Account Director

Role:

The Account Director is the face and leader to our clients and internal teams. They partner with creative and strategy teams to provide brand consultation, perspective, and recommendations to clients. The Senior Account Director is responsible for managing and developing meaningful senior level client relationships at a director level and above, fiscal management for assigned business, training, mentoring, and motivating team members, and seeking out opportunities with new business while growing existing accounts.

Core Expectations:

As an ambassador for MARKS externally and internally, you are expected to:

• Always conduct yourself with professionalism
• Represent and project the values of MARKS
• Be able to articulate what MARKS does and our competitive points of difference
• Seek opportunities to position the organization for competitive advantage

As a senior leader of MARKS, you are expected to:

• Fully and independently own your responsibilities and deliverables
• Inform decisions to protect and serve the best interest of the organization
• Manage the delicate balance of delivering outstanding work, ensuring profitability, fostering client satisfaction, and maintaining a motivated team.
• Have a strong understanding of MARKS services, products, processes, and protocol and continue to learn
• Be able to articulate MARKS services, products, processes, and protocol as related to your department

• Regularly communicate with your team(s) and management
• Foster internal collaboration by actively engaging with cross-functional teams, encouraging seamless communication, and promoting a collaborative work environment.
• Lead by example; be a role model

As a people manager of MARKS, you are expected to:

• Motivate and challenge your team to achieve beyond what they think they can do
• Accept responsibility for the actions of those for which you are managing
• Instill trust and confidence in your direct reports, peers, and management

Key Responsibilities:

Client Consultation

• Provides client with distinct point-of-view on marketing, creative strategies, target audience, competitive set, trends, and opportunities for building brand awareness, competitive point of difference, and relevance with target audience.
• Demonstrates consistent ability to diagnose the client problem/challenge and determine how MARKS services match-up to address those needs.
• Develops category analyses and market audits to provide a clear perspective to support creative direction.
• Recommends process/techniques for creative development, research, equity analysis, brand segmentation, asset management and other branding processes as appropriate.

Relationship Building/Maintaining

• Prospers senior client relationships that encourage honest candid discussion, mutual respect, and trust.
• Provides “added value” through the strength of the relationship and personal association – viewed as trusted advisor.
• Obsessively client focused, always looking for ways to surprise and delight clients.

Staff and Team Management

• Provides guidance and mentoring to Client Directors, [Senior] Client Managers and/or Project Coordinators/Managers on branding disciplines, client service methods, protocol, tactics, industry terminology, and process.
• Manages and inspires cross functional teams from initial briefing through implementation to deliver highest standards of excellence in service, strategic consultation, creativity, and professionalism that address client issues/objectives
• Determines “readiness” of work for client presentations with the senior creative and strategy teams.

Financial

• Develops proposals, budgets, and reconciliations for all project activity on assigned accounts.
• Reviews financial performance against approved fee and expense budget.
• Manages project deliverables and requests addendums for out-of-scope work.
• Manages individual financial and margin targets, as specified by the VP Client Services/General Manager/Managing Partners.

Biz Dev Support

• Seeks organic growth of all clients in the portfolio through expansion of MARKS offerings and/or wider and deeper infiltration of client’s business

• Heads up finding new business opportunities with existing/lapse clients.
• Supports Biz Dev in developing case studies and writing proposals.

MARKS Health

• Supports, maintains, and contributes to MARKS protocols and processes.
• Maintains MARKS culture throughout group and company.
• Ensures MARKS “brand” consistency.

Competencies we like:

• Strategic business and brand consultation skills with a fundamental understanding of brand strategy through to content creation delivery
• Flexible and comfortable pivoting from discipline to discipline (packaging, digital, marcom)
• Self-starter that demonstrates initiative and proactivity
• Strong team management and mentoring skills
• Creative and analytical thinker who is detail oriented
• Ability to apply discretion and judgment to actions internally and externally

• Ability to develop client-ready thinking and presentations

• Strong communication skills

• Excellent organizational skills with ability to multi-task and manage priorities and timelines

A few Qualifications that will help:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college
• 8+ years of related experience
• Strong background in senior level client relationship building and team leadership (agency experience a plus)
• Demonstrated ability to present effectively to Senior clients and internal teams
• Proven ability to manage, drive and develop multiple accounts and projects simultaneously.
• Capability to engage in departmental responsibilities that facilitate growth and efficiencies within MARKS

• Ability to work in a fast-paced, collaborative environment
• Has confidence and is a strong team leader
• Demonstrated leadership and growth capabilities

We are committed to ensuring equal opportunity in all aspects of employment, including recruitment. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals, particularly those who may contribute to the further diversification of our organization. If you require any form of accommodation during the recruitment process, please do not hesitate to inform us. Together, we strive to foster an environment where everyone can thrive and be their authentic selves.