Group Account Director

wundermanthompson; New York (NY); On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Full health coverage (medical, dental,

Vision coverage)

401k match (up to 5%)

Paid time off

Job summary

VML is seeking a Group Account Director to oversee and lead the brand's commerce initiatives in digital and in-store environments, providing strategic leadership for the client's programs and serving as the primary agency contact for major initiatives.

You will manage the account team, identify opportunities for growth, and collaborate with strategic planning and creative teams to deliver brilliant work for top clients.

Qualifications

• 10+ years experience minimum in commerce/shopper marketing, agency experience required.
• Proven track record of strategic leadership in Commerce, digital, in-store visibility, and shopper marketing both in agency and CPG brand management.
• Experience with Retail Media Networks, Target (Roundel) required.

Responsibilities

• Oversee and lead the brand's commerce initiatives across digital and in-store.
• Provide strategic leadership to clients and agency teams across initiatives.
• Identify opportunities for practice evolution and growth plans for clients' marketing goals.
• Manage internal workflow, briefs, and communications with senior clients.
• Forecast revenue, manage profitability, and allocate resources for global client work.
• Collaborate with planning and creative teams for concept development and execution.

Skills

Big picture

Analytical skills

Verbal communication

Written communication

Presentation skills

Interpersonal skills

Collaboration

Job description

Who We Are

VML is a leading creative company that combines brand experience, customer experience, and commerce, creating connected brands to drive growth. VML is celebrated for its innovative and award-winning human-first work for clients including AstraZeneca, Colgate-Palmolive, Dell, Ford, Microsoft, Nestlé, The Coca-Cola Company, and Wendy's. In 2026, VML was named Campaign's Global Network of the Year and ranked #2 Creative Network of the Year at Cannes Lions. VML's global network spans 55+ markets with principal offices in Buenos Aires, Kansas City, London, New York, São Paulo, Shanghai and Singapore.

VML is part of WPP , the trusted growth partner for the worlds leading brands. Powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform WPP Open, WPP unites cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, creativity, production, enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel.

For more information, please visit www.vml.com and follow along on LinkedIn #WeAreVML.

Who we are looking for:

VML is seeking Group Account Director to oversees and leads the brand's commerce initiatives in a holistic manner (digital e-commerce and in store) by providing strategic leadership and direction for the client's commercial program(s) to win at retail. You will be responsible for managing the overall business and ensuring all team members are together delivering brilliant work to our clients ongoing. You will provides strategic leadership and direction to both the internal team and to the client across the specified business unit. You will serve as the primary agency contact for the business as it pertains to larger strategic initiatives and assignments.

What you'll do:

• Manage activity workflow and align expectations within account team
• Manage the creative process and brief the creative team either personally or through close oversight of Account team, reviewing concept and comp materials
• Proactively identify opportunities for practice evolution
• Work with team in the development of concepts and supporting tactics
• Function as primary liaison to middle and senior clients on behalf of the agency regarding strategy, service-related, legal and policy issues
• Support/provide strategic leadership to clients/client leads/agency and help in identifying growth opportunities and action plans for client's marketing communications goals
• Provide support to client lead to effectively manage high level global client
• Manage internal client income projection and identify sources of incremental growth
• Manage resources to ensure client profitability
• Oversee tracking of financial forecasting/tracking and reporting and flag any potential projected income variance to Senior Management
• Work with client lead for overall staffing/resource allocation
• Manage client billing and financial status reports at a higher level
• Partner with strategic planning and creative teams for concept development
• Interact with all agency department heads to clearly outline current and projected workload on a quarterly basis for planning purposes
• Nurture the career development of junior staff by mentoring and providing ongoing informal and formal performance feedback

Who you are:

• Strong, proactive leader possessing big picture thinking
• Sound analytical skills, ideally with Nielsen or IRI familiarity
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with seasoned presentation skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills and a team player attitude
• Strong collaboration skills, with ability to work cross functionally and inter-agency

What you'll need:

• 10+ years experience minimum in commerce/shopper marketing, agency experience required
• A proven track record of strategic leadership in Commerce , digital, in-store visibility, and shopper marketing both in agency and CPG brand management
• Experience with Retail Media Networks, Target (Roundel) required

What we offer:

Passionate, driven people | We champion a culture of people that do extraordinary work.

Consciously cultivated culture | We aim to embody the behaviors to build an inclusive community that is in it together, bringing both positivity and active listening into the workplace as we simultaneously strive to empower creative bravery.

Competitive benefits | What we offer full time hires ranges from the full spectrum of group health coverage options (medical, dental, vision) to a generous 401k match (100% dollar-for-dollar match, up to 5% of salary contribution), and a variety of paid time off offerings that reflect our investment in all aspects of your overall life balance and wellness.

Growth-minded opportunities | We aim to nurture a culture of real-time feedback, growth-oriented mindset, and plenty of training opportunities through VML and WPP, so you can continue to grow personally and professionally.

The base salary range for this position at the time of this posting is indicated below. Individual compensation varies based on job-related factors, including location, business ne