Opportunity Overview
- Job Title: Executive Client Director
- Agency Name: Confidential Creative Agency
- Reports To: President
- Direct Reports: (1) Client Services Coordinator
- Engagement Type: Full-Time
- Employee Type: W2
- Location: Portland, OR, Los Angeles, CA, OR San Francisco, CA
- Work Policy: Hybrid - 1 Day in Office Per Week
- Travel Required: 25%
- Salary Range: $160K - $250K Base
- Benefits Offer: Health, Dental, Vision Coverage, FSA/DCFSA, 401(k) eligibility after 6 months, PTO - Standard, Wellness Days, Sick Time, Annual Bonus eligibility, Quarterly Commissions program, Expense Allowance and Partner Track
Company Overview
A global creative studio specializing in video production and design. A partner to brands, agencies, and artists in creating engaging content and stories that resonate. With a focus on combining creativity and production expertise, we produce a wide range of work, from commercial video and photo to brand design, motion design, illustration, and more. Our teams are united by a passion for crafting stories that matter. We foster an inclusive, collaborative environment where all voices contribute to the creative process. Every project is driven by integrity, open-mindedness, and a dedication to delivering meaningful work.
Role Overview
The agency is undergoing an exciting period of growth and transformation and is looking for a dynamic and highly strategic Executive Client Director to lead Business Development. We are refreshing our business strategy and refreshing the agency’s brand to double in size and impact over the next three years.
The ideal candidate for this role is a charismatic leader with strong emotional intelligence and a proven track record of generating new business, expanding client relationships, and creating a culture of exceptional client experience.
As a key member of the Leadership team, with an established pathway to join the Executive team, you will help shape the studio's future through keen attention to investing in relationships, setting and executing strategy, and influencing internal culture. You will work with awareness of long-term goals to implement successful new business and account management strategies across our lines of business and key client relationships, taking ultimate responsibility for success in these areas. You will help build and empower the studio and manage teammates with heart and soul, connecting to their future and helping them navigate their projects and careers.
You are passionate about the creative services industry and making impactful work that influences culture and helps clients succeed. You believe boutique, creative studios with a clear focus and value proposition can thrive and soar in the current industry environment and are excited to help steer the agency’s growth. Working closely with Leadership and across studio teammates, you will ensure we deliver maximum value, capture opportunity, represent our best work, and ultimately, make our clients happy.
You recognize great work, good taste, and talent. You believe in the power and goodness of people and the role of art, beauty, and rich storytelling in creating community and connection. You are equal parts strategic mind and hands-on muscle. You will use these natural skills to develop key relationships that bring the company better projects and increase the quality and scope of our work. You will play an instrumental role in taking the agency to the next level and into our next chapter.
Key Capabilities
- Responsible for driving strategic growth of the overall portfolio of accounts. Nurture and deepen client relationships to drive organic growth.
- Serve as key client relationship holder for highest potential accounts.
- Organize, strategize and lead pitches and high-level account supervision on key projects/relationships.
- Passion and experience working in creative development. Strategically push what’s possible in the work. Cultivate a culture of winning and excellence.
- Key client whisperer to read between the lines with client relationships.
- Shape proposals for complex / new project types.
- Expands and amplifies company vision internally and externally.
Key Characteristics
- Passionate, dedicated leader who is motivated to propel the agency’s growth and success with unwavering commitment and exceptional energy.
- Reliable and accountable partner with exceptional ability to both see the big picture and understand the impact of the small details.
- Embraces agency’s current transition state and is excited to play a pivotal role in elevating the business from scrappy to polished.
- Thrives in discovering new clients and fostering organic growth with existing clients. Skilled in swiftly developing strong relationships.
- Great at driving a pitch team and winning new projects.
- Experienced in giving and receiving constructive feedback.
- Strategic thought partner in new business efforts with an emphasis on growing client relationships.
- Highly outcome-oriented with a hands-on approach; always bringing innovative and proactive solutions to the table.
- Personable, kind, generous, curious, sharp.
- Skilled in challenging the status quo by introducing new ideas and methods while ensuring diverse perspectives are heard and respected.
- Leads with confidence but without ego.
- A team player who thrives in a collaborative environment and inspires others.
- Interested in global culture, arts, has great taste and stays current with trends.
- Is a partner in leadership and makes new client acquisition fun and exciting.
Specific Responsibilities
- New Business (80%)
- Establish and implement new business strategies, managing for success and learnings for both short-term sales and long-term growth.
- Proactively target and develop relationships with key industry prospects, and watch the marketplace for opportunities the agency can pursue.
- Implement systems to track, synthesize, educate, and improve our approach to sales.
- Make decisions that promote, protect and ensure quality standards and the agency’s growing reputation.
- Account Leadership (20%)
- Partner closely with production leadership to initiate new client relationships, sponsor projects, supervise scoping and bidding, execute against creative briefs/pitches/RFPs, and provide and translate information to the team.
- Lead with a culture of relationship development within your team and the studio. Architect and steer relationships that ensure client satisfaction, creative, and technical excellence, retention and growth.
- Enrich the agency’s standing and awareness within each of the accounts you work on to drive organic growth.
- Supervise multiple, often concurrent accounts within scope and above creative and quality expectations.
- Follow the agency’s process as defined by leadership.
- Become fluent in brand guidelines and strategy for each client to establish a trusting relationship between the client and creative team.
- Oversee day-to-day of all active projects assigned to your purview.
- Approach jobs with an awareness and keen eye toward Profit & Loss, making strategic recommendations that balance best utilization of resources and profit performance by job.
- Maintain financial accountability, including accurate and timely updates to Pipeline and Job Performance (Tools).
- Have fun, spread a culture of integrity, and dream big.
- Special Focus
- This role has a unique opportunity with its focus on business development and client services to contribute to our strategic growth.
- Challenge leadership and your peers by having a collaborative and constructive point of view on how to run a successful creative business.
- Keep us connected to industry, creative/technical trends, and key players.
- Develop culture, process and systems tailored to drive excellent and standardized client experience across the studio.
- Build, train and enrich existing accounts with the support of the studio Partners, as well as other key clients assigned to your team.
- Expand and strengthen our network of creative and executional partners.
- Work closely with leadership, Studio Ops, and Finance to design and monitor a sales process and client services.
- Set a quality standard and promote decision-making that ensures all projects are delivered at the highest standard and client experience is never compromised.
- Have fun, spread a culture of integrity, and dream big.
Requirements (Skills & Experience)
- 10+ years of client management, strategy, and new business experience.
- Track record in brand, digital, social, and content-driven marketing projects.
- Exceptional communication and presentation skills for engagement with senior professionals.
- Entrepreneurial spirit, self-motivation, and strategic intellect.
- Strong team-building and management experience, offering valuable input to diverse creative and business professionals.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Diplomatic yet assertive when needed to drive business.
- Successful track record in high-quality production and storytelling for global accounts.
- Autonomy in a fast-paced environment, handling concurrent initiatives.
Interview Process
- Recruiter Screening
- Operations Interview
- President Interview
- Leadership Panel
- Proposal for high level plan and approach for New Business and Marketing
- References
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