ACCOUNT DIRECTOR: FULL-SERVICE CREATIVE AGENCY
Account Director – Advertising (Integrated)
Cape Town – Western Cape
Previously disadvantaged candidates will be given preference.
We have a fabulous on-site opportunity for a confident and solutions-focused Account Director to join the client service team at an independent, full-service creative advertising agency in Cape Town’s Southern Suburbs. This exciting agency also has an office in Nairobi, Kenya so you will produce work across both locations but will be based in Cape Town.
We’re looking for a dynamic individual to be a part of the team that serves as the first line of contact with clients. Here you will identify client needs and work strategically to provide thoughtful and creative solutions with measurable results.
You’ll work across a diverse portfolio that includes Financial Services (Insurance), Alcoholic Brands and Telecommunications, delivering fully integrated TTL campaigns across ATL, BTL and Digital.
The ideal candidate has previous experience in either the Alcohol or Financial Services sectors and is confident leading projects independently – from taking briefs to managing day-to-day operations without constant senior oversight.
You’re known for writing clear, inspiring creative briefs that unlock award-winning work, and you thrive in collaboration with strategy, creative and production teams. A strong sense of brand alignment, an eye for effective creative, and the ability to guide work to meet strategic goals are essential.
This role also calls for commercial savvy: you’ll be expected to maintain account profitability, manage scope against retainer, and ensure seamless financial processes throughout.
If you’re a commercially minded, hands-on leader who has a passion for great creative, brings out the best in your teams and your clients, this is your stage. We’d love to hear from you, apply today!
Responsibilities
Manage & Lead Agency/Client Relationships
- Manage and lead the agency relationship with a client and represent the agency within all client’s broader marketing concerns.
- Deliver creative work to client that exceeds expectations consistently, through the development of well thought out, creative briefs.
- Work closely with the leadership and strategic teams to maintain a proactive approach towards the management of the account.
- Maintain a high level of performance and quality of output by the account teams and all other agency staff.
- Be sufficiently informed and personally involved at all levels of the work, ensuring sound planning and great service are delivered consistently.
- Proactivity – looking for opportunities to surprise and delight clients beyond the day to day. Keeping leadership team informed of the account’s status on a daily basis including problems, plans and meetings.
- Delivering overall growth and development of your accounts.
Teamwork & Partnership
- To manage the client relationship across the agency by fostering a sense of teamwork and partnership with different departments.
- Driving cohesion across potentially complex client business by bringing the right people together to solve problems quickly.
- Fighting for brilliant creative work and actively seeking to drive smart, effective creative solutions and opportunities on every brief.
- Providing leadership and direction to the creative, production, operational and finance teams on a timely basis.
- Mentoring and coaching junior account management team members to help them achieve their KPIs.
Financial Management
- Effective financial management to ensure the profitability of your accounts.
- Responsibility for seamless financial administration of the account ensuring all work is charged for correctly and all necessary ‘checks and balances’ are in place.
- Ensuring the timely development and execution of plans, campaigns, and projects to set up the agency to deliver great creative – whilst ensuring earnings and growth goals are achieved.
- Track work executed against retainer and scope of work, to ensure the account remains profitable.
- Maintaining awareness and controlling situations which may put the agency at risk of result in write-offs.
Requirements
The successful candidate must have/be:
- Industry relevant qualification.
- 5+ years’ Account Management experience in an advertising agency.
- Recent advertising agency experience – essential.
- Previous Alcohol or Financial Services experience – a bonus.
- Experience managing TTL campaigns on strategic business – from ATL.; BTL and Digital.
- Understanding of Digital.
- Strong ownership of projects and deadlines.
- Logical – a problem solver.
- Love of great creative.
- Strong brief writer.
- A leader who drives excellence on their accounts.
- Valued by clients as a business problem solver.
- 100% on top of all billings and ensure that flawless financials are maintained on your account.
- Confidently able to do first drafts of fee proposals and have a clear understanding of how the agency makes money.
If you don’t have the relevant experience required for this role, please consider your application unsuccessful.
City: Cape Town
Level of Expertise: Mid-Senior
Remuneration: Negotiable
Consultant: Viv
Reference Number: #Viv3105
