Account manager vacancy at Candour (fixed term contract, Norwich/hybrid)

We are looking for an Account Manager to lead trusted, commercially focused partnerships with a portfolio of Candour clients. This role is a fixed-term 18 month contract.

This is not a role centred on simply passing messages between clients and delivery teams. You will take the time to understand the business behind the brief: how a client makes money, what matters to their customers, the priorities their stakeholders are managing and what their team can realistically implement.

You will use that context to bring together the right Candour specialists across search, content, digital PR, design and development. You will help turn detailed expertise into clear, practical recommendations and a joined-up plan that supports genuine business goals. 

We are looking for someone who is confident leading client conversations, commercially aware, highly organised and genuinely curious about how different businesses work. You will be comfortable balancing strategic thinking with the day-to-day detail needed to keep work moving, clients informed and projects delivered well.

Before you start reading the job description below, let us give you the ‘elevator pitch’ for Candour: We founded the studio on a 'quality of life' principle. 

We’re proud to be Great Place To Work Certified™, an independent recognition based on employee feedback about what it is like to work here.

That means you’ll be treated like an adult. We're flexible with working times, arrangements and give you our trust and support. That is yours to maintain.

We strongly encourage all team members to finish when their day finishes. While working extra hours is sometimes necessary, you'll get paid for it, and it is not the norm.

There is no mindless pursuit of 'growth'; we focus on providing the best outcomes for our clients through brilliant work. We don't put team members in difficult situations by signing deals we know aren’t right. We want to work with clients with realistic expectations and budgets and with whom we can develop sustainable, long-term relationships.

Every single person at Candour gets a direct profit share at the end of their six-month probation. No fine print, no special clauses; we do well, you do well.

We want to 'do good'. Every year we dedicate some of our resources to helping a charity. Recently, we have supported Break, Brave Futures; this year, we are happy to be working with Leeway, a specialist domestic abuse charity that has been supporting people across Norfolk and Suffolk for over 40 years.

• Taking ownership of client relationships acting as a reliable point of contact and trusted partner.

• Develop a strong understanding of each client’s business, customers, industry, commercial priorities, internal processes and practical constraints.

• Lead regular client calls, review meetings and planning sessions, ensuring conversations are clear, well prepared and focused on useful outcomes.

• Represent client priorities, commercial goals and stakeholder realities within Candour, ensuring the work remains relevant and connected to the bigger picture.

• Work closely with the Strategy Director, Head of Search and specialist teams to shape clear, prioritised strategies and roadmaps.

• Coordinate the right people across SEO, content, digital PR, design and development to deliver joined-up work and a strong client experience.

• Keep clients close to campaign and project progress through clear updates, straightforward reporting and useful explanations of what is happening, why it matters and what comes next.

• Help clients understand the relationship between foundational work, early search signals and longer-term commercial outcomes.

• Plan and manage retainer hours effectively, ensuring time is directed towards agreed priorities, KPIs and business objectives.

• Write, schedule and manage clear briefs with support from the relevant specialist teams, setting workflows, expectations and intended outcomes.

• Identify opportunities to strengthen results and develop accounts, proactively bringing new ideas, insight and recommendations to clients.

• Forecast and track key account metrics, including performance, retainer usage, delivery, budget and commercial opportunities.

• Manage campaign costs, project budgets and client invoicing accurately and proactively.

• Raise risks, dependencies, changes in scope and delivery issues early, working with clients and internal teams to find practical solutions.

• Identify recurring service-delivery issues and contribute to improved processes that prevent them from happening again.

• Work with the leadership team to support networking activity and strengthen Candour’s industry presence.

We are looking for an Account Manager who can build confidence with clients while bringing structure, commercial awareness and sound judgement to a busy agency environment.

• Two years + experience managing client relationships in an agency, consultancy, client-services or account-management environment.

• A working knowledge of digital marketing, ideally including SEO, content, digital PR, PPC, web, design or development.

• Experience managing multiple client accounts, priorities, deadlines and stakeholders at the same time.

• Experience planning and scheduling retainer work, with an understanding of scope, budget, delivery capacity and client expectations.

• Strong commercial awareness, including confidence discussing budgets, campaign costs, time allocation, invoicing and account-growth opportunities.

• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to make complex information clear, relevant and engaging.

• Confidence leading meetings, presenting recommendations and facilitating productive conversations with clients and internal teams.

• The ability to build strong, long-term relationships through honesty, reliability, active listening and follow-through.

• A proactive approach to identifying opportunities, solving problems and improving the way work is delivered.

• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail, particularly when managing briefs, reporting, actions, budgets and client communications.

• The confidence to offer respectful challenge when a request, priority or approach is unlikely to deliver the intended outcome.

• Curiosity about how clients’ businesses work, not just how their marketing activity performs.

• A collaborative approach and enjoyment of working closely with specialists from different disciplines.

• The ability to use your initiative and take ownership, while knowing when to bring in the right people for support or specialist input.

• A Great Place To Work Certified™ agency, with a culture shaped by employee feedback and our quality-of-life principle

• £35,000–39,000 annual salary 

• A direct profit share scheme (after a successful six-month probation period)

• Private health care (after a successful six-month probation period)

• Opportunities for public speaking (paid time to prepare and deliver your talks)

• Hybrid working: We believe your job should fit around your life

• 35-day holiday allowance, inclusive of bank and public holidays (reserve of five days for Christmas and New Year shutdown)

• A range of parental leave and benefits policies, including maternity, paternity, adoption, IVF and Neonatal

• Supportive and inclusive policies including menopause, transgender equality and equal opportunities in addition to team member handbooks

• Sickness pay beyond statutory benefits and increasing with time at the company

• Annual training budget: We’ll help you develop professionally

• Development opportunities at events such as BrightonSEO and SearchNorwich

• Open-plan dog-friendly office including a starter pack of four office dogs

• Fantastic clients across a range of industries

• A great team of designers, developers and other marketers to work with and learn from