Account Director, Client Experience

Weber Shandwick • Chicago, IL

62d • $95,000 - $125,000

About The Position

We’re looking for a passionate, dynamic, and sports-savvy Account Director to join our team, focusing on Sports Marketing and Public Relations. This role will center on crafting and executing high-impact, earned-driven integrated activations that blend brand storytelling with the power of sports culture. You will lead work tied to major sponsorships, landmark sporting events, athlete partnerships, and influencer activations, all while managing high-profile client relationships and collaborations across teams and agencies. You’ll be responsible for spearheading creative, award-worthy campaigns that resonate with sports fans and stakeholders alike, ensuring our clients capture cultural relevance and media attention. Your remit includes client strategy, operations, and activation oversight, with opportunities to leverage celebrity / athlete endorsements, marquee sports events, and experiential fan engagements. The right candidate will play a major role in defining the future and long-term success of our Sports Marketing work, managing end-to-end client relationships and dynamic account teams delivering breakthrough results. Additional responsibilities include aligning programs and experiences with client goals, allocating agency resources to match budgets, managing a variety of work streams, providing strategic counsel to teams, and ensuring timely delivery of remarkable work. You will also be instrumental in developing new business opportunities, media relations strategies, analytics insights, and creative storytelling concepts. Ideally, you bring prior experience in PR, Sports Marketing, or partnerships within the sports, lifestyle, or entertainment industries. What We Are Looking For: Ability to turn dynamic sports-related ideas into actionable, high-impact campaigns Capacity to lead and inspire account teams while owning key projects Skilled in conflict resolution and the ability to manage high-pressure environments with grace Expertise in motivating and mobilizing teams to meet deadlines and exceed expectations Strong leadership skills combined with a collaborative mindset and ability to work independently or as part of an integrated team Exceptional verbal and written communication skills tailored toward sports marketing and PR audiences Financial acumen to manage budgets and allocate resources effectively Proven ability to successfully manage complex, multi-dimensional projects within set parameters and deadlines Reliable judgment when working with clients, athletes, stakeholders, and vendors Genuine passion for sports, with an ability to anticipate both client and team needs in this fast-paced, ever-evolving space Acute attention to detail in ensuring quality, relevance, and creativity in all work delivered Confidence instilled in clients, colleagues, and collaborators that drives trust and excitement Basic Qualifications: 6-8+ years of experience in a PR or Communications role, preferably with a large focus on Sports Marketing or Sports PR Demonstrated expertise in Integrated Media Strategy and Media Relations, particularly within sports, lifestyle, or entertainment industries Bachelor’s Degree in Communications, Marketing, Business Management, or a related field Proven experience working on large-scale sports activations, sponsorships, or campaigns that integrate earned, owned, and paid media strategies A deep understanding of the sports audience, media landscape, and cultural trends within the industry This role offers the opportunity to work on some of the most talked-about activations in the sports world. If you’re passionate about leveraging the intersection of sports, media, and culture to tell compelling brand stories, we’d love to hear from you!

Requirements

• Ability to turn dynamic sports-related ideas into actionable, high-impact campaigns
• Capacity to lead and inspire account teams while owning key projects
• Skilled in conflict resolution and the ability to manage high-pressure environments with grace
• Expertise in motivating and mobilizing teams to meet deadlines and exceed expectations
• Strong leadership skills combined with a collaborative mindset and ability to work independently or as part of an integrated team
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills tailored toward sports marketing and PR audiences
• Financial acumen to manage budgets and allocate resources effectively
• Proven ability to successfully manage complex, multi-dimensional projects within set parameters and deadlines
• Reliable judgment when working with clients, athletes, stakeholders, and vendors
• Genuine passion for sports, with an ability to anticipate both client and team needs in this fast-paced, ever-evolving space
• Acute attention to detail in ensuring quality, relevance, and creativity in all work delivered
• Confidence instilled in clients, colleagues, and collaborators that drives trust and excitement
• 6-8+ years of experience in a PR or Communications role, preferably with a large focus on Sports Marketing or Sports PR
• Demonstrated expertise in Integrated Media Strategy and Media Relations, particularly within sports, lifestyle, or entertainment industries
• Bachelor’s Degree in Communications, Marketing, Business Management, or a related field
• Proven experience working on large-scale sports activations, sponsorships, or campaigns that integrate earned, owned, and paid media strategies
• A deep understanding of the sports audience, media landscape, and cultural trends within the industry

Nice To Haves

• prior experience in PR, Sports Marketing, or partnerships within the sports, lifestyle, or entertainment industries.

Responsibilities

• Crafting and executing high-impact, earned-driven integrated activations that blend brand storytelling with the power of sports culture.
• Leading work tied to major sponsorships, landmark sporting events, athlete partnerships, and influencer activations
• Managing high-profile client relationships and collaborations across teams and agencies.
• Spearheading creative, award-worthy campaigns that resonate with sports fans and stakeholders alike, ensuring our clients capture cultural relevance and media attention.
• Client strategy, operations, and activation oversight
• Leveraging celebrity / athlete endorsements, marquee sports events, and experiential fan engagements.
• Defining the future and long-term success of our Sports Marketing work, managing end-to-end client relationships and dynamic account teams delivering breakthrough results.
• Aligning programs and experiences with client goals
• Allocating agency resources to match budgets
• Managing a variety of work streams
• Providing strategic counsel to teams
• Ensuring timely delivery of remarkable work
• Developing new business opportunities, media relations strategies, analytics insights, and creative storytelling concepts.

Benefits

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• 401k (with employer match)
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Juice Money - $60 monthly reimbursement to be used towards purchases that nourish your health, mind, body, and soul
• MyDays – Flexible holiday schedules
• Short-Term Disability
• Paid Employee Family Leave
• Family Building Benefit

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director