Account Director
We’re looking for a seasoned Account Director to lead the day-to-day relationships and operations for a range of retainer and project-only Clients; holding accountability for the quality of the work, excellence of the client experience and business potential.
The ideal person for this role is focused and highly motivated, unafraid to take the lead on high profile programs and partner influentially with Stept leadership and clients at senior levels.
We need a self-starter with deep agency experience who can field diverse briefs and drive the work, relationships and teams forward. They are comfortable leading the development of smart, strategic presentations and know how to design and direct the process and work required to get a range of end deliverables. This person is highly organized and articulate and understands expected standards across processes, finished work products all the way to the most junior of tasks and deliverables.
Autonomously lead workstreams of all shapes and sizes, building trusted relationships with clients and consistently providing quality experience and on time, on brief deliverables.
Develop and continually nurture authentic, long-term relationships with director and mid-level leaders within the client organization
Contribute knowledge of brand building and advise clients credibly; command understanding of their business, key issues, competitive situation, industry trends, and the projects assigned to Stept as well as other communication partners
Manage meeting success, possess superior scope/budget stewardship, time management, organization, and prioritization skills
Reinforce consistency of process, product and excellence
Effectively balance the dual expectations of client business goals and studio business goals; challenge clients to accept our best ideas and then sell them well
Skillfully navigate relationships with creative leaders, support the creation of quality products and influence successful outcomes as a team
Develop broader Client relationships and partnerships.
Demonstrate initiative and imagination in maximizing the current and future potential business with respective clients, identifying and building an ongoing pipeline of opportunities that convert organic growth
Anticipate and address potential client relationship or revenue issues, advising leadership to secure support when needed.
Manage Jr Account Management team day-to-day
Reinforce a culture of strategic selling and ‘scope creation’ inside the account team and serve as an example to the whole company on how to think in that way
Support implementation and reinforce adoption of Account Management and Creative processes and tools such as quarterly scope and business reporting, briefing templates, workflow best practices etc.
Serve as an example of how Account Management partners with other disciplines such as Finance, Creative, Production + Post
Provide ‘client hat’ feedback on key initiatives, presentations, and work output
Remove roadblocks through creative problem solving and acute decision-making skills that keep project teams motivated to ensure best possible results
Be a clear communicator on the team and capable of teaching the internal agency team to be more persuasive writers and presenters
8+ years of experience in account or brand management, at least partly inside a creative agency.
Existing experience as Director managing senior clients at large organizations, and leading workstreams autonomously is a plus.
Good taste in creative and confident in strategy. Able to enforce standards and lift the quality of an agency proposal
Highly organized, strong attention to detail
Ability to stay calm under pressure, and lead teams in a generously collaborative, inclusive culture.
Have a love for Production and the making end of the campaign development process.
Want to still get your hands dirty, have daily influence and feel ownership over bringing the best creative visions to life.
Willing to be flexible in their working hours given the spread of time zones in the client and agency group across PST, EST and CET
Salary Range $130 - 160,000
Unlimited PTO
Flexible Hybrid Working; 3 days a week in office
10 Paid Public Holidays + Annual Winter Holiday Office Closure
Medical, Dental, Vision & Life Insurance
Company 401(k)
Tech Reimbursement
Please send cover letter and resume to jobs@steptstudios.com
SUBJECT: ACCT DIR ROLE
Stept is committed to a diverse and inclusive environment and encourages all candidates to apply.