Freelance Account Director

FREELANCE ACCOUNT DIRECTOR

Hello! We’re looking for someone to run air traffic control. Someone who can monitor the comings and goings of the agency and our clients. A person who has almost all the answers and can quickly find the ones they don’t have. Someone who knows how to fix problems and can keep them from happening. If that sounds like your cup of tea, then let’s [virtually] meet for coffee.

Account Leadership

Is the catalyst to groundbreaking work

Establishes account priorities and communicates effectively to team

Provides strategic leadership and road-map for the business

Ensures quality work from every department

Develops strong, motivated internal teams

Works with finance to ensure his/her account is profitable

Ensures that team members across all departments are involved, informed and working together during the entire strategic and creative development process

Represents agency at development briefings

Provides conflict resolution and solutions during conflicts both internally and externally; can be depended upon to maintain composure in turbulent waters

Has a point of view: can articulate it and defend it

Publishes written agency points-of-view regularly – monthly, quarterly

Client Relationship Management

Works with client and executive management to develop the client contract and Statement of Work

Responsible for managing to client annual and quarterly budgets

Works well with clients at every level of a client organization and can hold strategic discussion with the senior most clients

Sets very clear metrics for success with client partners

Has a strategic point of view and can articulate and defend it

Knows clients business/industry completely from a strategic and competitive standpoint; knows business inside and outIs the central figure to client in building their business: recommending and delivering integrated communications solutions

Listens to client; confirms understanding of what is said, and accurately communicates back to client what those needs are, in both oral and written form

Organically continues to provide client with ideas to grow and develop business

Develops supporting evidence for agency POVs and recommendations

Internal Relationship / Management

Is respected by all agency departments, inspires and encourages innovative thinking and solutions

Fosters great teamwork and encourages open, ongoing communication

Actively participates in internal management/training of agency personnel

Provides leadership for the internal agency groups: fosters creative atmosphere

Gives on-going feedback to group

Champions the account within the agency

Supervises efforts of direct reports

Supervisory

Motivates the team; mentors and promotes career development and growth

Ensures that Account Group members are challenged and developing their skills

Demonstrates and teaches junior team members how to think strategically

Holds regular cross functional team meetings to ensure everyone understands the current priorities on the business 

Partners & Key Relationships

Account Strategist - Partners with the strategist to ensure the strategic course for the brand is set and monitored for success

Creative development (ECD, ACD) - Partners with creative teams to ensure work is strategic and meets client’s needs

Media (Media Director, AMD, Media Supervisor) - Partners with media team to develop appropriate media strategies

Finance - Partners with finance to foster a healthy financial relationship for both client and agency

Requirements

Minimum of 8-10 years experience managing multiple accounts at an advertising agency or similar

Strong knowledge of the creative, production and media planning process to help navigate and educate clients

Excellent ability of setting and managing expectations

Ability to evaluate work with a strategic lens, providing clear, strategically grounded feedback and suggestions to internal teams 

Our first preference is someone local and based in the bay area that can work from our office. You must be on the West Coast. Other States we can work with outside of CA are OR and WA.

Thanks!