Reporting to: Managing Director
Working alongside: Director of Strategy and Media Director and the wider Coast team
Salary: £43,000–£55,000, depending on experience
Hours: 37 hours per week, full time
Location: St Mellion, Cornwall, with hybrid working
Travel: This role involves travel across the South West and wider UK for client meetings,
consultations, events, networking opportunities and stakeholder engagement activities.
Occasional overnight stays will be required.
Overview: Coast Communications is looking for an experienced communications
professional to join us as Client Services Director.
This is a senior, hands on role for someone who enjoys building relationships, identifying
opportunities and helping organisations navigate complex conversations. As a senior
ambassador for Coast, you will lead some of our most important client relationships,
represent Coast externally and play a key role in the future direction of our consultancy.
Working closely within the leadership group, you will help ensure clients receive
exceptional service, identify opportunities for growth and support the continued success of
the business.
If you're equally comfortable advising senior clients, building new relationships and rolling
your sleeves up to get things done, we would love to hear from you.
The role
This role sits at the heart of our senior leadership team. You will focus on leading accounts,
supporting business growth and acting as one of the public faces of the consultancy, while
working with our Director of Strategy and Media Director to ensure every client benefits from
excellent communications consultancy.
Key responsibilities include:
- Leading a portfolio of key and strategic client accounts.
- Acting as a senior point of contact for clients and providing strategic
communications advice and support.
- Building trusted, long-term relationships with clients, stakeholders and partner
organisations.
- Representing Coast and deputising for the Managing Director where required at
client meetings, stakeholder events, public consultations, networking opportunities
and industry forums.
- Travelling across the South West and wider UK to meet clients, stakeholders and
partners face-to-face.
- Identifying opportunities to grow existing accounts and develop new business
relationships.
- Supporting and leading proposals, presentations, bids and pitches.
- Working with colleagues to ensure projects are well planned, commercially sound
and deliver an excellent client experience.
- Chairing meetings, facilitating discussions and maintaining strong relationships across
client teams.
About you
You will be an experienced communications professional who enjoys working closely with
clients, building relationships and helping organisations achieve their goals.
You will be commercially aware, confident working with senior decision makers and
comfortable operating both strategically and practically. Most importantly, you will enjoy
being part of a collaborative team where everyone contributes and supports each other.
You will bring:
- Significant experience in communications, public relations, public affairs, stakeholder
engagement or a related field.
- A strong track record of managing and growing complex or high value client
accounts.
- Excellent relationship management and interpersonal skills.
- Strong presentation, verbal and written communication skills.
- The confidence to provide strategic advice and constructive challenge to senior
clients.
- Commercial awareness and an understanding of agency account management.
- Experience identifying opportunities for account growth and business development.
- The ability to manage competing priorities while maintaining high standards.
- A practical, collaborative and calm approach.
- Experience developing bids, proposals, presentations or pitches.
- A willingness and enthusiasm to travel regularly as part of the role.
Experience within infrastructure, energy, transport, planning, local government or other
regulated sectors would be advantageous, but is not essential.
Essential requirement
A full UK driving licence, access to your own vehicle and a willingness to travel are essential.
The role involves travel throughout the South West and wider UK, including occasional
overnight stays.
About Coast
Coast is a busy communications consultancy based in Cornwall, with colleagues also based
in Devon, Wales, Birmingham and London. We work with public, private and third sector
clients in the South West, and across the UK and Europe.
Engaging with stakeholders is at the heart of what we do, whether it is gaining the support of
influencers such as investors and politicians in one-to-one briefings, or sharing information
and inviting feedback through public consultations.
Our services range from initial campaign conception and planning, to stakeholder
engagement and consultation, media relations including press office function, social media
management, media training and reputation management. Services include strategic
advice and support, critical interventions and risk preparedness strategies, public affairs and
internal/transformation communications.
As a small independent consultancy, we don't have layers of management - everyone
contributes ideas, takes responsibility and plays a part in shaping the business. We value
collaboration, trust and a willingness to get stuck in.
We work with clients locally, nationally and internationally from a range of sectors including
energy, the environment, economy, planning and engineering.
To learn more about us, visit www.coastmarcoms.co.uk
Why join us?
We're a small, ambitious consultancy where people can make a real contribution and see
the impact of their work.
You will work closely with experienced colleagues, develop genuine relationships with clients
and help shape how Coast grows in the years ahead. We trust people to get on with the job,
support each other when needed and bring fresh ideas to the table.
Benefits
- 29 days' annual leave, plus eight bank holidays.
- Auto-enrolment into the NEST pension scheme.
- Sick pay.
- AXA healthcare, including cashback for dental/optical costs, and access to a 24-
hour online GP service.
- Free on-site parking.
- The opportunity to play a key role in an established, independent communications
consultancy working on important and often high-profile projects.
Closing date: 21st August 2026
How to apply
Please send your CV and a covering letter explaining why you would be a strong fit for Coast
and the Client Services Director role to [email protected]
First interviews: w/c 31st August 2026
Second interviews: w/c 7th September 2026
Coast Communications and Marketing Ltd welcomes applications from suitably qualified
candidates from all backgrounds.
Pay: £43,000.00-£55,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Free parking
- On-site parking
- Private dental insurance
- Private medical insurance
- Sick pay
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Saltash PL12 6RQ
