Director of Account Management

Mainland; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental and vision insurance

Paid time off & holidays

Retirement benefits

Company-sponsored programs

Job summary

Mainland is seeking a Director of Account Management to lead, grow and protect a portfolio of client relationships while developing a high-performing Account Management team. This senior role carries accountability for client health, retention, growth, strategy and portfolio performance.

The Director will translate client objectives into clear strategies, supervise the full Mainland delivery team, and ensure every account is planned at least 60 days ahead with proactive problem-solving and

Qualifications

• 7–10 years of progressive experience in account management, client services, marketing, communications, public relations or an integrated agency environment.
• Bachelor’s degree required Master’s preferred
• Proven track record of managing and expanding client account portfolios and cultivating executive-level client trust.
• Proven experience managing and developing direct reports.

Responsibilities

• Own the health, retention, performance and growth of an assigned portfolio of Mainland clients.
• Establish a clear definition of winning for every client and translate objectives into strategies.
• Lead strategic client meetings, reviews and executive-level conversations as needed.
• Identify risks early and bring recovery plans before issues become client escalations or lost business.
• Partner with content, PR, digital and creative leaders to align delivery with client goals.
• Build a high-performing Account Management team through coaching and clear KPI expectations.

Skills

Account management

Client services

Marketing

Public relations

Integrated agency

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree

Job description

Hello Mainland Director of Account Management Chicago, IL·Full time Company website Apply for Director of Account Management

The Director of Account Management is responsible for leading client relationships, driving retention and account growth, and overseeing the Account Management team. This person ensures client goals are translated into clear strategies, teams stay ahead of client needs, and work across departments delivers measurable results.

About Mainland (Founded 2008)Mainland is not a traditional agency. We are a growth platform built for brands that need to win, not just show up.Since 2008, we’ve operated at the intersection of content, public relations, and digital, helping companies build momentum through a system we call the Conveyor Belt: create meaningful stories, amplify them through media, and convert that attention into real business outcomes.We work with ambitious brands, especially in franchising, that want more than activity. They want results. That means everything we do is tied to a clear definition of winning, measurable outputs, and consistent execution.We move fast. We expect accountability. And we care deeply about the work.We call it Give a Shit.

Description

Director of Account Management

ABOUT THE JOB

Mainland is looking for an experienced Director of Account Management to lead, grow and protect a portfolio of client relationships while developing a high-performing Account Management team.

This is a senior leadership role with direct accountability for client health, retention, growth, strategy and portfolio performance. The Director is responsible for ensuring Mainland understands what winning means for every client, translates those business objectives into clear strategies and ensures the full Mainland delivery team is working against those objectives.

The Director will lead key client relationships, develop and hold Account Managers accountable, proactively identify risks and opportunities, and ensure every account is planned at least 60 days ahead. This person is expected to identify problems before they become client problems, bring solutions rather than explanations, and create clarity and accountability across Account Management, Content, PR, Digital and Creative.

This is not simply a client-service role. The Director of Account Management is expected to operate as a business leader — protecting revenue, growing relationships, developing people and ensuring Mainland's work creates measurable value for its clients.

Primary Responsibilities

Own Client Health, Strategy and Growth

• Own the health, retention, performance and growth of an assigned portfolio of Mainland clients.
• Establish a clear definition of \"winning\" for every client, including the business objectives Mainland has been hired to influence.
• Translate client objectives into clear Why You/Why Now strategies and ensure those strategies guide the work being delivered across Mainland.
• Serve as a senior strategic partner to key clients and build trusted relationships with client leadership.
• Identify account risks early and bring forward clear recovery plans before issues become client escalations or lost business.
• Identify and pursue opportunities to expand client relationships through additional services, scope and strategic opportunities.
• Lead strategic client meetings, business reviews, account resets and executive-level conversations as needed.
• Maintain a strong understanding of each client's business, industry, competitive environment and growth objectives.

Own the Account Operating System

• Ensure every assigned account maintains a current, accurate and strategically useful Activity Report.
• Ensure accounts are planned at least 60 days ahead, with clear strategies, deliverables, owners and deadlines.
• Use Activity Reports as active management tools to evaluate client health, delivery performance, strategy, risks and opportunities — not simply as reporting documents.
• Ensure commitments are completed on time and at the quality level expected by Mainland and its clients.
• Maintain visibility into Yellow and Red accounts and establish clear recovery plans, owners and timelines.
• Ensure there are no surprises by escalating meaningful client, delivery or performance risks early.
• Close loops. Follow through on commitments and ensure unresolved issues have clear ownership and next actions.

Lead the Mainland Conveyor Belt

• Own whether Mainland's collective work is moving the client toward its defined business objectives.
• Partner closely with Content, PR, Digital and Creative leaders to ensure delivery aligns with account strategy and client goals.
• Evaluate delivery results and data, identify what is and is not working and recommend changes to strategy.
• When execution falls behind or results are not meeting expectations, take ownership of driving the solution across the appropriate teams.
• Bring problems with proposed solutions, rather than identifying issues without a path forward.
• Create clarity between Account Management and Delivery regarding priorities, responsibilities, timelines and expected outcomes.

Build and Lead a High-Performing Account Team

• Lead, coach and develop Account Managers to become increasingly independent strategic account leaders.
• Establish clear expectations, KPIs and accountability for client service, strategy, Activity Reports, planning, execution, retention and growth.
• Provide direct, timely feedback and coaching when expectations are not being met.
• Build team capability so senior leaders are not required to intervene constantly in day-to-day execution.
• Evaluate team performance objectively and address performance gaps quickly.
• Create an environment of accountability, collaboration, urgency and solutions-oriented leadership.
• Model Mainland's expectation that leaders own outcomes rather than assign blame.

Protect and Grow the Business

• Maintain visibility into portfolio revenue, retention, expansion opportunities and account profitability.
• Identify opportunities to grow existing relationships through expanded scopes and additional Mainland services.
• Partner with Growth and executive leadership on pitches, proposals and prospective client opportunities.
• Participate in client-loss reviews to identify warning signs, root causes and improvements that can prevent future churn.
• Apply lessons from lost or at-risk clients across the broader portfolio.
• Help identify opportunities to improve Mainland's Account Management processes, tools, technology and client experience.

How we measure success

Success in this role is measured by outcomes, not activity.

The Director of Account Management will be evaluated against:

• Portfolio growth and expansion
• Client health
• Activity Report quality and compliance
• On-time execution and closed-loop follow-through
• Identification and recovery of at-risk accounts
• Delivery against defined client business objectives
• Account Manager performance and development
• Cross-functional execution
• Client satisfaction
• Portfolio revenue and profitability
• Contribution to new business and organic growth

QUALIFICATIONS

• 7–10 years of progressive experience in account management, client services, marketing, communications, public relations or an integrated agency environment.
• Bachelor’s degree required Master’s preferred
• Proven track record of managing and expanding client account portfolios, alongside a strong capacity to cultivate executive-level client trust.
• Proven experience managing and developing direct reports.
• Strong track record of client retention, relationship development and account growth.
• Experience contributing to business development, pitches, proposals and new client opportunities.
• Strong understanding of integrated marketing, including PR, content, social media and digital marketing.
• Strong financial and business acumen with an understanding of revenue, account growth and profitability.
• Ability to balance strategic leadership with strong operational execution.
• Ability to lead through change, competing priorities and challenging client situations.

COMPENSATION

Base Salary: $100,000–$130,000 annually, plus bonus eligibility.

Actual compensation will be determined based on relevant experience, skills, qualifications and business needs. This position is also eligible for a performance-based bonus in accordance with Mainland's applicable bonus program.

BENEFITS

Eligible employees have access to Mainland's benefits package, which may include:

• Medical, dental and vision insurance
• Paid time off and paid holidays
• Retirement benefits, if applicable
• Additional company-sponsored benefits and programs available to eligible employees

Specific eligibility, coverage and benefit details will be provided during the hiring process and are subject to the terms of the applicable plans and policies.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Mainland is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing a workplace free from discrimination and harassment. Employment decisions are made without regard to any status protected by applicable federal, state or local law.