Account Director

mdg; Virginia (MN); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance

Tuition Reimbursement

Paid Parental Leave

Life, Accident and Disability

Retirement with Company Match

Paid Time Off

Annual bonus up to 5%

Hybrid work model

Job summary

The Freeman Company is seeking an Account Director to serve as the client's lead contact, translating marketing strategy into high-performing campaigns. The account strategist partners with them, owning creative direction, campaign execution, and measurable results.

They lead the internal account team and ensure profitability of accounts in their portfolio. They support our Client Services group under the Sales team in a hybrid schedule, typically 2-3 days in-office/show-site.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 3 years marketing experience required.
• 5+ years marketing experience strongly preferred; advanced degree may substitute.
• Agency, B2B event/association experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead client presentations and translate strategy into clear execution.
• Direct research, persona development, and strategic/tactical planning.
• Guide creative teams on brand identity and messaging aligned with strategy.
• Manage budgets, schedules, and weekly client status reports.
• Own the client relationship and drive delivery with the account team.
• Mentor junior team members and participate in hiring when applicable.

Skills

Marketing strategy

Client management

Team leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in marketing or related field

Master’s degree in related field (optional credit)

Job description

About Us

For five decades, mdg has been a leader in the association and event marketing space. And while we've been leading, we've also been learning: learning what motivates audiences now, how to build loyalty, and which performance tools actually impact registration numbers. We specialize in audience development and attendee acquisition for associations and trade shows, working across strategy, creative, digital, and communications to make that happen. We don't copy and paste strategies or use technology for show. We dig deep into unique situations and apply what makes sense, instead of what's expected.

About Us

For five decades, mdg has been a leader in the association and event marketing space. And while we've been leading, we've also been learning: learning what motivates audiences now, how to build loyalty, and which performance tools actually impact registration numbers. We specialize in audience development and attendee acquisition for associations and trade shows, working across strategy, creative, digital, and communications to make that happen. We don't copy and paste strategies or use technology for show. We dig deep into unique situations and apply what makes sense, instead of what's expected.

Summary

The Account Director is the client's lead point of contact and the person accountable for how well marketing strategy translates into an executed, high-performing campaign. The account strategist sets the client's overarching marketing strategy; the Account Director partners with them closely, brings a marketing-fluent point of view to every client conversation, and owns turning that strategy into creative direction, campaign execution, and measurable results. They lead the internal account team responsible for delivering the work, hold the team and the output to a marketing bar, not just a production schedule, and are accountable for the performance and profitability of every account in their portfolio. This position supports our Client Services group under our Sales team. It is eligible to work a hybrid schedule, generally requiring work in-office and/or show-site 2-3 days per week. The ideal candidate will be based out of any of the following locations:

• Alexandria, VA
• Washington, DC
• Chicago, IL
• San Diego, CA

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Marketing Direction & Campaign Execution

• Partner with the account strategist to bring the client's marketing strategy to life day to day, acting as the client's go-to on how that strategy shows up in the work.
• Lead client presentations and meetings, translating strategy into a clear point of view the client can act on.
• Direct primary and secondary research and persona development, feeding findings back to the account strategist to sharpen strategic and tactical plans.
• Guide the creative team through brand identity, concept, and message platform development, checking every deliverable against the client's strategy before it goes out.
• Build campaign performance benchmarking and reporting, monitor results, and flag course corrections to the account strategist.

Client & Account Ownership

• Own the client relationship as mdg's lead point of contact, managing accounts autonomously and staying ahead of client needs.
• Lead campaign kickoffs, new client onboarding, and all other client meetings.
• Draft scopes of work and budgets for account strategist approval ahead of client presentation.
• Send weekly updates to clients and the account strategist on job status, production schedule, and performance.
• Represent mdg at client events on-site, directing research, press, social content, and photo/video capture as needed.

Team Leadership

• Set the internal account team's roles and expectations at kickoff, and lead the team through delivery.
• Own the production schedule and campaign timeline, keeping the team's output on-strategy, high-quality, and on time.
• Review all creative and copy for strategic and brand consistency before anything reaches the client.
• Mentor junior account team members; where applicable, manage direct reports and participate in hiring.

Financial & Operational Stewardship

• Own budget tracking, billing reconciliation, and resource allocation for each account, flagging risks or opportunities to the account strategist.
• Approve project estimates, manage invoicing and POs, and open/close projects in WMJ.
• Deliver weekly client reports to circle leaders; on the first Friday of each month, send to ownership with circle leaders cc'd.

Education & Experience

• Minimum of 3 years of marketing experience required.
• 5+ years marketing experience strongly preferred. Master’s degree in related field (business or marketing) may be used in lieu of one year of required experience.
• Marketing agency, B2B event and/or association experience preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree in related field (in marketing, public relations, communications, psychology or general business) preferred.

Travel Requirements

Travel up to 25%

What We Offer

The Freeman Company provides benefits that aim to empower our people and their families to thrive mentally, physically, and financially. These are a handful of the types of programs and benefits our full-time people may be eligible for. There may be some variances in specific benefits across regions.

• Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Paid Parental Leave
• Life, Accident and Disability
• Retirement with Company Match
• Paid Time Off
• Salary range of $85,000-$100,000 based upon experience
• Eligible for an annual bonus of up to 5% of the base salary

Diversity Commitment

At The Freeman Company, our commitment to diversity and inclusion is helping us to create not only a great place to work, but also an environment where our employees, our customers and our communities around the world can reach their goals and connect with each other. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status and other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

#TFCmdg