Think Traffic is looking for an experienced Group Account Director to help service and oversee some of our west coast clients.
The coach of your assigned teams, you can deliver the inspiration that they need to go above-and beyond as skillfully as you can deliver the kick-in-the-pants that they need when they are running amuck. Your teams know what the expectations are and you hold them fully accountable for owning their success, as well as their failures. You maintain client relationships at the highest level, so that you are on the pulse of what the client is thinking and needing. You ask all the right questions—and accurately bring back to the agency all of the critical information that we need to stay ahead of the curve. With you, there are never surprises. You are a master at making sure the client knows and appreciates everything we are doing on their behalf—so you are in a good position when you need to fight for agency profit margins. The master multi-tasker, you keep a well-oiled machine running—while constantly looking for new fuel for the tank. Your team trusts in you and your clients know you are working hard on their behalf. You are smart, proactive, and your energy and tenacity spills out into the hallways.
Primary Responsibilities
- Serve as a trusted advisor, alternately driving strategic and tactical thinking for technical, business, and operational initiatives across client organization
- Drive thought leadership within both client organizations and the agency, and present examples of innovation, programs and trends to inspire the internal team and clients
- Responsible for account stability and growth
- Most visible client contact
- Establishes and builds strong personal and working relationships with designated client contacts and makes certain the agency maintains a “web” of contact throughout each organization
- Responsible for ongoing management, service, and profitability for assigned accounts and/or programs
- Most skillfully interacts and manages different personalities and skill sets
- Anticipates potential relationship or expectation issues, and advises the CEO and manager in time for the agency to act proactively
- Demonstrates a clear, comfortable, persuasive presentation style for both formal and informal settings
- Takes ownership of all account duties including but not limited to: status reports, meeting recaps and notes, meeting agendas, presentation and deck building, and billing & reconciliations
- Proactively manages all facets of the business on assigned accounts from budgets, to media plans, to social media and digital initiatives
- Tracks, reports and provides client with ROI on all initiatives managed by the agency so as to strengthen perceived value of agency contributions
- Processes assigned work requests in efficient, timely manner
- Proactively plans/hosts client entertainment and team building events
- Attends monthly/quarterly in person client meetings and when requested; available to travel as required
Client Accountability
- Maintains each client’s respect and confidence as a trusted advisor and confidant offering an eager and open ear, sound judgment, proven business acumen and a range of relevant approaches to various issues and opportunities
- Demonstrates a thorough understanding of the client’s business and industry, becoming the “subject matter expert”, and lead the Account Team(s) in understanding/knowing this information
- Provide strategic planning and direction on assigned account(s), and develop/present appropriate POVs to the client(s) as required to keep agency top-of-mind to client(s)
- Performs a leadership role in preparing and conducting casino competitive reports and client strategic sessions
- Writes effective marketing plans, creative briefs, work orders and reports
- Leads development and oversees implementation of an annual Client development plan
- Coordinates Plans Board meeting, as appropriate
Internal Perspective
- Remains in touch with the agency’s “day-to-day” business on behalf of clients – knowledgeable and conversant in their key issues, competitive situation, industry trends and the projects assigned the agency as well as other communication partners.
- Demonstrates a willingness and ability to lead the positive, spirited debate of ideas and points-of-view in order to push “your team” and the agency at large to deliver a continuously improving product, both counsel and creative.
- Communicates effectively and proactively with department heads regarding performance issues and opportunities for improvement.
- Rigorously edits staff communications and presentation documents so that they are clear, concise and error free.
Financial Management
- Proactively initiates discussion, and addresses any anticipated variance from, annual revenue goals
- Establishes annual billing and revenue goals for each client, tracking progress on a quarterly basis
- Identify specific opportunities for growth within existing client organizations.
- Develops and employs selling skills to explore these growth opportunities.
- Develop, present and negotiate annual agency fees/budgets
- Is a model for stewardship of our clients’ and the agency’s money – avoiding unnecessary expenditures, acting to minimize errors, and negotiating required costs
- Ensure clients’ perception that agency consistently provides value-added services
- Supervise and approve the development and administration of clients’ budgets
- Ensure/review the accurate and timely preparation of production, media, digital, and other budgets/estimates for approval
- Monitor and evaluate all costs from within internal agency teams and outside vendors
Innovation/Learning
- Displays marketing curiosity and a willingness to push your own thinking and the agency’s work in new directions
- Effective use and expansion of Workamajig reporting knowledge base.
Requirements
- 5+ years of agency or allied communications industry experience that provides an understanding of advertising, marketing, media, creative, production, public relations, research, social, digital, agency finance, etc.
- 5+ years experience within the marketing industry, including agency experience in casino gaming, retail, activation, consumer packaged goods, franchise marketing, and/or food & beverage.
- Casino gaming marketing experience a must.
- A conceptual understanding of marketing, branding, strategy and planning are required.
- Bachelor’s Degree
- Willing to regularly travel to west coast clients as needed including Las Vegas, Portland, and Seattle
- Self-starter and self-motivated, with the ability to provide solutions without supervision
- Ability to work under pressure, meet deadlines, and handle multiple projects simultaneously
- Enthusiastic with excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Mac literate (Word, Excel, Outlook, Keynote)
- Thrives in a collaborative, fast-paced environment
- Organized, has attention to detail and able to multi-task
- Experience in client facing roles
- Facebook/Instagram/Twitter expertise required
- Strong leadership capabilities
- Proven ability to educate, train, and persuade
Send resume and cover letter to