Business Unit Head/Group Account Director Job in South Africa

Conversation LAB – Business Unit Head/Group Account Director Vacancy in Johannesburg, Bryanston Dec 2025

Fresh recruitment at Conversation LAB in South Africa 2025

Jobs opening for Business Unit Head/Group Account Director in South Africa

 
Job description
Conversation LAB is an award winning +50 staff digitally focused agency whose portfolio covers global and local brands from FMCG to B2B. 

Conversation LAB has won 30 creative awards in 2025 alone and wants to continue this winning streak into 2025. We work primarily in digital but also through the line having just done our first TV ad for a global FMCG company. We put digital at the heart of everything – building out 360 campaigns for leading brands in SA and the world. We cover all activity from print, POS, OOH, social media, search engine optimisation, brand development and experiential.
Our client base includes Varsity College, Dunlop, Chubb, Environ Skin Care, Renew and Inecto Personal care products, Darling, Kinky and Frika Dry Hair products, Miladys, Laager and Tetley tea to name a few. We also do extensive work in Africa including DRC, Nigeria and Kenya – and have recently won two London clients.
Conversation LAB now has offices in Johannesburg, Cape Town and London with the main engine operating out of Durban.
Business Unit Head / Group Account Director JHB
We are now looking for a BUH / GAD to run the Johannesburg office and lead a group of already acquired accounts. This is an exciting role reporting into the Group MD (based across London and DBN) whilst helping build an agency offering from the bottom up in JHB.
We are looking for a driven and accomplished client service individual. Big brand, blue chip agency experience is a must, as is digital and BTL. The role requires extensive multitasking across clients and brands as well as the ability to develop and acquire new clients. The right candidate will need to be experienced in all disciplines from mobile, digital (websites, microsites, social media applications), social media campaign development, print, CRM and direct marketing. We are looking for someone who is passionate about developing work that works and takes responsibility and accountability for campaign performance.
We want someone who gets stuck in and involved and drives business forward – this is not a role for sitting back and waiting for things to happen, it’s about pushing and making things happen to agency and client expectation.

Requirements

• Hungry, entrepreneurial, driven
• Build great high-level client relationships
• Someone who can manage and drive various accounts with autonomy
• Ability to work across locations  – Johannesburg and Durban
• Ability to deal with clients at Exec level – selling ideas and negotiating project fees
• Excellent organisational skills and process driven – detail and project management key attributes
• You must run a tight ship – finance and forecasting, briefing and PM
• manage and mentor a new team
• Diploma or degree preferred but not mandatory
• 10+ years’ client service experience
• Four+ years’ digital experience

You will currently be operating at senior AD or BUH/GAD level in a well known agency.

Advantageous

• Experience in setting up new divisions or departments within an agency, finding and developing new revenue streams.

Personal Skills/Attributes

• You will be an organised leader but still want to get to the next level hungry to learn and keep growing and improving.
• You will delight in delivering success and building a team around you – you will be driven by targets and ROI.
• You will be great with clients and internal teams, always able to get the most out of those around you.
• You will be able to work in a robust and high pressure environment

Contact details
Kevin Power
Conversation LAB
kevin.power@conversationlab.com