Account Director

Sköna; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

10 work-from-anywhere days

Paid federal company holidays + winter

Full medical/dental/vision package

Weekly team lunch and snacks

Job summary

Sköna, a small yet mighty global creative agency with roots in Stockholm and a heart in San Francisco, seeks an Account Director to steer strategic partnerships, grow client relationships, and guide multi-disciplinary teams.

You will translate business goals into bold marketing and creative strategies, lead C-suite conversations, and ensure on-time, on-budget delivery while fostering a culture of collaboration, curiosity, and craft.

Qualifications

• 8–10+ years of experience in marketing, branding, or creative agencies.
• Minimum 5 years in account management / client services roles.
• 3+ years leading and mentoring teams.
• Proven experience managing large, multi-disciplinary accounts.
• Strong financial acumen with experience owning budgets.
• Demonstrated success driving organic account growth.
• Strategic thinker with executive-level storytelling and presentation ability.
• Highly organized with exceptional project management skills.
• Strong negotiation and scope management capabilities.
• Thrives in a fast-moving, entrepreneurial agency environment.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Communications, or related field (or equivalent experience)

Responsibilities

• Serve as the strategic partner and primary point of accountability across assigned accounts.
• Develop deep understanding of clients’ business models, audiences, competitive landscape, and growth objectives.
• Translate business goals into clear marketing and creative strategies.
• Confidently lead executive-level conversations, presentations, and workshops.
• Provide proactive recommendations rooted in insight and industry best practices.
• Anticipate challenges before they arise and guide clients through complex decisions.
• Own client satisfaction and relationship health on assigned accounts.
• Accountable for on-time, on-budget, high-quality delivery.
• Ensure profitability across client accounts through disciplined scope management and proactive financial oversight.
• Oversee multiple concurrent initiatives across brand, digital, and campaign work.
• Ensure creative output aligns with client strategy, brand guidelines, and KPIs.
• Act as the bridge between client, strategy, creative, and production teams.
• Support teams in setting clear objectives, timelines, and deliverables.
• Identify and resolve scope creep early and constructively.
• Develop SOWs and scopes; support contract negotiation.
• Identify organic growth opportunities within existing accounts.
• Proactively bring forward ideas and creative opportunities.
• Contribute to new business through proposal development, pitch presentations, and relationship building.
• Build strong industry relationships that expand Sköna’s network and visibility.
• Lead, mentor, and develop account team members.
• Set a high bar for professionalism, accountability, and collaboration.
• Drive process improvements that increase efficiency without sacrificing creativity.
• Working fluency with AI tools in client and agency workflows.
• Foster cross-functional collaboration and healthy team dynamics.
• Model calm, confident leadership under pressure.

Skills

Account leadership

Strategic thinking

Executive presentations

Team mentorship

Financial acumen

Client relationship management

Negotiation

Cross-functional collaboration

AI tools fluency

Storytelling

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Communications, or related field

Job description

We’re a small (but mighty) global creative agency with roots in Stockholm and a heart in San Francisco – think Scandinavian minimalism meets West Coast quirkiness. We help B2B and tech companies transform into brave brands through strategy, design, campaigns, events, and digital experiences.

We’re a tight-knit team that believes great work comes from collaboration, curiosity, and a healthy dose of “fika” (look it up). We value a strong culture, a well-stocked snack cabinet, creative thinking, and work-life balance. Pups are welcome in the office every day, and on Thursdays, we have team lunch and hold a weekly creative inspo session. Every year, we all get together for a global retreat – we are 2 offices but one company.

Role Overview

At Sköna, Account Directors are strategic leaders, commercial stewards, and culture carriers. This role sits at the intersection of client partnership, creative excellence, and business growth.

We’re looking for an Account Director who thrives in the fast-paced world of creative agencies. You’ve been in the game long enough to keep your cool – tight deadlines, shifting priorities, and big personalities don’t shake you. Instead, you turn chaos into clarity and make those around you better.

Clients trust your strategic insight. Your team values your leadership. And when you speak, people listen.

You don’t just manage accounts, you grow them. You don’t just deliver projects, you elevate them.

Main Areas of Responsibility

• Serve as the strategic partner and primary point of accountability across assigned accounts
• Develop deep understanding of clients’ business models, audiences, competitive landscape, and growth objectives
• Translate business goals into clear marketing and creative strategies
• Confidently lead executive-level conversations, presentations, and workshops
• Provide proactive recommendations rooted in insight and industry best practices
• Anticipate challenges before they arise and guide clients through complex decisions
• Own client satisfaction and relationship health on assigned accounts

Project Management & Delivery

• Accountable for on-time, on-budget, high-quality delivery
• Ensure profitability across client accounts through disciplined scope management and proactive financial oversight
• Oversee multiple concurrent initiatives across brand, digital, and campaign work
• Ensure creative output aligns with client strategy, brand guidelines, and KPIs
• Act as the bridge between client, strategy, creative, and production teams
• Support teams in setting clear objectives, timelines, and deliverables
• Identify and resolve scope creep early and constructively
• Develop SOWs and scopes; support contract negotiation

Growth & Business Development

• Identify organic growth opportunities within existing accounts
• Proactively bring forward ideas and creative opportunities
• Contribute to new business through proposal development, pitch presentations, and relationship building
• Build strong industry relationships that expand Sköna’s network and visibility

Team Leadership & Operations

• Lead, mentor, and develop account team members
• Set a high bar for professionalism, accountability, and collaboration
• Drive process improvements that increase efficiency without sacrificing creativity
• Working fluency with AI tools in client and agency workflows
• Foster cross-functional collaboration and healthy team dynamics
• Model calm, confident leadership under pressure

Requirements

• 8–10+ years of experience in marketing, branding, or creative agencies
• Minimum 5 years in account management / client services roles
• 3+ years leading and mentoring teams
• Proven experience managing large, multi-disciplinary accounts
• Strong financial acumen with experience owning budgets
• Demonstrated success driving organic account growth
• Strategic thinker with excellent storytelling skills and executive-level presentation ability
• Highly organized and detail-oriented, with exceptional project management skills
• Strong negotiation and scope management capabilities
• Ability to thrive in a fast-moving, entrepreneurial agency environment
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Communications, or related field (or equivalent experience)

6 Signs That You Are the Right Candidate: Sköna’s Values

• You are a creative problem solver–you have an entrepreneurial spirit and you act proactively.
• You have a doggedly curious spirit.
• You are fun to work with–and you have great people skills.
• You love design and using creativity as a tool to help elevate brands and drive business growth.
• You like working in a small environment with a flat organization where everyone’s opinion is respected. In other words, the idea of Team Skona always coming first appeals to you!
• You embrace discomfort – you think outside the box and are open to new ideas, types of work, and ways of doing things.
• Salary commensurate with experience
• 10 work-from-anywhere days
• Paid federal company holidays + winter holiday closure
• Full medical/dental/vision package to fit your needs
• Weekly team lunch and snacks provided

Sköna is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race (including traits associated with race, such as hair texture and hairstyles like braids, locs, and twists), color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), gender, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, or any other protected characteristic or combination of those characteristics.