Executive 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.

JOB PURPOSE

Executive Director, Client Partner help ensure their client portfolios are set up to deliver work to the highest standard and ensure our relationships are structured both commercially and operationally to be profitable for the business. They are responsible for owning senior client relationships, overseeing complex projects and leading teams with excellent communication and collaboration skills. 

More specifically, this person is responsible for multiple client portfolios and the teams and clients which sit within them. Working closely with the VP, Client Services, the Client Partner will help the core teams shape and deliver client strategies. Identifying areas of opportunity and supporting implementation of growth plans. Working directly with the Group Account Directors or senior leads to help the teams continue to function in the most effective and efficient way. 

Candidates must have experience delivering commercial success on complex clients in an integrated agency. They must have experience managing teams of up to 20 people and have demonstrated ways of managing cross-functional teams both laterally and vertically. 

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Clients
  • Lead long-term relationships with C-Level stakeholders for key clients. Understand their personal and professional drivers and thus help position DEPT® as a key partner to help meet those goals 
  • Support VP, Client Services with driving growth across a group of client portfolios, uncovering upsell and cross sell of services within the clients 
  • Work in partnership with Growth, Senior Leadership and GAD’s to manage New Business requests, proposals and onboarding process. 
  • Keep track of overall client health within allocated client portfolios and help shape and implement strategies that ensure relationships are functioning at an optimum level.
  • Take ownership for the overall success of clients within portfolios and wider business where necessary.
  • Act as a client champion across the agreed set of pods. 
  • Spot excellent client work and ensure case studies are shared across the agency and added to our creds deck.
• Strategic Initiatives
  • Deliver agreed strategic initiatives based on overall business objectives for the year. In some instances this will be a lead role with the task of driving the initiative forward. In some cases this will be more of a supporting role and will input in some of those initiatives at differing levels
  • Ensure overall business strategy and objectives are continued to be communicated and prioritised across the teams and agency as a whole
  • Proactively identify and communicate other new initiatives, managing those upwards effectively where appropriate.
• Commercial & Finance
  • Drive the business health of the portfolio of clients. Empower and support client leads in maximising revenue opportunities, maintaining profitability and ensuring accurate forecasting. Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of wider commercial context beyond profitability on projects (e.g wider business overheads, investment, 3rd party costs and client commercial issues that may affect DEPT® relationship.)
  • Support VP, Client Services and Senior Leadership team on improving processes and systems with Finance and Operations to maintain client profitability at all times.
  • Business development: Working closely with Senior Leadership and Craft leads to develop proactive new business strategies.
  • Play a key role in identifying and initiating conversations, creating appropriate materials, case studies to help sell in DEPT®’s offering.
  • Oversee key contract and cost negotiations across clients, support group heads in client commercial affairs.
  • Oversee all revenue forecasting and ensure appropriate trackers are up to date across the teams, reflecting the current status of projects as accurately as possible.
• Team Leadership
  • Direct line management of senior members of the account team within client portfolios.
  • Mentor the team and act as a final escalation point on a set of specific clients.
  • Actively initiate programmes to train, upskill, and develop the talent on the team.
  • Oversee the recruitment process of the account and project management team within direct portfolios and support the VP, Client Services with broader recruitment needs across the Account discipline.
  • Work closely with VP, Client Services to develop clear objectives and development roadmaps for team members.
  • Support VP, Client Services with demand and capacity management, help predict skill-set capacity or shortages and implement strategies to mitigate foreseen risks amongst client portfolios.
  • Foster a strong team culture and environment of excellence, professionalism, and positive energy.
  • Oversee and input on development of annual strategies with account leads, alongside VP, Client Services to set up and maintain rigorous processes and evaluation of progress against plans on a quarterly basis, helping client leads / GAD’s to re-evaluate and develop strategies to stay on track and in line with revenue forecasts where possible. 

WHAT YOU BRING

• 12+ years experience in roles servicing clients in an agency environment 
• Experience working in a cross-functional management team 
• Experience leading new business efforts and authoring new business proposals 
• Experience forecasting and reconciling revenue across the business 
• Experience managing complex campaigns across creative, media and consultancy 
• Experience leading, motivating and coaching teams of 20+ people 
• A solid understanding of the industry and changing client needs 
• Confident working on large global client and agency teams
• Confident working on a high-volume, multi service retainer(s) for brands/clients
• Confident working on paid and organic marketing efforts for brands/clients
• Confident with content production 
• Confident working on creator/influencer-led projects
• Exceptional client relationship management skills, ability to foster strong relationships with VP and C-level clients 
• Excellent project management skills, able to identify and recommend efficient ways of working
• Excellent organizational skills and high attention to detail
• Excellent written and verbal English communication skills; excellent presentation skills
• Exceptional 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
• Ability to exercise critical thinking, identifying, evaluating, and solving problems related to your clients and workstreams 
• Experience working with data preferred

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

The anticipated salary ranges for this position and subsequent locations are listed below. Salary is based on a range of factors that include relevant experience, expertise, physical location, and organizational impact. This is based on a 40-hour workweek and leveling. Keep in mind, we're flexible. 

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.

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