Client Partner

Design Bridge and Partners; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Outstanding benefits

Competitive benefits package

Job summary

Design Bridge and Partners, part of WPP, seeks a Client Partner in New York to lead executive relationships and drive world-class brand transformations for North America clients.

You will guide cross-disciplinary teams across Creative, Strategy and Operations, own high-stakes pitches, manage budgets, and mentor a high-performing leadership group in a hybrid in-office and client-site model.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of senior client leadership within top-tier brands or consultancies.
• Expertise in contract negotiations, budgets, and account growth.
• Proven success in leading winning pitches to high-value clients.
• Strong mentorship, performance management and team development.
• Ability to collaborate with Creative, Strategy, and Operations leads.

Responsibilities

• Lead flagship client accounts and growth opportunities leveraging the wider WPP network.
• Own end-to-end new business pitches from qualification to negotiation.
• Manage client budgets, project profitability, and resourcing to maintain margins.
• Mentor and develop a high-performing Client Leadership team with inclusive culture.

Skills

Senior leadership

Commercial acumen

Pitch leadership

People leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Job description

At Design Bridge and Partners, part of WPP, we design brands with the power to move-pulling people towards them with an irresistible force that compels and connects. With 900 creative minds across 18 studios worldwide, diverse in expertise, experience, backgrounds, and beliefs, we are united in our ambition to achieve real impact for our clients' brands, benefiting their business, people, and the planet. Our clients include global brands across industries, such as technology, finance, consumer goods, and media.

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.

The Role

The Client Leadership team creates the relationships and conditions through which Design Bridge and Partners delivers great work. As a Client Partner, you will drive commercial and creative success across our North America portfolio-cultivating executive-level client partnerships, leading high-stakes new business pitches, and empowering multi-disciplinary teams to deliver world-class brand transformations.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Client & Business Growth: Serve as the primary lead for flagship client accounts and high-value growth opportunities, leveraging the full capabilities of Design Bridge and Partners and the wider WPP network.
• New Business & Pitch Leadership: Own end-to-end new business initiatives, overseeing the process from pitch qualification and strategy through to final presentation and commercial negotiation.
• Commercial & Operational Rigor: Partner with Commercial Finance to manage client budgets, drive project profitability, optimize team resourcing, and maintain high contribution margins.
• Team Leadership & Culture: Directly line-manage, mentor, and develop a high-performing Client Leadership team, promoting an inclusive culture and agency best-practice principles.

What You'll Need

• 8+ Years of Senior Client Leadership: Proven experience building trust with complex, high-profile B2B and B2C clients within a top-tier brand, design, or FMCG consultancy.
• Commercial Acumen: Expertise in client contract negotiations, budget forecasting, and driving organic account expansion.
• Pitch & Growth Track Record: Demonstrated success leading winning pitches and converting prospective clients.
• Inspirational People Leadership: Skilled at mentoring team members, setting performance standards, and supporting career progression.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Ability to partner seamlessly with Creative, Strategy, and Operations leads to guide cross-discipline teams toward exceptional delivery.

Why Us?

We're passionate about our people and their careers. We'll help you develop your skills and provide you with outstanding benefits, giving you the chance to make your mark on our future, as we make a mark on yours. We're proud to be the world's most awarded brand design agency, with 28 Cannes Lions to our name and Creative Review Annual's Most Creative Design Agency of the Year 2024. You'll get to take new projects to award-winning potential, as part of a connected team of brilliant, tenacious people right by your side and across the world.

The salaryfor this position at the time of this posting may range from $150,000 to $250,000. Individual compensation varies based on job related factors, including location, business needs, level of responsibility, experience, and qualifications. We offer a competitive benefits package, click WPP Benefits for more details.

At Design Bridge and Partners, we believe that being together in person drives stronger collaboration, sparks creativity, and builds deeper connections, all of which contribute to your professional growth and the exceptional work we deliver for our clients. We operate a hybrid model, a mix of in-office (or with clients) and WFH. Our managers will discuss specific in-office requirements based on the role.

Design Bridge and Partners, a WPP company, is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to particular 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.