The posting
About the Job
As a Senior Account Manager, you are a leader of people and projects. You are learning to master the art of doing and delegating. You regularly deliver client counsel and strong points of view, learning the art of persuasion. You are learning how to balance the agency’s point of view while also serving as the client’s advocate during internal discussions. You are a people leader who creates an environment inclusive of varying experiences and points of view.
Responsibilities:
1. Create Meaningful Impact for Clients
You do this by building trusting relationships with your colleagues, teams and client contacts. You collaborate, counsel and contribute to exceptional, bold work. You immerse yourself in clients’ businesses and bring relevant ideas and insights into the work.
- Build trusting and influential relationship with clients by delivering your best work, thoughtful recommendations and strategic counsel
- Earn the respect and confidence of your clients through constant communication, keeping them updated on the status of all deliverable and ensuring your team meets deadlines
- Strategic planning ability, which includes:
- Understand the vision and objectives of our clients and determine the appropriate actions to help our clients achieve that vision/goal
- Ability to help clients make informed, thoughtful decisions by providing your counsel and expertise
- Take the initiative to identify potential problems/challenges/risks of our clients, offering thoughtful and informed solutions to your account lead and determine next steps together
- Be able to always think steps ahead, anticipating challenges and opportunities
- Proactively share your ideas for potential client campaigns and activations with your manager and teams
- Have the confidence to share your ideas and point of view to both your manager and internal team during brainstorms and team meetings
- Advanced client product skills, to include:
- Ability to lead a project as well as a team to ensure the work is completed
- Responsible for accuracy of work product and meeting deadlines
- Awareness of the implications of not meeting clients’ expectations and impact on the agency
- Ability to take client feedback and work with team to apply that feedback to work product all while remaining calm under pressure
- Regularly anticipate client and team needs, thinking one step ahead at all times
- Take full accountability for your work product; ensure work given to your Senior leader should be near perfect, essentially client ready
- Proactive thinking to help manage client feedback – look at big picture
- Understanding the importance of your client’s time; taking and applying client feedback and anticipating next steps
- Actively listen and participate and take notes during meetings
- Provide timely responses to internal team members and clients
2. Empower our People
You do this by developing yourself through training, mentoring, coaching and on-the-job experience. You encourage your colleagues and teammates to develop themselves, too. You contribute to a diverse and inclusive culture in the workplace. And you give and receive candid feedback.
- Foster strong relationships and inclusion within your teams, co-workers and agency partners
- Start to become an inclusive leader, identifying opportunities to include your team members in team meetings, brainstorms, etc. to ensure they feel part of the team
- Actively provide constructive feedback and coach your direct reports in real time
- Provide both formal and informal learning opportunities for your direct reports and team members in everyday work, encouraging and supporting your team to participate in all learning opportunities
- Motivate and encourage your direct reports to produce their best work, meeting and exceeding client expectations every day
- Proactively seek feedback from your manager, actively listening to and applying that feedback to future work
- Start to build relationships with agency leadership team, gaining exposure through committees, brainstorms, office cultural activities
- Foster strong relationships with your specialist-team team, including your specialist-team team in all communications
- Maintain situational and self-awareness; be mindful of your tone and body language
- Master the performance management process (goal-setting and regular check-ins) and knowhow staying up to date on goals/quarterly check-ins affects your career path/growth
- Begin to understand the performance managementprocess from a management perspective; collaborate with your direct reports toensure they stay on track within that process
3. Drive the Business
You do this by recognising the role you play in the financial success of the agency. You learn about the tools, processes and ways of working that make the agency effective. You also contribute to new and organic business opportunities when possible.
- Intermediate level of financial understanding, to include:
- Ability to assist with forecasting for your client’s needs and staffing models
- Knowledge of client budget and ability to develop scope of work; if appropriate, seek client approval
- Understanding the financial implications of time entry, expense reports and project budgets
- Proactively look for and identify new business opportunities, flag any potential leads to your leadership team
- Maintain daily time entry
- Identify opportunities for organic growth for the agency, bringing the opportunities to the attention of office leadership team
- Advocate for your team members and the agency by supporting the work of the agency and promoting client and agency accomplishments; take accountability for missteps
- Maintain your expenses and submit regularly for approval
- Maintain and nurture client relationships through open and constant communication
- Ask thoughtful questions and demonstrate a genuine curiosity and interest in the agency and your client’s business (current and future initiatives, etc.)
- Possess a strong understanding of the agency’s tools and methodologies and know when it is appropriate to use them
- Know and understand your role in the agency’s operating playbook
- Demonstrate accountability and commitment to your team and the agency
- Understand what your utilisation is and why it matters; understand the agency’s time and utilisation reporting and its purpose
- Develop and earn the trust and confidence of your internal teams
About You
We are looking for someone who has a “can-do” attitude, open to challenges and a willingness to learn.
To be successful in this role, you should have:
- At least 10 years of account management experience in a digital/advertising agency environment, or in a similar in-house role.
- In-depth experience with multi-markets and technology clients
- Proven management skills experience, with both clients and partners
- Knowledge of quality assurance process
- Ability to develop strong relationships with clients by gaining trust and repeated successful delivery of expectations
- High level of attention to detail and the ability to handle and prioritise multiple projects
- Ability to think and problem-solve creatively.
- Must be flexible and able to multitask effectively managing issues and relationship
- High level of technical proficiency in Microsoft Office, specifically Excel and PowerPoint
- Ability to work in a fast-paced, performance-driven environment that requires constant change and adaptability.
About our Culture,Benefits and Perks
Healthy, happy employees make Zeno better, so we have programs that support physical, mental and financial wellness. Our culture and benefits are designed to promote flexibility, celebrate diversity and support work/life balance. Employees are encouraged to bring their authentic self to Zeno.
Awards and client win’s aside, it’s our culture that really sets us apart from other agencies. We are fiercely protective and supportive of our people, who are our greatest assets.We invest heavily in training and career development, and we also work hard to ensure that work does not take over your life. We set clear boundaries and have many benefits in place to support your wellbeing. Some of these include:
- Flexible working arrangements
- Green Field Fridays
- Corporate medical benefits
- Employee Assistance Program
- Full access to Be Kind to Your Mind program and Headspace
About our Values
At Zeno, six core values underpin everything we do:
- Fearless: We push ourselves and each other into the unexpected
- Collaborative: We work together to get somewhere better
- Entrepreneurial: We pave the way for our people to make big things happen
- Inclusive: We are a place where everyone can be seen and valued as their true authentic selves
- Kind: We communicate openly and directly, always acting with empathy
- Ambitious: We aim high, determined to advance our individual and shared goals
