Senior Account Director: Growth, Strategy & Client Leadership

Sköna

San Francisco (CA)

On-site

USD 140,000 - 210,000

Full time

14 days+

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Benefits offered by this job

10 work-from-anywhere days

Paid federal company holidays + winter

Full medical/dental/vision package

Weekly team lunch and snacks

Job summary

Sköna, a small yet mighty global creative agency with roots in Stockholm and a heart in San Francisco, seeks an Account Director to steer strategic partnerships, grow client relationships, and guide multi-disciplinary teams.

You will translate business goals into bold marketing and creative strategies, lead C-suite conversations, and ensure on-time, on-budget delivery while fostering a culture of collaboration, curiosity, and craft.

Qualifications

8–10+ years of experience in marketing, branding, or creative agencies.
Minimum 5 years in account management / client services roles.
3+ years leading and mentoring teams.
Proven experience managing large, multi-disciplinary accounts.
Strong financial acumen with experience owning budgets.
Demonstrated success driving organic account growth.
Strategic thinker with executive-level storytelling and presentation ability.
Highly organized with exceptional project management skills.
Strong negotiation and scope management capabilities.
Thrives in a fast-moving, entrepreneurial agency environment.
Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Communications, or related field (or equivalent experience)

Responsibilities

Serve as the strategic partner and primary point of accountability across assigned accounts.
Develop deep understanding of clients’ business models, audiences, competitive landscape, and growth objectives.
Translate business goals into clear marketing and creative strategies.
Confidently lead executive-level conversations, presentations, and workshops.
Provide proactive recommendations rooted in insight and industry best practices.
Anticipate challenges before they arise and guide clients through complex decisions.
Own client satisfaction and relationship health on assigned accounts.
Accountable for on-time, on-budget, high-quality delivery.
Ensure profitability across client accounts through disciplined scope management and proactive financial oversight.
Oversee multiple concurrent initiatives across brand, digital, and campaign work.
Ensure creative output aligns with client strategy, brand guidelines, and KPIs.
Act as the bridge between client, strategy, creative, and production teams.
Support teams in setting clear objectives, timelines, and deliverables.
Identify and resolve scope creep early and constructively.
Develop SOWs and scopes; support contract negotiation.
Identify organic growth opportunities within existing accounts.
Proactively bring forward ideas and creative opportunities.
Contribute to new business through proposal development, pitch presentations, and relationship building.
Build strong industry relationships that expand Sköna’s network and visibility.
Lead, mentor, and develop account team members.
Set a high bar for professionalism, accountability, and collaboration.
Drive process improvements that increase efficiency without sacrificing creativity.
Working fluency with AI tools in client and agency workflows.
Foster cross-functional collaboration and healthy team dynamics.
Model calm, confident leadership under pressure.