MENA - Associate Director

Freuds MENA practice sits within core Freuds and is supported by a team of corporate communications specialists. Our corporate experts drive meaningful conversations with a range of stakeholders including customers, consumers, partners, activists, policy makers and current & future employees. Our success comes from knowing what our audiences care about, building robust narratives that elevate and differentiate our clients POV, going beyond what is expected. With connectivity at our heart, we match the right people with the right narrative, bringing together clients, partners and friends to amplify our communications and add credibility. 

We create programmes that drive all our audiences to engage with our clients, we build and protect reputations, shift perception, grow awareness, build relationships and change behaviour.  

We are seeking an experienced Associate Director  to join our team, to support the delivery and leadership of our work in the UAE on an initial 12-month, fixed term contract. The successful candidate will work closely with the London team, reporting into the Director, and Partner responsible for our MENA work. The role includes new business development and day-to-day management of the key accounts and deliverables. The right person for this role will also be able to manage a small team, providing clear direction, encouragement and feedback to ensure high-quality outputs.  

It’s crucial that the successful candidate has an ability to provide counsel to senior Government clients, in Arabic and English and be the bridge between leadership in London and the UAE. Due to the nature of the work and some team being based in London, this role may also require ad-hoc meetings out of office hours due to the time zone differences.  

You will be the on-the-ground client lead for Freuds, providing clear strategic direction and acting as a confident, hands-on partner to clients. You will work closely with the London team to drive the communications narrative across local and international media, partnerships and stakeholder engagement, stepping in where needed to deliver at pace. You are positive, ambitious, organised, proactive and collaborative, with a strong team mindset and pride in producing outstanding work.

You will be the on-the-ground client lead for Freuds, providing clear strategic direction and acting as a confident, hands-on partner to clients. You will work closely with the London team to drive the communications narrative across local and international media, partnerships and stakeholder engagement, stepping in where needed to deliver at pace. You are positive, ambitious, organised, proactive and collaborative, with a strong team mindset and pride in producing outstanding work.

• Develop and deliver creative communications strategies and integrated campaigns with strategy and creative teams
• Act as a senior advisor to clients across earned, social and experiential channels, including rapid counsel on reputational issues
• Lead day-to-day client relationships, run meetings/workshops, and manage delivery across key accounts (including media relations)
• Develop corporate positioning, messaging and narrative frameworks; stress-test crisis approaches through workshops and simulations
• Build and nurture networks with colleagues, media, influencers and industry stakeholders
• Lead new business development, shaping strategy and managing pitches, proposals and presentations
• Line-manage, coach and mentor junior team members; set clear direction and lead by example
• Oversee budgets, scopes of work and forecasting, ensuring high-quality delivery to tight deadlines
• Support senior talent and C-suite moments, including interviews, shoots and content creation across earned and owned channels
• Embrace our cornerstones of Love & Work, which require a passion for what we do and an ability of persevere. In addition, you will take an active role in our belonging values – collaborating to achieve common goals, connection with one another in an authentic way, sharing our perspectives and embracing others, and actively supporting each other and our experiences.