Account Director

Equator Design • Chicago, IL

6d • $100,000 - $110,000

About The Position

The Account Director is the primary client and internal-team leader, partnering with creative and strategy teams to provide brand consultation, perspective, and recommendations. The role manages and develops senior-level client relationships, oversees the financial performance of assigned business, mentors and motivates team members, and identifies opportunities to win new business and grow existing accounts.

The Account Director represents MARKS and its services, products, processes, and values internally and externally. The position balances excellent work, profitability, client satisfaction, and team motivation, while fostering collaboration and communicating regularly with teams and management.

The role provides client consultation on marketing and creative strategies, audiences, competitors, trends, and brand-building opportunities; develops category analyses and market audits; and recommends appropriate branding processes. It builds trusted senior client relationships, leads cross-functional teams from briefing through implementation, mentors client-service staff, and determines when work is ready for client presentation.

The Account Director also develops project proposals, budgets, and reconciliations; monitors financial performance and project scope; manages individual financial and margin targets; supports organic account growth and business development; and contributes to MARKS processes, culture, and brand consistency.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college.
• 8 or more years of related experience.
• Strong background in senior-level client relationship building and team leadership.
• Demonstrated ability to present effectively to senior clients and internal teams.
• Proven ability to manage, drive, and develop multiple accounts and projects simultaneously.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.
• Strong communication skills.
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to multitask and manage priorities and timelines.
• Ability to apply discretion and judgment in internal and external actions.
• Ability to develop client-ready thinking and presentations.
• Confidence and strong team leadership, with demonstrated leadership and growth capabilities.

Nice To Haves

• Agency experience.
• Strategic business and brand consultation skills, with a fundamental understanding of brand strategy through content creation and delivery.
• Flexibility and comfort moving among disciplines such as packaging, digital, marketing communications, and strategy.
• Self-starter who demonstrates initiative and proactivity.
• Strong team management and mentoring skills.
• Creative and analytical thinking, with attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Provide clients with informed perspectives on marketing and creative strategies, target audiences, competitors, trends, and opportunities to build brand awareness and relevance.
• Diagnose client challenges and determine how MARKS services can address client needs.
• Develop category analyses and market audits to support creative direction.
• Recommend suitable processes and techniques for creative development, research, equity analysis, brand segmentation, asset management, and other branding work.
• Build and maintain trusted, candid, mutually respectful senior-level client relationships and seek ways to add value and delight clients.
• Guide and mentor Client Directors, Senior Client Managers, Client Managers, and Project Coordinators or Managers in branding disciplines, client service, protocol, tactics, terminology, and process.
• Lead and inspire cross-functional teams from initial briefing through implementation to deliver excellent service, strategic consultation, creativity, and professionalism.
• Determine whether work is ready for client presentations in partnership with senior creative and strategy teams.
• Develop proposals, budgets, and reconciliations for project activity on assigned accounts.
• Review financial performance against approved fee and expense budgets, manage deliverables, and request addendums for out-of-scope work.
• Manage individual financial and margin targets specified by leadership.
• Grow existing accounts through expanded MARKS offerings and deeper or broader client relationships; identify opportunities with existing and lapsed clients.
• Support business development by developing case studies and writing proposals.
• Support and maintain MARKS protocols and processes, preserve its culture, and ensure brand consistency.
• Communicate regularly with teams and management, foster cross-functional collaboration, and lead by example.
• Represent MARKS professionally, articulate its services and competitive differences, and seek opportunities to position the organization for competitive advantage.
• Take ownership of responsibilities and deliverables, make decisions in the organization's best interest, and motivate and develop team members.

Benefits

• Health care plans with prescription drug coverage
• Dental plan
• Vision plan
• Basic and supplemental life insurance
• Flexible spending account for medical and dependent care expenses or a health savings account, depending on plan selection
• Short- and long-term disability coverage
• 401(k) Savings Plan

What This Job Offers

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