Director, Account Services

OpenKrill; United States; On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

bswift, a leading benefits administration company, seeks a Director of Account Services to lead the Engagement Solutions account management function. The role focuses on building structure, strategic leadership, and measurable performance across a six-member team, while aligning with creative and operations to deliver high-quality client work.

You will champion proactive, strategic partnerships, refine workflows, and explore AI-driven improvements to speed and quality.

Qualifications

• Ten or more years of experience in project management, account management or client services, preferably in an agency setting.
• Experience delivering a variety of print and digital deliverables for clients, ideally in the employee/benefits communication space.
• At least two to three years experience directly managing and developing people, with success leading teams on complex, multi-stakeholder projects.
• Deep knowledge of client management best practices and judgment to standardize vs. flex.
• Ability to design and implement processes and workflows that measurably improve efficiency and quality.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with presence.

Responsibilities

• Team leadership and development: Lead and grow a team of six account managers; set goals and conduct reviews.
• Client and account oversight: Maintain health of client relationships; manage high-visibility accounts.
• Project management, process and operations: Refine PM standards, manage scope, schedule and budget; drive adoption of tools like Monday.com.
• Innovation and AI enablement: Stay at the forefront of AI tools for project and account management; pilot and scale applications.
• Cross-functional collaboration: Report to VP; partner with Creative, Operations, Consulting, Client Service and Implementation teams.

Skills

Project management

Account management

Client services

Leadership

Team development

Communication

Process improvement

AI enablement

Tools

Monday.com

Job description

Want to be a bswifter?

At bswift we’ve been transforming benefits administration since 1996, making it simpler, smarter, and more human. Our state-of-the-art, cloud-based technology and services empower employees to understand, manage, and love their benefits. From downtown Chicago, and remotely across the country, we serve thousands of companies and millions of people nationwide, reducing administrative burdens and freeing HR teams to focus on creating thriving, people-first workplaces.

We’re looking for motivated and goal-driven individuals who share our passion for delivering excellence and creating solutions that make a difference. The reward is a fun, flexible and creative environment with ample opportunity for professional and personal growth. If you love the bswift values of pursue excellence, embrace accountability, deliver superior service, and be a great place to work, we want to hear from you!

ABOUT US:

bswift is a leading benefits administration company that specializes in providing tailored solutions for our clients. Our mission is to simplify the complex world of employee benefits and deliver exceptional service to our clients. We are looking for a talented and experienced individual to join our Engagement Solutions team as the Director, Account Services.

bswift Engagement Solutions is our communication agency, a team of more than 50 strategists, writers, designers, researchers and communication experts who help HR, benefits and internal communications leaders create communication employees actually notice, understand and act on. We support annual enrollment, year-round benefits engagement, total rewards, benefits education and workforce communication, taking clients from research and strategy through creative development and multichannel execution. Our work has earned recognition including Gold Hermes Creative Awards, and our account management team is the engine behind it. They are the people who keep complex, high-stakes client campaigns moving on time and on point.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

The Director, Account Services leads the account management function within the bswift Communication Agency. This is a newly created role, built to bring structure, consistency and strategic leadership to a team that sits at the center of how our clients experience bswift.

Reporting to the Vice President, Engagement Solutions, you will lead and develop a team of account managers, own the standards and processes by which client work moves through the agency, and serve as the team’s strongest advocate. You will partner closely with the Senior Directors, Communication and collaborate with our Creative and Operations teams to ensure account managers are set up to deliver exceptional, on-time work.

We are looking for a leader who is energized by building something. You will inherit a talented team and a real opportunity to move the function from tactical execution toward proactive, strategic partnership — refining workflows, getting more out of the tools we already have, and staying at the forefront of how AI can make project management smarter and faster.

WHAT YOU WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR (Essential Functions):

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.

Team leadership and development

• - Lead, coach and develop a team of six communications account managers, including regular one-on-ones, goal setting, performance reviews and career development planning
• - Hire, onboard and train new account managers, building ramp plans that bring new team members to full productivity quickly
• - Serve as a visible advocate for the account management team — surfacing capacity concerns, removing roadblocks and ensuring the team has the tools, information and support needed to do their jobs well
• - Balance workload and resourcing across the team, matching account manager capacity and strengths to client needs
• - Establish clear expectations, competency standards and career paths for the account management function
• - Build a culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement

Client and account oversight

• - Own the overall health of the agency’s client relationships from an account management standpoint, ensuring consistency and quality across all accounts
• - Directly manage a small volume of high visibility and revenue accounts within the business, implementing account and project management best practices and leading the team through the day to day.
• - Set and enforce best practices for client management, including communication cadence, status reporting, escalation paths and documentation standards
• - Step in on complex, high-visibility or at-risk accounts to provide senior-level support, issue resolution and direct client engagement
• - Partner with the Senior Directors of Communication to align account management support with client strategy and consulting priorities
• - Identify opportunities to strengthen and expand client relationships, partnering with consulting leads to execute
• - Represent the account management perspective in client planning, renewal and new business conversations as needed

Project management, process and operations

• - Own and continuously refine the agency’s project management standards, intake processes and workflows
• - Ensure projects across the team are scoped, scheduled, resourced and delivered on time and within budget
• - Maximize the capability of the agency’s project management platform (including Monday.com), driving consistent adoption, meaningful reporting and automation wherever possible
• - Establish clear visibility into team capacity, project status and delivery metrics, and report on them to leadership
• - Partner with Creative and Operations to streamline handoffs, reduce rework and eliminate low-value manual steps
• - Move the function from reactive and tactical toward proactive and strategic by anticipating client needs and building repeatable approaches

Innovation and AI enablement

• - Stay at the forefront of AI and emerging tools in project and account management, identifying, piloting and scaling the applications that improve speed, quality and consistency
• - Bring new ideas to how the agency works, building the business case and leading change management for adoption
• - Champion continuous improvement, using team feedback and delivery data to prioritize the changes that matter most

Cross-functional collaboration

• - Report to the Vice President, Engagement Solutions, providing regular updates on team performance, capacity, risks and opportunities
• - Collaborate with the Creative, Operations, Consulting, Client Service and Implementation teams to ensure coordination, visibility and knowledge sharing on behalf of clients
• - Serve as a connective point between account management and the broader bswift organization

WHAT YOU NEED TO SUCCEED (Required Education and Experience):

• - Ten or more years of experience in project management, account management or client services, preferably in a marketing or communications function within an agency setting
• - Experience delivering a variety of print and digital deliverables for clients, ideally in the employee / benefits communication space. Examples include mailers, posters, digital guides, videos, public sites, and more.
• - At least two to three years experience directly managing and developing people, with demonstrated success in leading teams that deliver complex, multi-stakeholder client projects on time and within budget
• - Deep knowledge of client management best practices, with the judgment to know when to standardize and when to flex
• - Proven ability to design and implement processes and workflows that measurably improve efficiency and quality, with excellent organization and problem-solving skills a must, with experience across platforms such as Monday.com, including building boards, automations and reporting
• - Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the presence