Account Director

twentysix; Rogers (AR); Hybrid; USD 75,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health coverage

401k match

Paid time off

Growth opportunities

Job summary

VML is seeking an Account Director to manage program development and execution while driving brand strategy through retail partners and shaping the shopper journey across omnichannel touchpoints. Build strong client relationships through expert counsel, flawless execution, and achievement of objectives.

You will lead proposals with input from account leadership, collaborate with strategy and creative teams, and oversee budgets and timelines to ensure successful outcomes for a new client

Qualifications

• 8+ years of advertising or marketing experience; agency experience required.
• Shopper marketing/retailer network experience required.
• Strong leadership, client management, and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Build rapport with day-to-day and senior level clients based on trust and expert strategic counsel.
• Stay informed about client category, competitors, and market trends; share insights with internal teams.
• Develop and execute marketing solutions addressing client challenges and opportunities.
• Propose well-grounded marketing recommendations aligned with client objectives.
• Own development of proposals and presentations with input from account lead.
• Collaborate to develop creative briefs with strategy and creative teams.
• Manage creative development from concept to production, ensuring quality and timing.
• Evaluate copy, layouts, and media plans; propose revisions aligned with strategy.
• Resolve client problems quickly to ensure satisfaction and retention.
• Evaluate campaign effectiveness and recommend optimizations for future iterations.
• Lead client and internal meetings; prepare agendas, decks and follow-ups.
• Manage project scopes and budgets; secure approvals and adjust budgets as needed.

Skills

Advertising experience

Agency experience

Client management

Presentation skills

Budget management

Job description

Who We Are

VML, part of WPP, is a leading creative company that combines brand experience, customer experience, and commerce, creating connected brands to drive growth. VML is celebrated for its innovative and human first, award-winning work for blue chip client partners including AstraZeneca, Colgate-Palmolive, Dell, Ford, Microsoft, Nestlé, The Coca-Cola Company, and Wendy's. The agency is recognized by the Forrester Wave™ Reports, as a Leader among Marketing Creative and Content Service Providers, Commerce Services, Global Digital Experience Services, Global Marketing Services and, most recently, Marketing Measurement & Optimization. In addition, VML’s specialist health network, VML Health, is one of the world’s largest and most awarded health agencies. VML’s global network is powered by 26,000 talented people across 55+ markets, with principal offices in Kansas City, New York, Detroit, London, São Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore, and Sydney.

About WPP

WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. We unite cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel in a single company – powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open, to help our clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth. For more information, visit WPP.com.

**Who we are looking for: **

VML is seeking an Account Director to manage program development, execution activities while driving brand strategy through retail partners and influencing the shopper along the omni-channel path to purchase for a new client of ours. Ensure program success by building and maintaining strong customer relationships through delivery of expert counsel, understanding of the business, flawless execution, and achievement of objectives.

What you’ll do:

• Build rapport and credibility with day-to-day and senior level clients based on trust and expert strategic counsel
• Serve as an expert in the client’s business and category, staying abreast of competitors, product development and market trends, and sharing information with internal team members
• Stay alert for opportunities to grow client business; research client’s category and competitive landscape; define key strategic issues and opportunities for the brand/category and impact on client’s objectives; author POVs and strategies to address issues/opportunities and present to client
• Develop and execute marketing solutions to address client’s challenges
• Provide well-grounded marketing recommendations and ideas to clients based on their objectives and business needs
• Own development of proposals/presentations with input from account lead
• Collaborate with the client, account director, strategy and creative to develop creative briefs
• Manage the creative development process from concept phase through to production
• Evaluate copy, layouts, artwork, media plans and productions materials and make suggested revisions in keeping with agreed upon strategy and business objectives
• Quickly and effectively resolve client problems/concerns to ensure client satisfaction
• Evaluate effectiveness of marketing program, make recommendations to optimize future iterations of the program and determine next steps
• Lead internal and client meetings, presentations and calls; prepare relevant documents, including agendas, presentation decks and follow up communications, etc.
• Manage project scopes and budgets; alert client of financial and timing implications of their request(s); secure client approval to proceed; and revise budgets as needed
• Keep agency team informed of client requests and changes; anticipate potential problems and potential implications; proactively develop and execute solutions; allocate necessary resources

Who you are:

• Able to build relationships and collaborate effectively with clients, agency partners, other departments and teams to successfully deliver quality work
• Able to communicate clearly, thoroughly, succinctly and in a timely manner both verbally and in writing; responds to comments, suggestions and criticisms in a thoughtful and constructive manner
• Strong presentation skills; successfully presents and sells new thinking, strategies and/or ideas to clients
• Strong attention to detail, organization and process orientation, demonstrated through actively and effectively managing timelines, budgets, and deliverables for multiple projects simultaneously

What you’ll need:

• 8+ years of advertising or marketing experience; agency experience required
• Shopper marketing/retailer network experience required
• Comprehensive knowledge of client category and business objectives, and a clear understanding of the key strategic issues that impact the client’s business
• Experience managing and/or mentoring individuals and providing actionable constructive feedbackStrong leadership, client management, and communication skills

What we offer:

• **Passionate, driven people **| We champion a culture of people that do extraordinary work.
• **Consciously cultivated culture **| We aim to embody the behaviors to build an inclusive community that is in it together, bringing both positivity and active listening into the workplace as we simultaneously strive to empower creative bravery.
• Competitive benefits | What we offer full time hires ranges from the full spectrum of group health coverage options (medical, dental, vision) to a generous 401k match (100% dollar-for-dollar match, up to 5% of salary contribution), and a variety of paid time off offerings that reflect our investment in all aspects of your overall life balance and wellness.
• Growth-minded opportunities | We aim to nurture a culture of real-time feedback, growth-oriented mindset, and plenty of training opportunities through VML and WPP, so you can continue to grow personally and professionally.

VML is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, religion or belief, sex, age, national origin, citizenship status, marital status, military/veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical or mental disability, or other protected group status. We believe in creating a dynamic work environment that values diversity and inclusion and strives to recruit a diverse slate of candidates to help us achieve that goal.

The base salary range for this position at the time of this posting is indicated below. Individual compensation varies based on job-related factors, including location, business needs, level of responsibility, experience, and qualifications. We offer a competitive benefits package, WPP Benefits for more details.

_£75,000-$180,000 USD We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office an average of four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.

WPP (VML) is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.

VML is a WPP agency (NYSE: WPP). For more information,please visit www.vml.com, andfollowalong on Instagram,LinkedIn, andX.