THE JOB / Account Director
We're seeking an experienced Account Director to lead key client relationships and project execution in our sports marketing and creative agency. This role involves strategic direction, best-in-class campaigns, and ensuring long-term client growth and satisfaction for global clients focused on key APAC regions.
The Account Director (AD) is a strategic leader responsible for developing, managing, and executing client accounts. They interact highly with clients, managing projects and actively pursuing new business development opportunities.
The ideal candidate excels in building positive relationships with clients, colleagues, and third parties. They possess expertise in project planning, events, activations, account, and process management. Experience working with complex organizations and sponsorship portfolios requiring consultative guidance in fast-paced scenarios is essential.
THE WORK YOU’LL DO
The prime role of the AD will be to oversee sub-regions within APAC for a major global client, comprised of multiple markets, associated marketing lead, and overarching regional marketing lead. This global client is strategically critically to Octagon and has a vast global sponsorship portfolio as well as sophisticated business to utilizing those assets.
Client Leadership & Relationship Management
- Act as a key lead on day-to-day work across accounts.
- Build trusted, long-term relationships with clients and stakeholders
- Develop a deep understanding of local market teams’ needs & objectives
- Provide strategic counsel on sponsorship, brand positioning, and campaign effectiveness
- Lead regular client meetings, reporting, and performance reviews
Account and Program Leadership and Delivery:
- Lead with a ‘can do’ attitude and proactive ownership of projects and process, upholding the highest quality standards, both in service, deliverables and global requirements of the client / brand
- Oversee the day-to-day operations of the account team which includes leading client status meetings, managing programming tracking documents, developing informative & thoughtful POVs, and crafting insightful wrap-up reports
- Manage multiple projects concurrently, with a proactive approach (events, activations, campaign support, new opportunity assessment etc)
- Conduct pre-planning, management, and implementation, including vendor vetting, contract review and negotiation, and event activation plans and supporting communication documents
New Business Development:
- Actively identify, create and pursue new opportunities with the client
- Participate in new business development efforts to identify new clients to the agency
- Generate forward-thinking, creative ideas to improve sponsorship-led programs and develop differentiated use of existing partnerships
Financial Acumen:
- Oversee and drive financial health of accounts remaining financially aware and helping ensure that the company’s financial targets are achieved.
- Review of actual v SOW fees and timesheet tracking on a continual basis ensuring the agency’s fees/time billed is on track
Team Management:
- Lead and manage a team of reports who will support you on the account, inspiring loyalty, and commitment providing relevant level of support while instilling confidence, motivation and empowerment
- Provide feedback on a regular basis and ensuring career progression is supported, allowing team members to become effective, independent and increasingly capable of working well with less supervision
WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR
Knowledge and Experience:
- 6 - 8+ years’ experience working in account management, project management or client service with a brand, agency and/or team or sports or entertainment property
- Extensive experiential, sponsorship activation, event, experience is a desirable
- Extensive experience of owning and growing positive and effective relationships with senior client stakeholders, resulting in account growth and evolution; ability to cultivate strong relationships with staff, other internal stakeholders, vendors and partners
- Exceptional attention to detail, alongside organizational, time and project management skills
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office Software (specifically PowerPoint, Excel and Word)
- Strong Chinese language ability
Others:
- You have a passion and/or interest in the power of sports and/or entertainment, gaming, music and/or celebrity & lifestyle culture
- Willingness and flexibility to travel and work weekend/holidays as needed
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