Viola Communications is seeking a strategic leader who has built multi-functional PR practices before and is ready to do it again — at greater scale and with deeper impact. This is a mandate to transform a business unit, not maintain one.
As Executive Director of PR, you will take full P&L ownership of one of the agency's most strategically important practices. You will set the direction, build the team and culture, personally lead senior client relationships, and set the standard for communications excellence across the region. Crucially, Viola is a fully integrated agency — operating across PR, advertising, social, media, events, and experience — and this leader must be as fluent working across those disciplines as they are within their own.
Key Responsibilities:
- Architect and scale a high-performing, multi-functional PR team across consumer, corporate, government, and emerging practice areas.
- Build a culture of ownership, collaboration, and excellence — with clear structures, accountability, and genuine career development.
- Own senior client relationships as a trusted strategic advisor; develop holistic, insight-led communications strategies that address real business challenges.
- Lead high-value pitches with world-class storytelling and presence — and grow accounts through expanded scope and cross-sell.
- Own the P&L with full accountability for revenue, gross profit, utilisation, and margin discipline across all accounts.
- Drive new business development and market expansion through thought leadership, strategic partnerships, and agency positioning.
- Collaborate proactively with advertising, social, media, events, and experience teams — bringing PR thinking into integrated planning and elevating collective client outcomes.
- Embed AI, data intelligence, and next-generation tools into the PR offering to drive measurable impact and operational efficiency.
- Bring cultural intelligence and genuine understanding of the political, governmental, and commercial landscape of the Middle East to every client relationship and programme.
Who you are:
An experienced, ambitious communications leader — energised by the challenge of building something great. You have done this before, you know what good looks like, and you know how to get there.
- A builder: You have built multi-functional PR practices before and are looking for the right platform to do it again at wider scale.
- Full-spectrum practitioner: Real, hands-on experience across consumer, corporate, government, and crisis communications.
- Strategic advisor: You think in systems, not just campaigns — translating client complexity into communications strategy that moves the dial.
- Storyteller & dealmaker: Exceptional narrative instinct and the presence to command a pitch room; your proposals are compelling and impossible to ignore.
Qualifications & Skills:
- 15+ years in PR and communications, with significant senior leadership experience in an agency environment
- Proven track record of building and scaling multi-functional PR teams across practice areas
- Broad sector experience: consumer, corporate, and government/public sector; crisis management a strong advantage
- Full P&L ownership with strong understanding of agency commercial models and profitability drivers
- Exceptional new business and pitch credentials — a natural storyteller who wins in the room
- Experience within integrated agency structures, collaborating across advertising, social, media, events, and experience disciplines
- Deep understanding of the Middle East market; Arabic–English bilingual capability preferred but not essential
At Viola Communications, we pride ourselves on serving clients from diverse backgrounds and with a vast range of experiences. We are dedicated to fostering a team of exceptional individuals who bring unique perspectives created by their different life paths. With representation from over 20 nationalities across our business units, we are an Equal Opportunity Employer that values and cultivates cultural diversity among our employees. We recognize and appreciate the exceptional strengths and experiences that each person brings, and we believe that by embracing differences, we can inspire and generate remarkable ideas collectively. Our commitment to diversity and inclusion not only aligns with our moral compass but also reinforces Viola's strength as a whole.
We appreciate all applications received. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
