Group Account Director

Overview

The Group Account Director role is the brand champion. You will provide strategic input, tactical planning and direction on multiple or large-scale assigned accounts. In this role, you will have direct management responsibilities and will supervise junior account staff to implement plans in a timely, effective, and profitable manner. You will also build and maintain positive and lasting client relationships with multiple clients; and will ensure high quality agency output. 

Key Responsibilities

Agency Operations

• Drive the process and develop tactical plans like forecasting budgets
• Thorough knowledge of contract and its implications
• Make sound decisions regarding hours dedicated to jobs and what to prioritize
• Comprehensive knowledge of all basic financial tools necessary for account management to contribute to the revenue and forecasts of the brand
• Solve potential problems by using experience and judgement to avoid issues with the clients or with the operations
• Moderate client conflicts and influence management decisions
• Take on wider, informal leadership responsibilities within the agency
• Exhibit solid judgement and strong leadership internally and externally
• Lead a team and provide clear direction and feedback to junior account staff
  
  

Strategy

• Demonstrate a detailed understanding of clients’ marketing, brand, and customer acquisition goals
• Identify key issues while still driving the process and details
• Address strategic marketing issues and propose viable solutions
• Communicate a clear and expert point of view as a marketing partner to clients
• High-level analysis of category, research, and competitive data
• Analyze and extract findings from all available marketing data
• Active in strategic development
• Demonstrate a passion for the brand

Tactics and Execution

• Develop marketing / brand platform briefs and own the agency process
• Show resourcefulness and thoroughness in developing tactical plans, including budgets and timelines
• Supervise and effectively manage the production of client-approved marketing tools
• Collaborate on creative brief development
• Communicate key client issues and initiatives to the team accurately and in a timely manner
• Demonstrate the ability to think creatively and strategically
• Devise (with Media Dept) and pitch new schedules to grow clients’ business & their media investment
  
  

Client Relationship

• Build trusting and strategic relationships with client counterparts (which is integral to the account) and offer added value
• Frequent, positive client contact with key clients
• Ensure everyone - client, account team, and other internal departments - are focused on brand strategy and positioning
• Understand, communicate, and advocate the agency’s point-of-view as the Agency Champion
• Ensure client is kept apprised of all account activity, especially delivering written reports accurately and quickly
• Present complex data or messages in a clear, succinct, compelling manner to clients
• Lead in ensuring timely, accurate client documentation & correspondence 
  
  

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required
• 11-14 years of experience in advertising, including 7+ years of supervisory experience required
• Hands-on, “roll up your sleeves,” action-oriented approach and comfort in leading a multidisciplinary team
• Significant experience in direct (response) marketing or performance marketing
• Deep experience in linear and digital audio and video channels
• Must be digitally fluent with an understanding of the complex and fragmented media landscape
• Ability to identify appropriate media opportunities, sell plans, and grow billings
• In-depth understanding of integrated agency offerings to identify and utilize all available capabilities to produce exceptional client results
• Expertise with industry tools like MRI, Kantar, Telmar, Nielsen, Comcast, Excel, MediaOcean, Comscore, Pathmatics, etc.