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Associate Director, Influence - Burson
Contract type
Ongoing
Work mode
Hybrid · 4 days/week in office · London, United Kingdom
Experience
Lead / principal · Not stated
Level inferred from job title
Job description
Associate Director, Influence at Burson's UK Influence & Social Centre of Excellence in London, serving as the EMEA hub. The role leads influencer-led campaigns and strategy across agency sectors, partnering with the UK Head of Influence.
At a glance
- Work mode
- Hybrid · 4 days/week in office · London, United Kingdom
- Languages
- English
What you'll do
- Act as a trusted adviser to sector and practice leads, translating client and business briefs into culturally relevant, influencer-led strategies
- Partner with the UK Head of Influence and senior teams to develop winning pitches, shape commercial models and identify opportunities to grow influence across existing and new client accounts
- Champion a broader view of influence beyond traditional creators, incorporating thought leaders, B2B voices, subject-matter experts and advocates across owned, earned, shared and paid channels
- Lead end-to-end influencer programmes, from discovery, vetting and contracting through to creator briefing, co-creation, rights management and live campaign delivery
- Work closely with creators to deliver authentic, high-quality content while connecting organic influence with paid amplification, licensing, whitelisting and performance marketing opportunities
- Ensure programmes meet ASA, CMA, IP and Burson compliance standards, while embedding tools such as CreatorIQ and GWI and upskilling teams on influencer best practice, cultural trends and effective ways of working
- Partner with data and intelligence specialists to evolve how influence is measured, moving beyond vanity metrics to demonstrate sentiment, cultural share of voice, reputation shift and conversion
- Build strong relationships with platforms including TikTok, Meta, YouTube and LinkedIn, while testing and embedding AI and emerging capabilities through Burson's AI suite and WPP Open to improve discovery, reporting and workflow efficiency
What we're looking for
- Substantial influencer marketing experience within an agency, PR, or integrated creative environment, operating at Account Director / Junior Associate Director level
- Ability to plan multi-channel content strategies that are influencer-first, with a strong understanding of how audience mapping and data inform creative platforms and creator selection
- Deep practical expertise in creator negotiation, complex scope structuring, multi-platform licensing, exclusivity, and contract management
- Hands-on proficiency with dedicated influencer tech platforms (specifically CreatorIQ) and consumer research tools (such as GWI)
- A natural relationship-builder who can seamlessly partner with cross-functional teams (strategy, creative, earned media, paid, data) and mentor junior talent
- Calm, authoritative client-handling skills with the ability to articulate the strategic value of influencer marketing to both senior brand marketers and communications directors
- Experience building accurate scopes of work, production budgets, talent fees, and pitch responses that protect agency margins and client ROI
Your team
UK Influence & Social Centre of Excellence
One of three global Influence & Social Centres of Excellence (US, Singapore, London); the UK centre serves as the hub for the EMEA region.
Benefits
- Professional development opportunities
- Mentorship programs with industry leaders
- A vibrant and inclusive company culture fostering collaboration and innovation
- Packages designed to reward and retain top talent
Apply
About Burson
The global communications leader built to create value for clients through reputation
Burson, part of WPP, is the global communications leader built to create value for clients through reputation. With highly specialized teams, industry-leading technologies and breakthrough creative, we help brands and businesses redefine reputation as a competitive advantage.
Key facts
- Part of WPP
- Building three global Influence & Social Centres of Excellence in the US, Singapore, and London
- Burson UK was named Cannes Lions Agency of the year 2026
What they value
- Learn-it-alls
- Creativity and communications
- Inclusion of talented people of all backgrounds and identities
- Collaboration and innovation