Account Manager

As an Account Manager, you will be responsible for the management of a client account and primary project owner on the account. This could range from a single large account to multiple medium sized accounts.

An account comprises of multiple projects; this account is also a Key Client (KC) of Superunion Africa. Depending on the account, you will be reporting directly into the Client Service Director and/or Business Unit Director.

Key responsibilities & accountabilities

1. Secondary owner of the client relationship at the account level – Marketing Manager (MM) and Brand Manager level
2. Effectively handle most aspects of client communications at a MM and BM level
3. Building, strengthening and growing the relationship between the agency and client (middle management)
4. Managing the project team (account support, strategy and creative) and workflow
5. Meeting overall profit margins, targets and farming targets assigned to the account
6. Oversight, reporting and quality control of each project for this account
7. Develop and implement approach and process (in support of the overall company process)
8. Identify, interview and recruit candidates for the group account
9. Support direct line manager in recruitment activities (identify and initial interviews only)
10. Implement internal processes to improve efficiency on each project
11. Weekly forecast on finances, people and farming potential within each active project
12. Actively implement agency standards, directives and process in day to day activities
13. Drive the development of case studies and PR material for each big project, driving agency equity and credentials for the agency within each project
14. Learning and applying theories/methodology within your day to day activities
15. Reading, following and researching relevant content to grow your own knowledge on each project
16. Supports the Client Service Director and/or Business Unit Director in developing and implementing process and systems
17. Ability to scope and negotiate fees on the account with the support of the Client Service Director and/or Business Unit Director
18. Development of KC plans and quarterly forecast support

Role specific professional and technical skills

1. Very good writing and delivery skills relating to internal and external communication
2. Solid presentation skills at a MM and BM level
3. Ability to manage a large client with multiple projects
4. Excellent time management and organizational skills
5. Excellent interpersonal skills
6. Good business writing capability
7. Excellent understanding of strategic and creative brand content
8. Solid understanding of global and local business operations and reporting pertaining to the agency
9. Good understanding of local reporting, directives and approaches within our business
10. Excellent understanding and experience in design, strategy and production process
11. Fully conversant with Microsoft (PowerPoint, Word, Excel) and TrafficLive

Job Behaviours

1. Leading from the front: Champion positive change by creating a sense of direction and purpose at a project level. Encouraging a sense of mutual responsibility and encouraging high performance and delivery.
2. Team player: Passion for meeting objectives together.
3. Accuracy: Attention to detail and a passion for reporting.
4. Showing interest: Express interest in your project team’s ensuring that you understand personal diversity, strengths and weaknesses.
5. Being agile: Being able to adapt your approach to projects to ensure we deliver within client expectations.
6. Continually learning: Keep learning and developing new skills and trends by participating in professional seminars, reading relevant research and insights, doing own desktop research.
7. Effective communication: Persuade and influence others using logic and reason. Negotiate your way to find and express solutions for broad and complex issues.
8. Client centric views: Ensuring that all decisions and executions are based around building a lasting partnership with the client and taking personal responsibility for improving and correcting customer service problems and eliminate underlying problems. Take extraordinary steps to retain and grow these relationships.
9. Collaborating: Develop a relationship with key stakeholders (Client Service Director and Exco) to achieve common goals for the agency (policy, process, methodology, targets).
10. Being resilient: Prevail in all circumstances and being able to make important decisions and the confidence to see these through.