Account Director

EMA Management Services Group, Inc.; City of Syracuse (NY); On-site; USD 105,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Mower in Syracuse, NY is seeking an Account Director to lead strategic client relationships and integrated marketing programs. You will guide cross-functional teams to deliver smart, effective solutions and serve as a trusted partner across client businesses.

The role requires energy, utilities, sustainability experience is a plus, and a strong ability to discuss media strategy, performance, and measurement with clients and internal teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, advertising, communications, business or equivalent.
• 10+ years of account management or related client-side marketing experience.
• Experience leading complex client relationships and integrated marketing programs.
• Strong integrated media experience across traditional and digital channels.
• Experience connecting media strategy, performance, analytics, and measurement to business objectives.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and collaboration tools.

Responsibilities

• Lead the overall health of assigned client relationships with senior-level oversight.
• Develop and present strategic, creative, integrated media, and marketing recommendations.
• Navigate complex client situations with professionalism and solutions-oriented approach.
• Manage client budgets, forecasting, and profitability.
• Collaborate across agency disciplines to deliver solutions.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Communication

Client relations

Cross-functional teamwork

AI proficiency

Media planning

Financial acumen

Presentation skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in marketing/advertising/communications/business

Tools

Microsoft Office

Collaboration tools

AI productivity tools

Google Analytics

Job description

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Account Director

Full Time Syracuse, NY, US

3 days ago Requisition ID: 1004

Salary Range: $105,000.00 To $140,000.00 Annually

Mower is a fiercely independent, 100% employee-owned, full-service advertising, marketing, and public relations agency with team members located across the United States.

Our team is seeking an Account Directorto provide strategic leadership across major client relationships and integrated marketing programs. This individual will serve as a trusted client partner, developing a deep understanding of clients’ businesses, industries, challenges, and opportunities while bringing together the right agency disciplines to deliver smart, effective solutions.

Integrated media expertise will be particularly important in this role. The Account Director should be comfortable leading clients and internal teams across complex, multi-channel programs and understand how paid, owned, and earned channels work together to achieve business and marketing objectives. The ability to confidently discuss media strategy, performance, optimization, and measurement with both clients and agency specialists is essential.

The ideal candidate is a strategic, curious, and confident client leader who builds strong relationships, brings valuable insights and ideas to clients, and knows how to lead cross-functional teams toward shared goals. They are equally comfortable discussing big-picture strategy, integrated media and campaign performance, navigating challenging situations, managing account financials, and identifying opportunities to grow client relationships.

Experience working with energy, utilities, sustainability, or related industries would be particularly valuable, but is not required.

Other duties may be assigned.

Client Relationship & Strategic Leadership

• Lead the overall health of assigned client relationships while providing senior-level oversight of day-to-day account management.
• Build positive, lasting client relationships based on a deep understanding of clients’ businesses, industries, marketing objectives, and challenges.
• Serve as a trusted advisor by bringing clients insights, perspectives, and recommendations that add value beyond the immediate assignment.
• Partner with Mower Insight and other agency disciplines to provide strategic planning and direction across assigned accounts.
• Develop and present strategic, creative, integrated media, and marketing recommendations to clients.
• Navigate complex or challenging client situations with professionalism, sound judgment, and a solutions-oriented approach.
• Plan and lead formal and informal client presentations, meetings, and strategic discussions.

Integrated Marketing, Media & Account Leadership

• Lead the development and implementation of integrated marketing communications plans aligned with client business and marketing objectives.
• Demonstrate strong integrated media fluency and the ability to connect media strategy and channel recommendations to broader client objectives.
• Partner closely with Media and Performance Marketing teams to help clients understand media strategy, channel mix, audience approach, investment, performance, optimization, and measurement.
• Understand how paid, owned, and earned channels work together and help ensure media is integrated with creative, content, public relations, digital, and other marketing efforts.
• Translate media performance, analytics, and campaign results into meaningful client conversations, insights, and opportunities.
• Partner across Insight, Creative, Project Management, Media, Performance Marketing, Public Relations, Public Affairs, and other agency disciplines to develop and deliver effective client solutions.
• Develop strong strategic and tactical briefs that provide clear direction to agency teams.
• Maintain a strong understanding of traditional and digital marketing disciplines, emerging media channels and technologies, analytics, and measurement to help clients identify opportunities and make informed decisions.
• Provide strong, positive leadership to internal teams and help create a collaborative, accountable, and solutions-oriented team environment.
• Ensure agency teams remain aligned around client objectives, expectations, and priorities.
• Manage the overall financial health of assigned client relationships, including internal forecasting, client budget planning, and participation in financial negotiations.
• Maintain target agency profitability and margin goals while balancing client needs and delivering high-quality work.
• Identify and recommend organic growth opportunities within existing client relationships.
• Introduce additional Mower capabilities and services when they align with client business and marketing needs.
• Develop relationships with prospective clients and effectively communicate Mower’s capabilities, expertise, and approach.
• Participate in new business efforts, including networking, prospect engagement, proposal development, RFPs, and pitches.
• Build and maintain professional relationships and networks that strengthen Mower’s visibility and create opportunities for the agency.
• Provide positive leadership to cross-functional account teams, including effective delegation, mentorship, and development of team members.
• Collaborate with agency leaders and subject-matter experts to ensure clients benefit from the full range of Mower’s capabilities.
• Contribute to special initiatives and projects that strengthen the agency and move Mower forward.
• Support agency growth through networking, industry involvement, thought leadership, and other business development activities as appropriate.

Education & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, advertising, communications, business, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience.
• 10+ years of account management or related client-side marketing experience.
• Experience leading complex client relationships and integrated marketing programs.
• Strong integrated media experience, with demonstrated ability to lead client conversations and collaborate with media specialists across traditional and digital channels.
• Experience connecting media strategy, performance, analytics, and measurement to broader marketing and business objectives.
• Experience developing and presenting strategic recommendations to senior client stakeholders.
• Broad understanding of digital and traditional marketing disciplines, including strategy, creative, media, performance marketing, analytics, public relations, and integrated communications.
• Experience in energy, utilities, sustainability, or a related industry is preferred but not required.
• Working knowledge of Google Analytics and marketing measurement.
• Experience managing client budgets, account financial performance, and organic growth opportunities.
• Demonstrated supervisory, delegation, and mentorship skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, collaboration technologies, and AI-enabled productivity tools.
• Strong strategic thinking with the ability to connect marketing and media recommendations to client business objectives.
• Strong integrated media fluency and the ability to confidently discuss channel strategy, performance, measurement, and optimization with clients and internal specialists.
• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Strong relationship-building skills with the ability to establish credibility and trust with clients and internal teams.
• Ability to lead and influence cross-functional teams and foster a positive, collaborative team environment.
• Strong business and financial acumen with an understanding of account profitability, forecasting, budgeting, and growth.
• Sound judgment, curiosity, and creative problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to anticipate client needs and proactively bring forward ideas, insights, and opportunities.
• AI proficiency: Ability to confidently and responsibly use AI tools in daily work to improve efficiency, creativity, and insight. Demonstrates curiosity about emerging technologies and identifies innovative ways to apply AI to enhance productivity, problem-solving, and client outcomes while adhering to Mower policies. Embraces new possibilities and adapts readily to evolving technologies.
• Ability to continuously learn and adapt to changing client needs, marketing environments, technologies, and priorities.
• Proactive, accountable, and comfortable taking ownership while maintaining a collaborative approach.

Salary Range: $105,000–$140,000 annually

Salary differential is based on seniority, merit, education, training, and experience.