 
• Professional Development – committed to your growth through training programmes 
• Pension Plan 
• Staff recognition programme 
• Team socials to connect and celebrate 
• Charity Partnership – we support a new charity each year 
• On-site parking and public transport options 

Why Join Us? 

At Ignition, you will have the opportunity to lead the agency delivery for the WEC Hypercar and LMGT3 programme, develop a talented team and contribute your ideas within a growing business. Combining senior client relationships, creative marketing and activation, global travel and hands-on event delivery, this role offers the chance to build experiences that bring the client’s ambition to life.