Client Director

Koto; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discretionary annual bonus up to 10%

401(k) plan

Wellness benefits

Training opportunities

Paid family leave

25 days vacation

Job summary

Koto in New York is seeking a strategic Client Director to lead our Client Services team. You will partner with senior brands, oversee complex engagements, and deliver exceptional work with commercial discipline and clarity.

You will nurture relationships with C-suite stakeholders, own account profitability, mentor junior staff, and help shape proposals, scopes, budgets, and growth strategies for the studio in a collaborative, low-ego culture.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in client services or brand partnerships in branding/creative agency.
• Proven track record leading complex, high-profile engagements with senior stakeholders.
• Confident in advising C-suite clients and expanding accounts.
• Commercially astute with experience negotiating scopes and budgets.
• Strong understanding of brand strategy, creative development, and design processes.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex client engagements with strategic direction and delivery.
• Build and grow client relationships with senior and C-suite stakeholders.
• Champion exceptional creative work in partnership with creative and strategy teams.
• Drive commercial health: oversee budgets, scopes, resourcing, and profitability.
• Contribute to new business through proposals, scopes, and pitch strategies.
• Lead with empathy, sound judgment, and accountability in challenging situations.
• Develop people and strengthen the studio through mentorship and process improvements.

Skills

Client services

Brand partnerships

Relationship building

Commercial acumen

Stakeholder management

Job description

The RoleKoto is looking for a strategic, commercially minded Client Director to join our growing Client Services team in New York. You'll be a trusted partner to some of the world's most ambitious brands, building meaningful relationships, leading complex creative engagements, and helping deliver exceptional work with lasting impact. You understand how great brands are built and can balance creative ambition with commercial realities. You're confident navigating complexity, influencing senior stakeholders, and bringing clarity and direction to both clients and internal teams. You lead with empathy, sound judgment, and a genuine passion for creative excellence. This is an opportunity to play a pivotal role in shaping our client partnerships, growing our business, and contributing to the continued success of our New York studio.

Your Responsibilities

• Lead complex client engagements. You oversee multiple high-profile branding and design projects, provide strategic direction, and ensure exceptional delivery. You navigate complex stakeholder dynamics, anticipate challenges, and bring clarity and confidence to every stage of the engagement.
• Build and grow client relationships. You develop trusted partnerships with senior and C-suite stakeholders, understanding their businesses, ambitions, and challenges. You identify opportunities to deepen relationships, expand existing accounts, and position Koto as a long-term creative partner.
• Champion exceptional creative work. You partner closely with our creative and strategy teams to deliver ambitious, impactful work. You understand how to advocate for bold ideas, navigate feedback, and connect creative thinking to broader business objectives.
• Drive commercial success. You own the commercial health of your accounts, overseeing budgets, scopes, resourcing, and profitability. You confidently negotiate fees, manage commercial risks, and balance client expectations with the needs of the business and creative teams.
• Contribute to new business. You partner with studio leadership to identify and pursue new opportunities, shaping proposals, scopes, budgets, and pitch strategies. You bring a thoughtful perspective to prospective partnerships and help drive sustainable growth for the studio.
• Lead with empathy and accountability. You bring sound judgment to complex situations, knowing when to challenge, when to listen, and how to move conversations forward. You foster trust, navigate difficult decisions, and create an environment where both clients and internal teams feel supported and accountable.
• Develop people and strengthen the studio. You mentor and support more junior members of the Client Services team, sharing knowledge, providing guidance, and helping them grow. You help improve our processes, strengthen collaboration, and shape a positive, high-performing studio culture.

About You

• You have 8+ years of experience in client services or brand partnerships, ideally within a branding, design, or creative agency.
• You have a proven track record of leading complex, high-profile brand engagements and managing senior stakeholders across multiple industries.
• You're a confident relationship builder, comfortable advising C-suite clients, navigating challenging conversations, and identifying opportunities for account growth.
• You're commercially astute, with experience negotiating scopes and fees, managing budgets, and driving account profitability.
• You have a strong understanding of brand strategy, creative development, and design processes, with a genuine passion for exceptional creative work.
• You're a thoughtful, proactive leader who brings sound judgment, empathy, and a collaborative, low-ego approach to everything you do.

Our Responsibilities

• 1. We will ensure you have meaningful and regular access to your manager to support your personal development and career trajectory.
• 2. We will actively reward performance with promotions, pay increases, and a discretionary annual bonus of up to 10% of salary to all employees.
• 3. We ensure Koto is an equal environment for all its employees.
• 4. We will support you in taking family leave and offer significant paid maternity and paternity leave.
• 5. We will actively encourage you to take 25 days' vacation annually, in addition to US bank holidays and a studio closure over the December Holidays.
• 6. We will contribute an additional up to 4% to anyone wanting to contribute to our 401 (k) plan.
• 7. We deploy a monthly 'employee wellness' benefits package via Juno of $100 per month.
• 8. We offer access to YCN and fund relevant training opportunities to any employee looking to develop themselves and their career.
• 9. We reward five years of service with $5,000 and five days of vacation. We reward ten years of service with $10,000 and four weeks of holiday.
• 10. We will allow you to work from any of the four Koto studios globally, for a set period, with appropriate planning and application.

Our Culture

At Koto, we encourage our team to be 'rationally optimistic'about the potential of our work, our clients, their businesses, and the power of brand. We pursue the best briefs, aim to inspire meaningful work, and, for those interested, provide an opportunity to create the work of their lives. We are actively cultivating leadership, culture, and spaces that encourage this. We work in person with an optional WFH day on Friday, and an additional two weeks of remote work a year. We believe this produces the best work, mentoring opportunities, collective learning, and culture. We encourage autonomy for each team member, allowing them to manage their time, hours, and personal commitments to complete their work.