Client Services Manager

Aardvark-Studios; Conshohocken (Montgomery County); On-site; USD 75,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation package

Paid time off

Medical / Dental / Vision benefits

Life insurance, short & long-term disb

Retirement matching after 1 year

On-site private-use gym

Dog-friendly workspace

Job summary

Aardvark Studios seeks a Client Services Manager to own everything after the sale, serving as the client’s single point of contact from kickoff through recap and renewal. You will advocate for clients inside the studio and lead collaboration across Creative, Fabrication, Fleet, and Field teams to ensure delivery and success.

You will manage program KPIs, maintain proactive communication, and protect scope, budget, and timeline while driving renewals and expansions with agency partners and brands.

Qualifications

• 5–7+ years in client services, account management, or program management in experiential/event marketing
• Experience leading cross-functional teams and coordinating multi-stakeholder programs
• Proven ability to manage six-figure budgets and track KPIs effectively
• Strong communication, client advocacy, and renewal/upsell capabilities

Responsibilities

• Owns full client/program ownership post-sale from kickoff to recap and renewal
• Lead program kickoffs, set timelines, and define success criteria with clients
• Manage client communications, approvals, scope changes, and change orders
• Track KPIs, provide real-time reporting, and drive course corrections when needed
• Coordinate cross-functional teams (Creative, Fabrication, Fleet, Facilities) to deliver programs
• Ensure budget discipline, invoicing, and risk management across programs
• Mentor Coordinators and contribute to Client Services standards

Skills

Client services

Account management

Program management

Budget management

KPI reporting

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Are you ready to join an innovative team that pushes the boundaries of creativity and delivers exceptional results?

At Aardvark Studios, we thrive in complex, fast-moving creative environments. Simply calling us a "Creative Fabrication Company" or an "Experiential Marketing Company" doesn't capture the full scope of what we do. We are a dynamic design, build, and technology studio serving the experiential marketing, mobile tour, and location-based entertainment industries, constantly evolving with every unique program we take on.

That evolution requires strong client leadership.

• When a client asks how their tour is performing mid-flight, do you already have the answer?
• When the Run of Show changes 90 minutes before doors open, what do you do?
• When multiple stakeholders are giving direction and clarity is needed, do you hesitate or step in?
• When a client asks for "just one more thing," do you know how to protect the relationship and the program at the same time?
• If that kind of responsibility excites you, this may be the right role.

Aardvark Studios is seeking a Client Services Manager to own everything after the sale. Once a program is won, you become the client's single point of contact at Aardvark and the accountable owner of their success, from kickoff and build through mobile tour operations, recap, and renewal. Our clients include agencies, producers, and brands; you will be their advocate inside our building.

This is a highly visible role with real responsibility, meaningful client partnership, and the autonomy to lead. You won't be handed a script. You will be trusted to run the account.

What This Role Really Is

• You own everything after the sale. Once a program is won, it's yours, kickoff through recap.
• You are the client's lead at Aardvark, the one person they call, and the one person accountable for their success.
• You keep clients informed. Proactive, clear, consistent communication means they are never surprised.
• You hit the numbers. You know every program's KPIs, track them relentlessly, and report against them honestly.
• You are the operational leader of your programs, aligning creative, fabrication, fleet, logistics, drivers, field staff, and agency stakeholders, including mobile tours on the road.
• You anticipate issues before they surface. And when plans evolve, because in live programs they often do, you create clarity, protect the team, and guide the solution.
• You establish structure.
• You protect scope, budget, and timeline.
• You build trust with clients and internal teams.
• You don't just manage tasks. You own client success.

Core Responsibilities

Full ownership of assigned clients and programs after the sale, including client success, communication, KPI delivery, execution, and compliance.

Client Success & Communication

• Serve as the primary point of contact for assigned agency, producer, and brand clients from kickoff through recap and renewal
• Lead program kickoffs: translate the sold scope into a clear plan, timeline, and success criteria agreed with the client
• Lead regular client calls, guide clients through key decisions, and issue timely contact reports, status reports, and timelines, with no surprises
• Manage approvals, revisions, and client feedback; handle scope changes through clear change orders
• Know each client's objectives, calendar, and stakeholders well enough to anticipate needs rather than react to requests
• Identify renewal and expansion opportunities and bring them to Sales
• Act as the client's advocate internally and Aardvark's advocate with the client
• Represent Aardvark in meetings with senior leadership at clients, partner agencies, and vendors

KPIs & Reporting

• Set program KPIs with the client at kickoff, e.g., consumer engagements, impressions, samples, leads, tour days executed, and on-time delivery
• Track performance in real time and deliver consistent reporting throughout the program
• Provide regular updates to the Client Services Director on program status, staffing, budget, and goal tracking
• Spot programs trending behind goal early, lead the course correction, and proactively recommend program improvements
• Deliver post-program recaps and POVs with results against goals, learnings, and recommendations for the next engagement

Mobile Tour Management

• Own day-to-day tour operations: routing, scheduling, market and venue bookings, permits, travel, and logistics
• Hire, train, and remotely manage tour managers, drivers, and brand ambassadors as needed
• Keep field teams sharp with refresher trainings, role-playing, programming refreshes, and regular team communications
• Maintain DOT, fleet, and safety compliance; coordinate vehicle maintenance with Fleet & Facilities
• Collect event-day reporting from the field and resolve issues on the road, including breakdowns, weather, and venue changes
• Coordinate tour launches, mid-tour refreshes, and wrap with Fabrication and Fleet & Facilities

Program Delivery

• Take the handoff from Sales and confirm scope, deliverables, and budget with the client
• Lead cross-functional internal teams, including Creative, Fabrication, and Fleet & Facilities, from build through launch
• Navigate real-time challenges on site and on tour with composure and sound judgment

Budget Management

• Manage six-figure program budgets established at the sale with discipline and transparency
• Track actuals against budget and flag risk early
• Partner with Accounting on billing schedules, invoicing, and final reconciliations

Team & Process

• Direct and mentor Client Services Coordinators and freelance support on assigned accounts
• Contribute to Client Services standards: kickoff and handoff processes, status reporting, KPI tracking, and recap formats
• Other duties as assigned that support department and program goals

The Kind of Leader Who Thrives Here

• 5–7+ years of client services, account management, or program management experience, ideally at an experiential, event marketing, or promotional agency
• Field experience managing mobile tours, live events, or brand activations
• A track record of owning client relationships and retaining and renewing clients
• Experience setting, tracking, and reporting against program KPIs
• Experience managing six-figure program budgets with an understanding of margin responsibility
• Comfortable guiding clients through evolving situations
• Able to influence without formal authority across creative, fabrication, and field teams
• Bring calm structure to fast-moving environments
• Balance confidence with emotional intelligence
• Enjoy being trusted to make decisions
• You take pride in ownership.
• You value autonomy.
• You like building strong programs and strong relationships.

Preferred

• Agency-side experience working with brand clients and agency partners
• Familiarity with DOT regulations and tour fleet operations
• Bachelor's degree preferredWillingness to travel to client meetings, builds, and program launches as needed

How We'll Measure Success

• Client satisfaction, retention, and renewal
• Program KPIs delivered against goals
• Quality and timeliness of client communication and reporting
• Budget performance against the sold budget
• Operational excellence, safety, and DOT compliance
• Strong cross-functional alignment

What We Offer

• Competitive compensation package, commensurate with experience
• Paid time off
• Medical / Dental / Vision benefits
• Life insurance, short & long-term disability options
• Retirement matching after 1 year
• On-site private-use gym
• Dog-friendly workspace

Check us out on social here and here.

If you're looking for a role where you can lead client relationships, solve complex challenges, and see the direct impact of your work on high-profile programs, we'd love to meet you.