IMPORTANT - TAKE NOTE: We're looking for a Freelance Account Director (Advertising) who can start from March/April 2025 for at least 6 months - this will be to cover for current employee on Maternity Leave.
Role
- Lead and manage accounts
- Mentor and guide a team of Account Managers & Account Executives
- Key performance will be linked to the candidate's ability to retain relationships with existing clients and extend the agencies scope through these relationships
- Day-to-day project management across all accounts, from conceptualisation through to production and submission
- Manage project budgets and be accountable for achieving profit margins on all group accounts
- Oversee resourcing and capacity management of design/creative teams
Key Responsibilities
Operations and Business
- Risk management of projects in execution and delivery phases
- Manage profitability of project costs against resource utilisation, able to provide solutions when required
- Responsible for P&L - sustaining account growth, diversification and profitability
- Constantly and creatively looking for opportunities to grow the business
Client Management
- Pro-active client development - drive business conversations to expand business/relationships and anticipate potential strategic & business issues and challenges
- Establish strong partnership connections with mid to senior clients as go to senior person for solutions and platform for transparency in raising off record ad hoc issues
Strategy
- Gatekeeper for strategic input, ensuring work and creative briefs align with client objectives
- Foresee and solve strategic problems and challenges for clients
- Act as an escalation point for the team in resolving issues. Supports the team in confidently navigating through problems
- In-depth understanding of industry trends and their impact on client and company's businesses
Creative
- Partner to the creative team, collaborate confidently, responsible for pushing and selling the best creative solution and quality of work to solve the clients business problem
- Cognisant of recent award winning works/industry best practices especially relevant to the client industry
Digital
- In depth understanding of platforms - latest digital and social platforms, channels and format
- Know when to engage with specialists on client briefs and/or value-adding to the creative product
- Good understanding of building digital and social-leaning SOWs
People Management
- Lead effective cross functional interaction and create a conducive environment/culture for the team and client
- Supervise, train and manage performance of team members
- Provide clear and nurturing feedback to reporting team
Knowledge & Experience Required
- At least 7 years relevant experience with a sound knowledge of print, digital and content production processes
- Leadership experience in managing an account servicing team
- Sound financial planning and budget management experience
Skills Required
- Excellent communication skills
- Excellent relationship management and presentation skills
- The ability to multi-task and provide holistic leadership support across a range of clients
Attributes
- Team player with a hands-on approach
- Responsible, with a Can do, willing and positive attitude to be a support system for our clients
- Ability to work under tight deadlines with multiple projects
- An ability to prioritise workload as well as an ability to pre-empt, identify and respond to problems
- Reliability, i.e. resilience, confidence, tenacity and maturity
- Personal, enthusiastic and committed capable of gaining trust and respect from colleagues
- Experience working across the tourism, travel, luxury and/or automotive industry, an advantage
