Senior Account Director

Skona; San Francisco, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 155,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) plan matching

Competitive vacation policy

Weekly team lunch and snacks provided

Learning & development budget

Commuter benefits

Full medical/dental/vision package

Job summary

Sköna, a global creative agency with roots in Stockholm and a heart in San Francisco, is seeking a Senior Account Director to own the multi-year growth of a B2B tech client portfolio. You will lead C-level relationships, drive revenue growth, and manage a high-performing cross-functional team.

The role requires 10+ years in an agency or consulting environment, with 5+ years in account leadership and proven ability to hit margins and revenue targets.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business or marketing or equivalent.
• 10+ years in an agency or management consulting environment.
• 5+ years in account leadership with direct commercial accountability.
• Managed an annual client portfolio of at least $500k with 45%+ gross margin.
• Led and won major pitches with a ≥60% win rate and deals ≥$100k; documented upsell/cross-sell ≥$250k/year.

Responsibilities

• Define strategy, overall vision, and priorities for programs/initiatives.
• Lead pitches, proposals, and commercial negotiations.
• Own revenue targets and portfolio-level profitability; manage budgets and scope.
• Oversee cross-functional delivery teams and ensure on-time, within-budget delivery.

Skills

Account leadership

P&L ownership

New business development

Client relationship management

Pitching

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business or marketing

Job description

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Hybrid | San Francisco

Are you a stellar senior account director?

Careers

We’re a small (but mighty) global creative agency with roots in Stockholm and a heart in San Francisco – think Scandinavian minimalism meets West Coast quirkiness. We help B2B and tech companies transform into brave brands through strategy, design, campaigns, events, and digital experiences.

We’re a tight-knit team that believes great work comes from collaboration, curiosity, and a healthy dose of “fika” (look it up). We value a strong culture, a well-stocked snack cabinet, creative thinking, and work-life balance. Pups are welcome in the office every day, and on Thursdays, we have team lunch and hold a weekly creative inspo session. Every year, we all get together for a global retreat – we are 2 offices but one company.

Role Overview

The Senior Account Director is a commercial and strategic senior-level role with full P&L responsibility for a client portfolio. You own the multi-year growth of our B2B tech clients, lead C-level relationships, and are responsible for a high-performing cross-functional team. You set strategy and roadmap, lead pitches and commercial negotiations, and carry ultimate responsibility for revenue growth, margin, and client satisfaction across multiple accounts.

Decision-Making Authority

• Define strategy, overall vision, and determine priorities for all programs/initiatives.
• Approve pricing, SOW structure, and commercial terms.
• Approve and own SOW, scope changes, and change orders.
• Own resource allocation: staffing, priorities, and choice of external partners/vendors.
• Responsible for quarterly client plan (QBR), including goals and KPIs.
• Serve as the highest escalation point for risk, quality, and client relationship; can halt or reprioritize work to protect margin and results.
• Approve creative direction before production.
• Set and track revenue, margin, and client satisfaction targets at portfolio level.
• Commercial Ownership
• Own revenue targets for a client portfolio and ensure gross margin.
• Drive expansion in existing accounts.
• Lead pitches/proposals with a high win rate.
• Set and track client satisfaction (NPS/relationship health) ≥ 70.

Client Relationships & Business Development

• Build and maintain long-term, trust-based client relationships and be their go-to advisor in marketing and communications.
• Understand each client’s business, brand, customers, competitors, and market—and act as a strategic partner and advisor.
• Identify and develop new needs, business opportunities, and growth potential, including upselling.
• Lead pitch meetings, proposals, and new business initiatives.
• Responsible for budget, profitability, and business goals for client accounts.
• Communicate effectively at all levels within the client organization, from marketing assistants to CEOs.

Strategic Planning & Advisory

• Develop strategic recommendations aligned with client goals.
• Oversee and refine strategies so all deliverables are on-brand and in line with overarching brand guidelines.
• Ensure that all messaging and creative work align with the client’s vision and objectives.
• Translate complex client needs into clear, actionable briefs for creative and production teams.

Delivery

• Ultimately responsible for outcomes in line with strategy, quality, margin, and client satisfaction across multiple initiatives simultaneously.
• Oversee multiple client projects at once, ensuring clear priorities, timelines, and leading day-to-day work for assigned accounts.
• Regularly communicate status, risks, and next steps to clients and internal teams.
• Maintain detailed documentation, timelines, and deliverable tracking.
• Manage workflows in internal project management systems, prioritize tasks and dependencies, and keep projects on time and within budget.
• Monitor budgets, control scope, and safeguard profitability while mitigating risks by identifying issues early and executing corrective actions.
• Collaborate with and lead suppliers (e.g., events, marketing materials, production).
• Balance client needs, creative quality, and agency profitability in all decisions.
• Internal Leadership & Collaboration
• Drive and facilitate cross-functional delivery teams; lead, coach, and motivate internal team members (design, copy, strategy).
• Ensure staffing so that the right expertise is applied to the right initiatives.
• Contribute to agency process improvements and overall business development

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in business or marketing, or equivalent.
• 10+ years of experience from an agency (advertising, digital, design, strategy) or management consulting environment.
• At least 5 years in account leadership/client responsibility with direct commercial accountability.
• Managed an annual client portfolio of at least $500,000 and delivered ≥ 45% gross margin.
• Led and won major pitches/procurements with a ≥ 60% win rate and average deal size ≥ $100,000 Documented upsell/cross-sell ≥ $250,000/year.
• Strong executive presence: leads QBRs, manages commercial negotiations, and drives C-level decisions.
• Financial acumen: pricing, forecasting, capacity planning.
• Strategic competence: brand and marketing strategy, multi-year roadmaps, performance goals/KPIs.
• Experience in B2B marketing, preferably in high-tech.
• Lean team capability: able to step in hands-on (plans/timelines, budget/burn, change orders, coordination) without losing focus on business and delivery.
• Excellent ability to manage multiple clients, projects, priorities, and deadlines simultaneously.

6 Signs That You Are the Right Candidate: Sköna’s Values

• Doggedly curious spirit.
• Fun to work with—and great people skills.
• Strategic and business-driven – able to see both the big picture and the details.
• Trustworthy, communicative, and a collaborative team player.
• Proactive problem-solver with strong follow-through.
• Detail-oriented while keeping strategic goals in mind.
• Thrives in a fast-paced environment and able to pivot quickly between priorities.
• Embraces discomfort – thinks outside the box and is open to new ideas, types of work, and ways of doing things.

Benefits

• Salary commensurate with experience
• 401(k) plan matching
• Competitive vacation policy + tenure program
• 10 work-from-anywhere days
• Paid federal company holidays + winter holiday closure
• Full medical/dental/vision package to fit your needs
• Commuter benefits
• Weekly team lunch and snacks provided
• Learning & development budget

Salary Range

$140,000 – $155,000

Sköna is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race (including traits associated with race, such as hair texture and hairstyles like braids, locs, and twists), color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), gender, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, or any other protected characteristic or combination of those characteristics.