This role is accountable for leading the Client Services team alongside the other Directors. You will provide support to the Client Services Director ensuring that business targets are met and pipeline revenue is secured. As Account Director, you must be passionate, inspirational and entrepreneurial, and demonstrate the drive to constantly want to push yourself and the agency, driving Made Thought’s growth. This role will be to lead larger and/or more complex projects, ensuring the best creative solutions across a designated portfolio of clients are achieved in the most efficient, profitable, and imaginable way for the Studio, while managing the relationships on key client accounts, strategically growing new work streams and revenues.

RESPONSIBILITIES 

— Work in partnership with the Design Director to maintain high level client relationships and overview of live projects in the Studio.

— Work closely with the Senior Account Director, Client Services Director and Development Director on managing pipelines ensuring project margins are costed for accurately and help set the strategic growth of accounts across the Studio.

— Responsible for growing accounts and building a strong platform for commercial growth and best-in-class creative work, including growing your own accounts beyond their initial scope, supporting the Client Services team to do the same, proactively making recommendations to support this growth.

— Support Senior Account Director & Management Accountant in managing Income Forecast, you will feel confident in providing solutions and working to targets.

— Be creatively minded and understand how to carefully balance the flexibility required of a business with creativity at its core, alongside the rigour and strong organisational skills which some of our clients can expect.

— Be responsible for nurturing strong partnerships with clients and design leads, managing their expectations accordingly.

— Manage a number of projects in the Studio totalling circa £3-5 million per annum. You will be responsible for the allocation, planning and forecasting of all projects within your portfolio, ensuring they are set up for success from the outset.

— Work alongside the Leadership & Development team, becoming the key client contact and owning that relationship throughout the project and for any on-going opportunities.

— Develop senior client relationships, understanding the client from both a personal and Studio perspective.

— Create and develop a strong relationship with the Design and Creative Directors, to form a collaborative relationship between the two departments.

— Work closely with the Resource Manager to advise on resource and project allocation for the Account Management team and the wider Studio working alongside the Senior Account Director and Development team.

— Organise your team, balancing the project needs and inspiring individuals to create their best output.

— Have awareness of the whole Studio so that you can proactively provide solutions on people requirements for other projects, in support of your Account Management team members. Being able to challenge and finalise solutions with the AM team to present to Senior Account Director and Client Services Director.

— Advise AMs on best practice ways of working to match both internal (colleagues) and external (clients) expectations.

— Consistently look for and contribute towards improved processes and ways of working for the Studio.

— Support the Account Management team in tailoring proposals and processes to suit client needs, whilst always ensuring the needs of Made Thought are put first.

— Be accountable for writing proposals and scoping for larger/super scale projects.

— Working with Development team to ensure all proposals will be able to be completed on time and on budget to a high creative standard.

— Be a strong support for the Senior Account Director & Client Services Director, with the ability to step up and cover some of their responsibilities in their absence, where needed.

— Support the AM team to ensure they track and report on the financial status of projects across accounts against current estimate. You will ensure they proactively highlight potential overruns accurately, acting as the point of escalation, resolving financial issues in time.

— Be accountable for all financial elements of projects, including oversight on the creation of SOW’s created by AMs for clients, costings, and the timing of invoicing, seen as the point of escalation.

— Supporting on project acceptance into the Studio, ensuring all legal documents are signed and files.

— Build, nurture and inspire talent within the Account Management team, acting as the escalation point for the Senior Account Management and be actively seen as the client escalation point for larger clients, having the ability to understand when further escalation to the Snr AD or CSD is required.

— Manage both the day-to-day and longer-term career growth plans of all Account Managers within your team, providing clear and ongoing developmental feedback and support. You will run growth conversations with your team wherever necessary.

— Be accountable for ensuring all team members are meeting the expectations required, working with the Senior Account Director and HR to improve performance where appropriate.

— Help create a positive, collaborative and supportive environment, focused on continual learning.

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

— Exceptional communication skills, writing skills and interpersonal skills.

— Ability to influence at all levels, working seamlessly with others and leading by example.

— Excellent organisational skills

— Demonstrable experience in developing and motivating teams, supporting people to reach their full potential.

— Ability to multi-task and juggle often conflicting priorities, balancing bigger picture thinking alongside closer details and be confident in thinking ahead and prioritising workloads for yourself and the team.

— An understanding of commercial acumen which positively influences decision making.

— Be a strong problem solver who does so with diplomacy & charm and who considers the best outcomes for both client & agency.

— Circa 6-7 years’ experience managing large scale accounts.