Account Director (Denver)

Motive is a dynamic agency and creative collective operating at the speed of culture. We're a collective of deep thinkers, creative makers, cultural connoisseurs, and executional aces. We create meaningful engagements between brands and their audiences, cultivating relationships that drive tangible results for our clients. And we do it with sharp strategy and powerful creative executed across all the media and touch-points key to our targets' lives.

As pioneers in the area of content, digital engagement, and innovative experiential programs, and award winners for work in TV, event, digital and social, Motive has created a culture where every individual is given an opportunity to stretch and flex their creative and executional muscles daily. We are a team of hard-working, fast-moving, energetic, passionate, driven, straight-talking creative thinkers. We like being challenged and we love the collaboration necessary to overcome the challenges and succeed.

If this sounds like a place you would thrive, let's see if we can make something happen.

ACCOUNT DIRECTOR

Location: Denver


We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Account Director to serve as the senior point of contact for a client in a highly regulated industry (tobacco/nicotine). As an Account Director at Motive, you are the senior steward of your clients' business and a key driver of agency success. You are responsible for the management, growth, and overall health of client relationships-balancing strategic leadership, team oversight, and operational excellence.

You serve as the consistent connective force between clients, creative teams, strategy, and production, ensuring that work is insight-led, high-impact, and executed to the highest standard. In this role, you are expected to lead both the what and the how: shaping the direction of your
accounts while developing and mentoring the team that makes the work happen.

Your Core Responsibilities

• Client Leadership, Business Growth, & Compliance
  • Act as a senior strategic partner for clients, guiding marketing strategy and campaign development.
  • Build strong, trust-based relationships with senior client stakeholders.
  • Identify and lead organic growth opportunities within accounts, helping to expand Motive's footprint.
  • Regularly assess account health and collaborate with agency leadership to evolve the partnership.
  • Ensures all projects, products, marketing, and communications strictly adhere to the specific creative requirements and restrictions of the nicotine industry. This includes navigating regulations around product marketing, age verification, and health warnings.
• Strategic & Creative Direction
  • Translate client goals and briefs into actionable strategic and creative
    workstreams.
  • Collaborate closely with Strategy to ensure creative briefs are focused, insight-driven, and aligned with broader business objectives.
  • Champion outstanding creative work, tying ideas back to strategy while advocating for originality, innovation, and impact.
• Integrated Project Oversight
  • Oversee and support execution across a range of deliverables: shopper, experiential, promotions, partnerships and other channels as applicable.
  • Lead planning and scoping for projects-developing timelines, budgets, teams, and operational plans in partnership with production and project management.
  • Ensure quality control and accountability throughout all phases of work, from briefing to final delivery.
  • Navigate and manage program changes with internal and external stakeholders, ensuring positive solution-oriented outcomes supporting program, client, and agency success.
• Team Leadership & Development
  • Provide consistency and clarity for your team; delegating appropriately and creating opportunities for them to step up and tackle new challenges.
  • Lead and mentor an integrated account team, including AADs, Account Supervisors, and junior staff.
  • Foster a collaborative, high-performance culture that values curiosity, integrity, and results.
  • Provide feedback, coaching, and support to ensure continued professional growth of team members.
• Financial Stewardship
  • Owns independent brand-level financial leadership, ensuring accuracy, profitability, and fiscal responsibility across accounts.
  • Monitors team utilization, billability, and profitability metrics, adjusting as needed to maintain healthy business performance.
  • Leads organic growth stewardship by cultivating deeper partnerships with clients and uncovering opportunities beyond current scopes.
  • Develops projection schedules grounded in business realities and proactively communicates them to leadership.
  • Builds relationships with senior client stakeholders (beyond project-specific teams) to identify long-term growth opportunities.
• Agency Collaboration & Contribution
  • Work cross-functionally with internal departments and external agency partners (IAT) to drive fully integrated campaigns.
  • Help shape agency thinking and pitch strategy; participate in new business and innovation efforts.
  • Actively contribute to internal culture, workflow optimization, and agency-wide learning.

Success in This Role Looks Like

• Consistency in performance, proactivity in communications (both up and down).
• Your client relationships are strong, stable, and growing.
• You're viewed as a strategic partner-able to elevate the conversation and anticipate needs.
• Projects under your leadership are on track, well-scoped, and delivering strong creative outcomes.
• Your team feels supported, challenged, and empowered to do their best work.
• You're helping shape the future of the business-not just managing it.
• You help teams navigate change with confidence, clarity, and empathy.

Experience & Skills for the Role

• 10+ years prior experience in account management, often at a marketing or advertising agency, with specific experience in tobacco highly preferred.
• Deep understanding of nicotine industry trends, products, and the evolving regulatory environment to inform business strategies.
• Proven success leading large, multifaceted accounts with traditional, digital, social, content, shopper/retail, and experiential components.
• Demonstrated ability to grow client relationships and identify new opportunities.
• Strong leadership skills, with experience managing and developing cross-functional teams.
• Exceptional communication, presentation, and relationship-building abilities.Political acumen and a strong understanding of state and local regulatory dynamics are also highly valued.
• Strong budget, timeline, and resource management skills.
• A proactive, collaborative, and resilient approach to leadership.
• A positive attitude and a drive to produce the best work of your career-and help others do the same.

Motive is an equal opportunity employer ! We believe that a diverse team makes us stronger and smarter.

Motive recruits, employs, trains, compensates and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, veteran status, and other protected status as required by applicable law. We offer an inspiring working environment and great benefits, including health, dental, vision, matching 401-k, unlimited flex time off, and more. The starting salary for this position is between $120,000 and $145,000 annually, based on experience.

Motive has a clear vision: to be a creative leader where a diverse mix of talented people want to come, to stay and do their best work. We know our company succeeds only through the hard work and dedication of our passionate and creative employees.