Senior Vice President, Account Director

Publicis Groupe; New York (NY); On-site; USD 149,340 - 239,148; Full time

Job summary

Turner Duckworth in New York is seeking an SVP, Account Director to lead senior client partnerships, guide branding and packaging programs, and elevate creative and commercial outcomes. You will unite strategy, design, and client teams, build confidence with stakeholders, and mentor cross-disciplinary groups while stewarding budgets and timelines in a fast-paced agency setting.

You will drive strategic decisions, foster collaboration across disciplines, and maintain excellence in client service,

Qualifications

• Extensive branding and visual identity expertise.
• Experience guiding Fortune 500 clients.
• Strong leadership and stakeholder management.

Responsibilities

• Lead key client relationships with strategy and creative leadership.
• Advise on branding, visual identity, and packaging design systems.
• Deliver clear, compelling presentations that build alignment and momentum.
• Bring Turner Duckworth's vision, values, and standards to life through every client engagement.
• Build strong partnerships across Publicis Groupe, fostering coordination when work spans multiple disciplines.
• Champion ambitious, high-quality creative work and translate client feedback into clear direction.

Skills

Relationship-building

Brand strategy

Client leadership

Presentation skills

Cross-functional leadership

AI fluency

Budgeting

Industry knowledge

Job description

Company description

Turner Duckworth is behind the brand identities for some of the world’s most iconic brands. Chances are you know our work already. You'll find it on-shelf, online, on-the-go, in home, out of home and sometimes in your pocket. We build brands that are distinct, memorable, and have genuine personality, ones that are easy to understand but also intriguing, that tell a story or make you think. We help brands to become utterly distinctive and deeply embedded in culture. We define strategies, visual identities, assets, and expressions for how brands behave in any channel, at any time, in any market. As brand partners with over 30 years of experience, we believe that whatever you make, make it Like Nothing Else.

Turner Duckworth is looking for an SVP, Account Director to join our New York team.

About You

You are a subject matter expert in branding and visual identity design with deep experience guiding Fortune 500 clients. You combine strategic thinking, creative advocacy, and business acumen to build trusted partnerships and deliver exceptional work. You bring teams together around a clear vision, drive alignment, and create the conditions for both creative excellence and commercial success. You are a collaborative, optimistic leader who inspires confidence and elevates those around you.

What You Bring

• Passion for design, culture, and the role brands play in people’s lives
• Exceptional relationship‑building skills, with the ability to earn trust and influence clients, partners, and teams
• Proven success leading complex client engagements and multiple workstreams with confidence, agility, and composure
• A collaborative approach that brings together strategy, creative, and client teams around shared goals
• Strong presentation and storytelling skills, with the ability to engage and influence stakeholders at every level
• Curiosity about cultural, consumer, and technology trends shaping brands and customer experiences
• Sound judgment, strategic thinking, and a proactive approach to solving problems
• Strong business and operational acumen, including experience developing scopes, managing budgets, and forecasting
• Fluency with AI tools and the ability to apply them effectively to improve efficiency, quality, and impact

What You’ll Do

Account Leadership & Client Partnership

• Lead key client relationships in partnership with strategy and creative leadership.
• Serve as a trusted advisor on branding, visual identity, and packaging design system programs, helping clients navigate complex decisions with clarity and confidence.
• Deliver clear, compelling presentations that build alignment, confidence, and momentum.
• Bring Turner Duckworth's vision, values, and standards to life through every client engagement.
• Build strong partnerships across Publicis Groupe, fostering coordination and alignment when work spans multiple disciplines.

Creative Excellence

• Champion ambitious, high‑quality creative work, building client confidence and advocacy throughout the creative process.
• Partner with creative and strategy teams to translate client feedback into clear direction that strengthens the work without compromising its integrity.
• Shape presentations, workshops, and key deliverables to ensure clarity, rigor, and impact.
• Help teams navigate complex stakeholder environments through thoughtful planning and stakeholder engagement.
• Support clients and creative teams through the design testing process, advising on best practices.
• Partner with account and creative leadership to ensure teams are appropriately resourced to deliver exceptional work.

Finance & Operations

• Manage the financial health of client engagements, including scoping, budgeting, profitability, and commercial planning.
• Navigate client conversations related to scope, budgets, contracts, and financial matters with confidence and sound judgment.
• Maintain operational rigor across forecasting, resource planning, billing, revenue recognition, and financial reporting.
• Drive organic growth by identifying opportunities that create value for clients while expanding and strengthening the business.

The Details

• Full‑time, benefits‑eligible position
• Reports to the EVP, Managing Director
• 15+ years of experience in a branding and design agency setting
• Deep experience in brand identity, packaging, and design systems
• Must be based in or willing to relocate to New York City; hybrid schedule of 3 days per week in studio
• Occasional client travel required (up to 25%)

Additional information

Our Publicis Groupe motto “Viva La Différence” means we’re better together, and we believe that our differences make us stronger. It means we honor and celebrate all identities, across all facets of intersectionality, and it underpins all that we do as an organization. We are focused on fostering belonging and creating equitable and inclusive experiences for all talent.

Publicis Groupe provides robust and inclusive benefit programs and policies to support the evolving and diverse needs of our talent and enable every person to grow and thrive. Our benefits package includes medical coverage, dental, vision, disability, 401(k), as well as parental and family care leave, family forming assistance, tuition reimbursement, and flexible time off.

If you require accommodation or assistance with the application or onboarding process specifically, please contact [e-mail].

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Compensation Range

USD $149,340.00 – USD $239,148.00 annually. This is the pay range the Company believes it will pay for this position at the time of this posting. This role may also be eligible for bonus or incentive compensation. Consistent with applicable law, compensation will be determined based on the skills, qualifications, and experience of the applicant along with the requirements of the position, and the Company reserves the right to modify this pay range at any time. Temporary roles may be eligible to participate in our freelancer/temporary employee medical plan through a third‑party benefits administration system once certain criteria have been met. Temporary roles may also qualify for participation in our 401(k) plan after eligibility criteria have been met. For regular roles, the Company will offer medical coverage, dental, vision, disability, 401(k), and paid time off. The Company anticipates the application deadline for this job posting will be 8/28/2026.