Senior Account Manager

The discipline of Account Management exists to create an environment for great work to thrive. Account Management sets the tone, pace and ways of working. Account people have to weigh and balance client needs with agency ambitions to determine the vision, and then make sure everyone is clear on that vision and how to get there. Despite the title, Account Management doesn’t manage accounts; they ultimately drive businesses.

The Senior Account Manager is a key day-to-day driver of the work, the team and the client relationship. They confidently lead projects from brief through to delivery, bringing together the right people and creating the conditions for brilliant work to happen. They are a trusted partner to day-to-day clients, with a strong understanding of their business and an increasingly confident point of view on both strategy and creative.

They know the detail, but can see beyond it - anticipating what’s coming, solving problems before they become problems and knowing when to bring in senior support.

They are beginning to lead beyond individual projects: supporting and developing more junior members of the team, contributing to the commercial health of the account and helping the Account Director create the tone, pace and ambition for the business.

Essential Functions- Own and lead projects from brief through to delivery, confidently managing the client, internal team, process, timings and budget. - Be a trusted day-to-day partner to clients, developing strong relationships and a genuine understanding of their business, ambitions and challenges. - Anticipate what clients and teams need, proactively solving problems and keeping everyone one step ahead. - Bring a strong, informed point of view to strategy and creative work, helping to evaluate, champion and protect great ideas. - Create clarity for the team - ensuring briefs, objectives, responsibilities, timings and expectations are understood by everyone. - Take increasing ownership of larger and more complex projects and productions, knowing when to lead independently and when senior input is needed. - Work closely with Strategy, Creative, Production and other disciplines to get to the strongest possible work and ensure it is delivered to the highest standard. - Confidently navigate different opinions internally and externally, helping the team find a clear path forward. - Understand the broader context of the client’s business, competitive landscape and category, bringing relevant insight back into the agency. - Support and develop more junior members of the Account Management team, providing clear direction, feedback and opportunities to grow. - Understand how the account makes money and take responsibility for the financial health of projects, including budgets, estimates, scopes and tracking. - Work with the Account Director to identify efficiencies, resourcing needs and opportunities for organic growth. - Understand when and how the Account Director needs to be involved, escalating issues with clear context, considered solutions and a recommendation. - Maintain impeccable attention to detail while increasingly being able to step back and see the bigger picture. - Help create an environment where the team feels supported, ambitious and brave about the work. Qualifications- Experience gained in an advertising agency or creative company. - Exceptional written and verbal communication skills - High attention to detail - Strong time-management and organizational skills - Strong client-service orientation and proactivity - Flexible to evolving responsibilities and last-minute changes - Influential and effective leadership skills - Ability to thrive in a fast-paced and high-pressure environment