JOB DETAILS

JOB DETAIL

The Account Director (AD) will play a vital role in overseeing our Chinese clients’ business and guiding the continued growth of their brand in the market. The AD will supervise high-level client management and develop strategic recommendations that address the client's business objectives over the long term. This individual will coordinate a team of in-house and external personnel to deliver on client requests and achieve positive outcomes that result in overall success for all constituents. The role will also be required to work with diverse specialists to suggest new marketing solutions to clients that they may not have previously considered in their own operations. This position will be highly client-facing (so a passion for dealing with people is a must) and requires an organized and creative mindset to develop solutions for our brand partners.

RESPONSIBILITIES
Client + Project Management
• Be responsible for managing various project teams across several clients, specifically ensuring long-term client satisfaction and overseeing budget allocations
• Develop a comprehensive understanding of the marketplace and various clients’ businesses
• Liaise proactively with clients to cultivate strong relationships at senior levels and within the industry, thus driving successful and profitable client relationships
• Oversee key client briefs, projects and requests being handled by project teams
• Effectively manage a team of Account Managers, Account Executives, and other relevant business units to implement projects smoothly
• Support senior management in developing initiatives for new business or expanding existing business
• Develop client-facing budgets for projects based on proposed ideas, and monitor said budgets throughout the project, ensuring client approval and ultimate receipt of payments
• Manage multiple projects concurrently and meet deadlines based on aligned timelines

Strategy / Creative
• Be a valued partner that provides strategic and creative support to clients across all initiatives
• Provide clients counsel in the development of successful strategies
• Lead the wider agency team to write plans, briefs and other marketing docs, and modify them based on changing business conditions
• Understand industry/market trends and the success factors critical to the organization’s long-term sustainability and competitiveness
• Supervise the preparation of client briefs for internal stakeholders, mainly strategy, creative and delivery teams
• Oversee the internal team to ensure the quality of creative responses, maintain motivation and working processes, and provide creative arbitration
• Supervise project briefings (written and actual) and subsequent client approval

Business Development
• Be an important part of pushing business development and be responsible for managing revenue-generating initiatives (whether organic or inorganic)
• Be responsible for hitting the annual revenue and profit targets assigned
• Qualify inbound leads and prospects through email or phone calls
• If necessary, be comfortable with making cold calls to prospective clients, and delivering a strong introduction to the company
• Collaborate with key decision-makers to identify opportunities and develop ideas that deliver sales
• Communicate with client senior management and gather information about annual scope, budget and timelines, and then negotiate terms and conditions to secure the opportunity
• Compile reports tracking a variety of BD-related metrics, including client contacts, commercial opportunities, co-branded opportunities, closed sales, lost pitches, etc

Team Management
• Establish strong working relationships with Account Managers and Account Executives to ensure the project moves forward smoothly after briefing
• Act as the first source for problem resolution for the internal team and external constituents
• Work with the Sales Director/Group Account Director to manage headcount for the team
• Provide mentorship and motivation to account team members

REQUIRED WORK EXPERIENCE

• 8+ years of proven experience in an accounts or business development role at a brand, digital, social or media agency, or in a senior marketing position
• Strong understanding of, and execution experience in, the Thai market
• A strategic creative mindset that can think big picture and also execute details
• Creative problem-solving and quick-thinking skills, combined with a persistent “won’t take no” personality
• Solid skills to communicate impactful proposals and lead multi-party discussions
• Able to put together proposals and decks for client presentations
• Superb multi-tasking, organizational skills, time management, and attention to detail
• At ease managing diverse stakeholder groups running simultaneous projects
• Very comfortable with numbers, math and financial analyses
• Works well in a fast-paced environment, and adapts quickly to meet deadlines
• Strong leadership qualities to motivate colleagues thru trust, teamwork, and support
• Good command of Microsoft Office or MacOS, with a particular proficiency in excel/numbers and powerpoint/keynote
• Existing rolodex of client/brand contacts a plus
• Native fluency in Thai, and a strong command of English. Working knowledge of Chinese a plus