Account Director

Account DirectorPurpose Think about all the things you're exposed to on a daily basis, but don't really notice. We live in a world full of invisible impressions. Adding to a sea of sameness where others have deeper pockets and hoping for anything but the expected outcome is silly. We can't simply rely on reaching the right people in the right places at the right times. We need them to engage with our messaging and ultimately share it in some way. That's what our team of analytically minded, creative media thinkers work passionately to accomplish on a daily basis for our clients by managing a book of business across multiple clients, while mentoring teams to deliver business-driving client work.ResponsibilitiesEssential SkillsBuild on each skill learned so that you can transfer learnings across interrelated tasksHelp to enforce an organized approach for your team to be able to complete all assignments effectively and on timeFoster an environment conducive to collaboration and accountabilityArrive on time and actively tune into presentations, meetings, training, etc.Stay abreast of industry trends, emerging technologies, and new media platformsIdentify areas where you can start to lean up and gain new skills that will help you in your career progressionManagement and LeadershipEnsure all team members and yourself have a firm understanding of all agency processes and work with other directors to continuously improve on processes based on the needs of the businessEnsure that your team is set up to be able to deliver high-quality work and consistently drive exceptional results for clientsSeek out and identify new systems and processes to ensure that department resources are easily accessible and top-of-mind for future useWork with other directors to maintain organizational structure for the S&S team to ensure appropriate staffing levelsAttract, recruit, evaluate, and retain exceptional talent across the teamGuide the development of junior team members (identifying strengths and weaknesses), leading training and onboarding programs, and helping Group Media Directors in developing curriculums to do soProvide principles and frameworks to guide Media Supervisors and Media Planners to organize the day-to-day management of client workloadProvide strategic guidance for Associate Media Directors who manage client relationships and internal teamsProactively identify and support your team with campaign operations and strategic thinking as needed (client/agency/media)Develop an environment that fosters collaboration by capitalizing on the different learning, working, and communication styles of your team membersFacilitate relationships with your peers in different departmentsContribute to developing agency and media department initiativesIdentify opportunities to merchandise the department's efforts both internally and externally to raise the group's profileContribute strategic media thinking for new business-related needs and participate in pitches, as neededClient Relationship ManagementConsistently lead your client(s), demonstrating a two-way partnership that is built on both an intrinsic understanding of business goals and established personal connections, guiding junior leaders on your team to lean into this mentalityMotivate and provide ongoing feedback to the Associate Media Director and Media Supervisor to continually think outside the box and find new ways to build an action plan based on vague or ambiguous requests.Have a deep understanding of your client's business, including overall business goals, industry/category insights, financial performance of the company, etc.Monitor all internal priorities for client work on a day-to-day basis and help the team stay on top of addressing those priorities.Regularly engage with senior clients to understand their ongoing business goals, challenges, and marketing needs.Look for new ways to expand our working relationship with clients to take advantage of the agency's full capabilities, showcasing the value we bring.Aim to visit each client in-person twice per yearConsistently present to clients, leaders in the department, and the agency, seeking out ways to highlight the team's work.Guide the team through executing a QBR process that demonstrates how our media strategy and execution are making an impact on each client's businessProvide guidance on any client requests, presentations, reports, and other outputs of workEnsure team is adequately prepared to service client business through proper organization (i.e. Internal Status, To Do Lists) and streamlined communication (i.e. Email, Slack)Be accountable for the financial health of the media P&L for each clientLead the development of the Annual Media Scope for your clientsServe on the Business Leadership Team (BLT) in conjunction with Account, Strategy, and Creative partnersPlan Development and ExecutionOversee and provide guidance on the media team's communication with all media partnersDisplay a mastery of media fundamentals, including experience and interest across traditional and digital, and work to maintain that mastery as the media landscape evolvesProvide media team with client perspectives, insights, goals and strategies and how those translate to the media plan KPIsDemonstrate proficiency with industry planning tools to identify and evaluate media opportunities, assess the competitive landscape, pull plan deliveries, and manage media buysStrategically guide the development of media plan recommendations that deliver on the client's business goals and objectives and be accountable for the plan's execution and resultsEnsure the team accurately tracks media budgets and expenditures and processes all client and partner invoices and reconciles on a monthly basisAnticipate client reporting needs and provide guidance on digital reporting, including the insights, presentation, and storyEnsure the team is implementing all ad ops processes accuratelyProvide guidance to the team on tagging and analytics, as neededCompetenciesYou are goal-oriented. You know exactly what you want. You're a habitual setter of specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound goals. And you hold yourself accountable.You are insatiably curious. You're thirsty for knowledge. You want to know why things are the way they are. You regularly ask "what if?" You're always looking for a better way. And you can't wait to find out what the next trait is.You are a task master. You make lists for everything that needs to be done and methodically prioritize and reprioritize to make sure that it all gets done in a timely manner.You are detail-oriented. In a client service business, especially one where you manage lots of money, it pays to have an eagle eye. You proofread your work several times over to ensure that it flows content-wise, is error-free and ready to send onward.You make things happen. You regularly put forth new ways, placements, trends and technologies to bring ideas to life in fresh, unexpected ways. You don't take "no" for an answer from your media partners.You are an overachiever. You always do things better than people expect them to be done. That's just the standard you've set for yourself.You live and breathe digital. You're not just familiar with digital media channels, you personally use them, teach others about them and are always In The Know when it comes to the latest updates.You always have a POV. You methodically break situations down to frame the real challenge, unearth meaningful insights and piece together well-thought-out recommendations. Thinking analytically is what earns you a seat at the table.You are an exceptional storyteller. You appreciate simplicity and brevity. You leverage relevant insights and/or points of tension to pique interest in, and get buy in for, your recommendations.You are invaluable to your clients. They trust you. They rely on you and your team to arm them with the information and analysis they need to be successful. They appreciate that you make their lives easier by proactively servicing their business and adding value to every interaction.