Careers

February 9, 2012

in Careers, Vancouver

General Manager – Vancouver

An exceptional opportunity has recently become available to lead one of our most successful offices in Canada as General Manager in Vancouver. If you’re excited by the prospect of joining a highly successful and creative PR / Communications firm that nurtures your entrepreneurial spirit, then this is the role for you. In this position, you will have the opportunity to make a global impact by leading our incredibly successful and talented Vancouver team as General Manager. Experience leading a diverse portfolio of clients and driving innovative, integrated programs is a must. You must also be a strategist and hands-on tactician – capable of envisioning, leading, motivating and implementing as required. We’re looking for someone with a strong presence, sense of humour and outstanding written and verbal communications skills.

The general manager must have at least 15 years of relevant experience in public relations and/or related fields including research, advertising, management consulting, media and publishing.

Preferred Qualifications

S/he will have top-level managerial skills with P&L and operational management experience in agency business. This position will assume operational responsibility for a designated group, unit or office. S/he will have experience in developing and introducing new tools and growing new business with a record of increasing revenue from key clients, and a solid record of low client turnover. S/he will be able to attract, grow and retain key talent across the practice. S/he will have exemplary leadership and communication skills and motivational techniques, as well as experience and success in creating a collaborative and respectful environment. S/he will be able to clearly articulate Edelman’s intellectual property and its relevance to public engagement. This position requires a strategic leader and thinker who is well connected within the industry. A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university is preferred. An advanced degree is a plus but not mandatory. International experience is a plus.

Competencies

A general manager/managing director will assume operational responsibility for a division in a local market. This includes but is not limited to financial performance, recruitment and retention of key talent, development of the company’s local resources and capabilities, client service, business development and external marketing/reputation management. The goal of this role is to build and develop the Edelman brand, operation and intellectual capital and its relevance to public engagement and communications, and to interact with stakeholder groups to create democratic and decentralized thought leadership. S/he will have a deep understanding of Edelman’s various consulting processes/approaches. Expected competencies include:

Client Service

  • Provide high-level counsel to top-tier clients and oversee top-level client service functions
  • Lead and sell public relations program strategies
  • Facilitate cross-office and cross-practice collaboration to ensure clients have access to the best people and services
  • Facilitate strategic discussions with clients and prospects that identify the key challenges, opportunities and areas for exploration in the planning and developing of communications and public relations plans
  • Demonstrate an understanding of how online community engagement integrates into a complete, sustainable communications program by developing online engagement strategies for clients
  • Drive annual client satisfaction surveys and client improvement plans when necessary
  • Understand key client industry issues relating to products, product categories, technologies, primary and potential competition and general issues facing the industry
  • Understand marketing and business goals and strategies of clients and their key competitors
  • Implement new Edelman processes and methodologies, including public engagement practice and company-wide training

People Engagement

  • Attract, develop and retain key and diverse talent across the practice
  • Lead senior managers to promote cooperation within team(s) and across practices/ offices/geographies
  • Coach and lead team to successful outcomes; mentor and support senior staff and deal effectively with under-performance issues
  • Reinforce Edelman University class attendance and continuous learning to support employee development, including participation as a trainer/facilitator
  • Delegate to others to allow them to take the lead and create shared responsibility
  • Link reward, recognition and promotions directly to individual success, continually raise standards that result in excellence and quality service
  • Drive the performance appraisal process and complete annual performance reviews, following up on goals and individual development plans
  • Hold yourself and your staff consistently accountable for performance, compliance and ethical business conduct

Business Development

  • Grow the business and increase revenue by cultivating new business leads
  • Structure and drive systematic processes for marketing and business development
  • Leverage proprietary intellectual property and identify new platforms for reputation-building and business acquisition purposes across practices/offices/geographies, maintaining a high profile in the industry
  • Ensure a strong new business pipeline at all times by proactively pursuing new business cross-solutions/opportunities with current and prospective clients

Financial Planning and Management

  • Be accountable for total financial responsibilities, including forecasting and account profitability, for specific projects/accounts
  • Manage and partner with the business manager and legal to negotiate contracts and set financial targets
  • Ensure budgets are accurate and demonstrate expert usage of our financial systems
  • Manage group utilization and staffing levels and ensure clients are billed accurately and in a timely manner

Leadership

  • Demonstrate behaviors consistent with Edelman’s values (Quality, Integrity, Respect, Entrepreneurial Spirit, Mutual Benefits) and Code of Ethics and Business Conduct and require team/unit members to do the same
  • Lead, motivate, empower and inspire employees
  • Communicate individual and team roles and responsibilities clearly
  • Lead senior managers to be engaged in online communities and social media and empower them to do same with their teams
  • Communicate a compelling and inspired vision of future possibilities and direction
  • Delegate significant areas of the business to individuals, giving them authority and latitude to act
  • Create a climate that encourages entrepreneurial behaviors, continuous learning, ethical conduct and a commitment to compliance with the law
  • Help others adapt to change by identifying and implementing new processes and initiatives that help clients, internal partners and/or departments accomplish their goals
  • Demonstrate leadership through participation in Edelman initiatives

Product Capability and Development

  • Work closely with GCRMs, practice leaders and specialty groups to maximize program/client/ business success and identify new/existing tools, products, capabilities and methodologies for introduction locally
  • Develop innovative programs and proposals

Should you be interested in applying for this role, please send your résumé and cover letter to julie.biber@edelman.com. Only those candidates short listed for an interview will be contacted. Thank you for your interest in working with Edelman.

About Edelman Canada

Edelman provides comprehensive, integrated communications counsel and services to an expanding list of Canadian and international companies, public sector organizations and not-for-profits. With offices in Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver, Edelman Canada is pushing the boundaries of traditional public relations, using the latest social media and digital tools to place our firm at the forefront of a new era of Public Engagement between organizations and their constituents.

About Edelman

Edelman is the world's largest public relations firm, with 63 offices and more than 4,200 employees worldwide, as well as affiliates in more than 30 cities. Edelman was named Advertising Age's top-ranked PR firm of the decade in 2009 and one of its "A-List Agencies" in both 2010 and 2011; Adweek's "2011 PR Agency of the Year;" PRWeek's "2011 Large PR Agency of the Year;" and The Holmes Report's "2011 Global Agency of the Year." Edelman was named one of the "Best Places to Work" by Advertising Age in 2010 and among Glassdoor's top five "2011 Best Places to Work." Edelman owns specialty firms Blue (advertising), StrategyOne (research), Ruth (brands + experiences), DJE Science (medical education/publishing and science communications), MATTER (sports, sponsorship, and entertainment), and Edelman Consulting. Visit Edelman.com for more information.