Senior Account Manager

About Ogilvy

Memac Ogilvy is one of the leading creative networks in MENA with its flagship office in the UAE and a strong local footprint in the GCC and North Africa. It is part of the formidable worldwide Ogilvy network. It’s the only truly integrated comms network – with beyond Brand & Advertising, a deep PR & Influence, Social Media Performance and Customer Engagement & Digital capability under 1 P&L and under single leadership. Memac Ogilvy is about Making Brands Matter. We deliver on this by combining expert and new capabilities for modern marketing solutions (we are not a traditional advertising agency anymore) with solid project management expertise for agile and effective delivery as well as through a passionate talent agenda.  

In 2018 Memac Ogilvy had formidable year, with proven revenue and profit growth, winning over 140 pitches in the region including prestigious assignments such at being appointed as the Global Creative and PR agency for Expo2020 Dubai. This is great evidence that its transformation under the leadership of Patou Nuytemans is well under way. 

The agency is the most awarded Middle Eastern agency in Cannes as well as a big winner at the local award show Lynx. It counts around 600 staff members.  

 

What You’ll Do

• The Account Manager will be running mid-size accounts, providing insights-driven campaigns, strengthening client & partner agency relationships, collaborating with cross-departmental teams, while managing a team. 
• The individual should understand the power of digital and social media and can think creatively to solve problems. The candidate requires having a forward-thinking ability to identify digital and social trends and put these into practice for our clients. 
• The ideal candidate brings an entrepreneurial spirit to client work and develops new, creative solutions to transform their clients’ digital practices with passion in a fast-paced environment.  

 

Your Purpose

• To be responsible for the smooth running of an account and the production of its advertising
• To build strong relationships and foster good team spirit with both clients and members of the agency team
• To play a pivotal role in the development of advertising and creative strategies
• To show leadership and drive in thinking of innovative solutions to business/strategic problems and in merchandising the Agency’s services (particularly Brand Stewardship)

 

Responsibilities:

• Manages overall project delivery: Ensures work is produced on time and within budget, overseeing campaign production and resolving any creative delivery issues.
• Serves as primary client and internal liaison: Acts as the main point of contact for client administrative issues and internal team questions related to client matters.
• Cultivates strong client relationships: Builds trust and mutual understanding with clients, anticipating and addressing their needs proactively.
• Drives creative direction and collaboration: Provides clear direction on creative briefs, fosters enthusiasm and trust within the creative team, and manages internal creative presentation sessions.
• Manages financial processes: Oversees the agency's billing system, assists with invoice management, and ensures timely responses to financial queries (within 48 hours).
• Optimizes profitability: Identifies and implements cost-saving solutions for accounts.
• Facilitates cross-functional alignment: Ensures seamless communication and awareness of deadlines among creative, traffic, production, and media teams throughout projects.
• Contributes to strategic development: Collaborates with Account Directors and Planners to develop rigorous advertising strategies and insightful, single-minded creative briefs.
• Promotes Brand Stewardship: Actively contributes to fostering brand stewardship among clients.
• Develops innovative media strategies: Works closely with media planners to create inspiring and unusual media strategies that showcase the agency’s creativity while meeting targets.
• Keeps media team informed: Regularly appraises the media team of ongoing project statuses.
• Delegates effectively: Assigns tasks appropriately to direct reports, other departments, and Account Directors.
• Maintains consistent client engagement: Proactively communicates with clients, anticipating their needs.
• Manages project timelines: Creates and oversees project schedules.
• Develops communication briefs: Writes clear and concise briefs for communication projects.
• Provides ongoing creative guidance: Directs creative work and maintains team enthusiasm.
• Manages 360-degree processes: Oversees comprehensive project workflows.
• Improves profitability: Enhances financial performance through effective estimate and invoice management.
• Provides leadership updates: Prepares monthly brand updates for senior management.
• Mentors junior staff: Manages the career development of junior team members, including appraisals.
• Analyzes market trends: Generates and presents category environment reviews and interprets monthly sales and distribution information.
• Coordinates with media agency: Manages fortnightly meetings with the media agency.
• Recommends integrated communications: Demonstrates clear knowledge of Through-the-Line (TTL) communications through cross-channel recommendations.
• Develops innovative client solutions: Implements creative approaches to client management and related tasks.

What You’ll Need

• A Bachelor's degree with 4-5 years of experience within the advertising agency world.
• Stellar written and presentation communication skills, comfortable engaging with senior brand managers and partner agencies.
• Thorough understanding of a brand marketing mix, ensuring social & digital strategies integrate and amplify more traditional channels.
• 4+ years of hands-on experience managing & mentoring teams, including direct reports and cross-functional teammates.
• A positive, "glass-half-full" outlook that contributes to a strong company culture and healthy business.
• Thorough working knowledge of all agency systems.
• Deep understanding of the client’s business, major market factors, and consumer motivations/behaviour patterns.
• A sound judge of creative work, able to coherently argue its alignment with or deviation from the brief.
• Proficiency in various presentation techniques, with the ability to select the most appropriate and inspiring way to sell each piece of work.
• Keeps abreast of the latest and best creative work across the industry.
• Solid knowledge of TV/Print production issues, enabling the proposal of cost-saving solutions when necessary.
• Ability to contribute to well-thought-out, single-minded, inspiring creative briefs. (Joint responsibility with Account Planner and Account Director).