Group Director, Client Partner

WHY DEPT®?

We are pioneers at heart. What this means, is that we are always leaning forward, thinking of what we can create tomorrow that does not exist today. We were born digital and we are a new model of agency, with a deep skillset in tech and marketing. That’s why we hire curious, self-driven, talented people who never stop innovating.

Our culture is big enough to cope and small enough to care. Meaning, that with people across 20+ countries, we’re big enough to provide you with the best tools, global opportunities, and benefits that help you thrive. While acting small by investing in you, your growth, your team, and giving you the autonomy to solve our clients' problems, no matter where you are in the world. 

We are currently only hiring in specific location in the United States. Locations, office requirements, and salary bands are outlined below. Please note that we do not offer relocation at this time.

ABOUT YOU

Group Account Directors at DEPT® lead on all the cross-functional work we deliver for a key client. We expect Group Account Directors to be experts in truly understanding the clients in their portfolio’s business, challenges, goals, and SWOT, and have established relationships with the most senior levels on the client side in order to push their team outside of the box on driving innovation/strategy. Group Account Directors represent DEPT® to our clients, adding value to relationships beyond organizational skills, doing a mixture of account management, strategic planning, and serving as the commercial lead on the business.. 

Group Account Directors are expected to be able to develop, negotiate, and manage scopes of work as well as support in leading new business proposals and pitches. 

Candidates must have experience managing teams (directly and indirectly), complex campaigns, and high-volume retainers for brands and be calm and controlled in high-pressure situations. Equally, experience with delivering commercial success in an agency model is important. We need people who can come up with big ideas as well as lots of little ones that are framed in a solid strategy grounded in insight and ultimately deliver a tangible ROI for our clients. Most importantly, we need a leader who inspires their team and earns the respect of senior clients.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES  

The role of a Group Account Director is exciting, varied, and constantly evolving. In this role, you will:

CLIENT MANAGEMENT

• Ability to work in partnership with senior clients to develop annual strategies
• Ability to establish themselves as true business partners, thought leaders and innovators at DEPT.
• Responsible for holding recurring meetings with senior leadership on the client side focused on pushing their business forward, macro goals, industry trends/updates, and new opportunities to drive growth. 
• Responsible for being the primary relationship holder for the client within DEPT® 
• Responsible for ensuring client satisfaction by regularly communicating with senior decision-makers 
• Responsible for high client retention and growth
• Ability to be a point of escalation on their accounts and effectively solve issues that arise, whether internally or with clients
• Ability to reach out to clients directly when service issues arise
• Ability to lead new business pitches and proposals alongside leadership and growth team
  
  

BUSINESS KNOWLEDGE AND COMPLIANCE

• Ability to forecast, reconcile, and monitor client revenue and profitability
• Must have a strong understanding of scope management, inclusive of how to track and manage, escalate scope pacing issues
• Responsible for financial management of client portfolio revenue, including updating relevant internal financial systems accurately and in a timely manner
• Ability to scope projects and retainers within budget and on brief 
• Ability to productize our services within a proposal and SOW
• Ability to initiate conversations with clients around SOW adjustments 
• Ability to author written SOWs, amendments, and other legal adjustments in partnership with contracts team as needed 
• Ability to lead contract negotiations and oversee the implementation of commercial agreements
• Ability to proactively pursue cross-sell & upsell opportunities to drive innovation,  strategy, and organic revenue growth
• Responsible for ensuring teams are operating effectively and efficiently towards clients goals while meeting financial revenue targets on accounts
  
  

TEAM PARTICIPATION, DEVELOPMENT & STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP

• Ability to successfully work with all craft teams to effectively drive strategies and work that leads clients to the next level of their business
• Ability to lead, line-manage, motivate and inspire a team
• Ability to craft strategic responses to briefs and the ability to develop a POV on media, creative content, tech, and data
• Familiarity with DEPT's service offerings & department leads with the ability to participate in conversations for complex projects or new offerings & know who to to bring into the conversation within DEPT
• Responsible for ensuring delivery of work is to the highest possible standard
• Ability to contribute to the creative process by sharing their ideas and experience
• Ability to present work internally and externally to all levels of seniority 
• Responsible for ensuring all teams servicing their client(s)identify core issues, proactively develop plans to mitigate issues from restructuring account teams, have hard conversations both on client and employee side, rally team to overcome challenges, and deliver high client satisfaction (validated via CSAT surveys and regular check-ins)
• Responsible for periodically reviewing team ways of working and identify opportunities for streamlining or improvement 
• Responsible for consistently assessing team/client fit, ensuring we have the right talent matched up to the right clients - based on expertise, communication/working styles
• Responsible for ensuring new team members are properly onboarded to each account, not just with day-to-day knowledge & skills development, but by providing a full deep dive into each client’s business and priorities.
• Ability to determine resolution for any cross-channel issues including performance, tracking, QA issues, etc.
• Ability to resolve any collaborative roadblocks between teams
• Ability to settle miscommunication or interpersonal issues within the group
  
  

QUALIFICATIONS   

Essential:

Our offering is advanced for the industry, and we rely on great people. To be considered for this role, you will need the skills or experience outlined below.

• 12+ years of experience in roles servicing clients in an agency environment
• Experience managing large clients, AOR,s and agency teams
• Experience managing complex campaigns and retainers
• Experience in leading a high-volume, multi-service retainer(s) for brands/clients
• Experience working on a global brand
• Confident with both brand and conversion/direct-response campaigns
• Experience leading, motivating, and coaching teams of 10+ people
• Experience inspiring, and able to create a proactive and energized team culture
• Must have strong delegation skills with the ability to coordinate activities between multiple projects without directly managing them
• Ability to communicate complex messages to a variety of audiences 
• Ability to view the big picture, beyond your immediate role or department, and align projects with company strategy, values & goals
• Ability to solve problems through collecting relevant information for assessment, understanding solutions & consequences in order to choose a course of action
• Ability to connect each project to the business world, thinking through effectiveness, efficiency, and consistency within all interdisciplinary projects
• Strong client relationship management skills, including experience working directly with directors, VPs, and C-level clients on strategy development
• Excellent project management skills, able to find the most efficient ways of working
• Excellent organizational skills and high attention to detail
• Excellent written and verbal English communication skills; excellent presentation skills
• Advanced problem-solving skills
• Excellent time management skills
• Ability to react quickly within a fast-paced environment
• Ability to remain focused under pressure and work under tight deadlines
• Proficient in working with data
  
  

WHAT DO WE OFFER?

We are a collaborative, open-door, best-idea-wins environment that fosters personal and company growth and has fun doing it. Here is a snapshot of our  benefits package:

• Healthcare, Dental, and Vision coverage
• 401k plan, plus matching
• PTO
• Paid Company Holidays
• Parental Leave

WE SUPPORT YOU BEING YOU: 

DEPT® is an equal opportunity employer (EOE). We believe our work is its best when our people feel safe and free to be themselves. We’re committed to an inclusive and barrier-free recruitment and selection process and workplace, regardless of anyone’s lived experience, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, and genetic information. So tell us about any accommodations you need. It’s totally confidential and only used to make sure you feel fully supported at every step.

DEPT® participates in E-Verify, meaning your Form I-9 information will be sent to the federal government to confirm you are authorized to work in the U.S. 

We are a B Corp-certified company passionate about purpose-driven work.  Our hope is that you can feel good about the contributions DEPT® is making to the world and we always have an open door for your ideas in making the world a better place. 

DEPT® is a pioneering technology and marketing services company that creates integrated end-to-end digital experiences for brands such as Google, KFC, Philips, Audi, Twitch, Patagonia, eBay and more. Its team of 2,500+ digital specialists across 30+ locations on 5 continents delivers pioneering work on a global scale with a boutique culture. 

Learn more about DEPT®

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, & INCLUSION

At DEPT®, we take pride in creating an inclusive workplace where everyone has an equal opportunity to thrive. We actively seek to recruit, develop, nurture, and retain talented individuals from diverse backgrounds, with varying skills and perspectives.

Not sure you meet all qualifications? Apply, and let us decide! Research shows that women and members of underrepresented groups tend not to apply for jobs when they think they may not meet every requirement, when in fact they do. We believe in giving everyone a fair chance to shine. 

We also encourage you  to reach out to us and discuss any reasonable adjustments we can make to support you throughout the recruitment process and your time with us.

Want to know more about our dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion? Check out our efforts here.

#LI-Hybrid #LI-Remote

This is remote role, however you must be located within 50 miles of San Francisco, CA to be considered