Account Director (Automotive Experiential)

McKinney•Atlanta, GA

17h•$115,000 - $150,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Iris is hiring an Account Director to lead a hybrid book of business split between luxury automotive experiential work and integrated accounts spanning full-funnel, 360° campaign production. The role stewards premium client relationships, leads the account team, and champions high-quality work from strategy through execution. The Account Director develops a deep understanding of clients’ businesses, categories, and competitive landscapes, provides strategic counsel, and builds trusted relationships across client organizations. The role also supports organic account growth and new business, manages project burn and scope risks with Operations and Project Management, and maintains financial discipline. As a team leader, the Account Director sets expectations for preparation, responsiveness, and follow-through; coaches and delegates; and monitors team workload and morale. The role advocates for strong creative and experiential ideas, helps secure recognition for standout work, and aligns creative, media, social, PR, partnerships, and production into cohesive campaigns. The Account Director is also expected to use AI in their own workflow and help identify more efficient approaches to research, briefing, and reporting. The position is based in Atlanta, GA, or New York, NY, with an in-office requirement of at least three days per week, Tuesday through Thursday. Client travel is required as needed, including on-site experiential activations. Some activations take place on weekends or last up to a week, so schedule flexibility is required. The estimated salary range is $115,000–$150,000. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States; the company does not sponsor or assist with obtaining work authorization.

Requirements

10+ years of account leadership experience at an agency.
Meaningful experience in automotive and/or luxury categories.
Direct experience planning and executing experiential programs, including activations, events, brand experiences, on-site production, and logistics.
Proven experience leading integrated, 360° campaign productions from brief through delivery, connecting areas such as advertising, digital, social, PR, partnerships, and media.
Ability to activate beyond experiential, including advertising programs, partnerships, PR team coordination, and social/influencer marketing; understanding how these workstreams function together is key.
Experience managing two clients, one automotive experiential and one integrated, and prioritizing the appropriate workstreams.
Strong client relationship skills and a track record of building trust across a client organization.
Financial fluency, including scoping, burn management, and budget discipline.
A point of view on creative quality and confidence advocating for it with clients.
Comfort working with AI tools and interest in bringing new ways of working to the team.
Highly organized, confident team leadership and an ability to build close client relationships.
Work in the office at least three days per week, Tuesday through Thursday, and travel for clients as needed, including on-site activations; flexibility is required for weekend and activations lasting up to a week.
Authorization to work in the United States for any employer; the company is not sponsoring or assisting with work authorization.

Responsibilities

Lead day-to-day client relationships and provide strategic counsel informed by clients’ businesses, categories, and competitive landscapes, particularly in luxury automotive.
Build trust across client organizations and develop senior-level client relationships over time.
Support organic account growth by identifying scope expansion, new workstreams, and referral opportunities, and contribute to new business efforts.
Manage project burn in partnership with Operations and Project Management, flag scope risks early, and maintain financial discipline across accounts.
Lead and represent the account team, setting expectations for preparation, responsiveness, and follow-through.
Coach and delegate to support team development, while monitoring workload and morale and addressing issues early.
Advocate for strong creative and experiential ideas in partnership with creative leadership.
Help ensure standout work receives recognition through case studies, awards, and press.
Drive cohesive 360° campaigns across experiential and integrated accounts, aligning creative, media, social, PR, partnerships, and production.
Use AI in personal workflows and help the team find more efficient ways to work across research, briefing, and reporting.
Manage two clients—one automotive experiential and one integrated—and prioritize workstreams appropriately.
Travel to clients and attend on-site experiential activations as needed, including weekend or week-long activations.