Senior Client Director

About Bastion

Bastion is a large independent agency across Australasia focused on putting brands, organisations, and people into a stronger position. Its integrated setup brings digital, media, advertising, communications, experiential, and research specialists together to work collaboratively on major brands and solve advertising and marketing challenges.

About Bastion Experience

Bastion Experience develops strategic partnerships and brand experiences designed to spark conversation and leave a lasting impression.

Role Overview

The Senior Client Director is a senior leadership position accountable for setting direction, maintaining operational discipline, and delivering commercial results across a portfolio of key client accounts. The role has direct responsibility for Bastion’s sports partnership and automotive client group, guiding integrated marketing, sponsorship, and experiential programs in these sectors. Acting as a trusted senior advisor, this person ensures clients receive innovative, effective, and commercially viable solutions.

Key Responsibilities

Client Leadership & Integration

• Act as the senior strategic lead for sports partnership and automotive accounts, keeping delivery aligned with client business priorities.
• Develop and sustain strong, trusted relationships with senior stakeholders, including C-suite and general manager-level contacts.
• Promote a unified, integrated “One Bastion” approach across all agency capabilities.
• Lead senior client meetings, presentations, and creative proposal discussions with confidence and clarity.
• Maintain oversight of all workstreams to ensure consistency, alignment, and high-quality outcomes.

Strategic Planning & Growth

• Build specialist knowledge in sports marketing, sponsorship planning, and the automotive category.
• Drive partnership strategy, including engagement with rights holders, sponsorship improvement, and activation planning.
• Turn research, data, and market developments into practical long-term strategies.
• Spot and pursue opportunities to grow existing accounts organically.
• Support new business efforts within the sports and automotive space.

Team Leadership & Capability

• Lead, coach, and motivate multidisciplinary teams to achieve strong performance.
• Support the growth of Senior Client Managers, Client Managers, and wider team members through guidance and development.
• Create a culture built on collaboration, accountability, and high standards.
• Drive effective ways of working across briefs, delivery, and internal team processes.

Operational Excellence & Delivery

• Oversee the delivery of complex, integrated campaigns and partnership programs from start to finish.
• Ensure projects are completed on schedule, within scope, and to a high standard.
• Keep strong controls in place for governance, workflow, and quality assurance.
• Identify and resolve risks or issues quickly across client accounts.

Commercial Accountability

• Take ownership of the commercial performance of sports and automotive accounts, with a focus on profitability and long-term growth.
• Create and manage annual budgets, forecasts, and revenue plans.
• Direct resource planning to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
• Make sure all work stays within agreed commercial terms and client commitments.

What You’ll Bring

• At least 8 years of experience in client leadership within an agency environment, with work spanning integrated marketing, sponsorship, experiential, or brand campaigns.
• Proven ability to manage major client portfolios, ideally in sports, partnerships, automotive, or premium consumer categories.
• Strong strategic capability, with the skill to convert client objectives into commercially successful marketing and partnership solutions.
• Excellent client relationship management skills, including experience building trust with senior stakeholders and executive decision-makers.
• Demonstrated success in leading complex integrated campaigns from strategy through delivery while maintaining quality and client satisfaction.
• Strong commercial judgement, including budget control, forecasting, profitability management, and identification of account growth opportunities.
• Confidence in leading presentations, strategic workshops, and senior-level client discussions with credibility and influence.
• Experience mentoring and developing high-performing client service teams while encouraging collaboration, accountability, and development.
• Strong organisational ability, a practical problem-solving mindset, and comfort managing multiple priorities in a fast-moving environment.

What We Offer

• Flexible working in a hybrid environment.
• A supportive culture that values collaboration and personal development.
• Access to a truly integrated agency network spanning research, data, insights, creative, digital, experiential, reputation management, content production, performance, and earned media.
• The chance to lead fully integrated campaigns and broaden your experience across the marketing and communications landscape.
• Team activities throughout the year, coordinated by the dedicated “Captains of Joy.”
• Opportunities to connect with senior business leaders through the Bastion mentor program.