Associate Account Manager

The Adcom Group, Inc. • Cleveland, OH

12d

About The Position

Associate Account Managers are in a critical role on the Account Team. They are responsible for the management of daily tasks that are imperative to the execution of agency projects and serve as the main support role for the overall team.
Associate Account Managers are problem solvers. To be effective Associate Account Managers they need to be thoughtful and creative in working with team leadership to provide the right ongoing direction and inspiration to the client team. Keeping projects on-time, on-budget and on-direction is the primary focus of the Associate Account Manager. Projects and tasks are assigned by the account team leaders (Senior Account Manager, Account Manager) and the Associate Account Manager works closely with them, providing regular proactive project updates. The Associate Account Manager understands when to involve the appropriate team member to overcome project challenges. They build a collaborative relationship with agency talent and, after a project direction is set, provide ongoing inspiration, direction and information to ensure a quality outcome.
The Associate Account Manager shows grit through hard work and the perseverance to overcome project setbacks. Associate Account Managers assist in making sure that each project represents the agency’s best work and exceeds the client’s expectations.

Requirements

• Relevant work experience 3-5 plus years in full time position preferred
• Fluent in Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Word
• Understands the components of marketing communications and advertising fundamentals
• Great communicator and potential to be strong leader

Responsibilities

• Execution Management: The Associate Account Manager primary responsibility is to manage the execution of client projects. At any given time, s/he will have multiple projects – each with their own set of timing and budget constraints. All agency projects involve the coordination of multiple internal resources (as well as external) and require ongoing attention and organization by the Associate Account Manager. The Associate Account Manager anticipates needs for both agency and client and documents daily record of progress via project status reports. The Associate Account Manager takes ownership of specific projects and tasks assigned to them, ensuring that they have complete understanding of the budget target, the timing expectation of each task and the overall vision for the project (and fit within the overall strategy). When they feel they do not have the right information, Associate Account Managers are expected to ask the right questions of team leadership to make sure they have the information to succeed. When projects are being initiated, s/he assists team leadership in developing workable budgets, project plans and timelines including contributing to the creation of creative briefs and proposal generation. As projects progress, the Associate Account Manager prioritizes assigned projects and revises plans when required. S/he reviews and analyzes material relative to client needs-campaign results, research data, etc. and knows when appropriate Account Manager, Senior Account Manager and client approvals are required. In addition, Associate Account Manager ensures that their time is tracked accurately against the appropriate projects daily.
• Maintaining Healthy Relationships (Client and Internal): Associate Account Manager work with team leadership to gain an understanding of the key client and internal contacts. They learn their preferred work style, tendencies, historical pain points and pleasures. The Associate Account Manager communicates with assigned contacts daily and works to establish a trusting and respectful relationship with them through proactive communications, on-time delivery of agency work and exceeding expectations. Typically, these client relationships are at the Specialist, Coordinator or Manager level.
• Deep Knowledge of our Industry and Client’s Business: As a way to gain credibility and add value to the client team, the Associate Account Manager is expected to continuously learn about our industry and their client’s business. Many of this knowledge will be shared by other team members or will be learned through internal and client meetings. In addition, the expectation is that the Associate Account Manager takes their own initiative to increase their knowledge base of our industry and our client’s industry by doing their own research, shopping a client location or a client’s competitor, etc. All high-performing Associate Account Managers have a hunger to know more about our industry, our clients’ industries and how they can do their job better. Uncovering new ideas, routinely asking questions, formulating their own opinions, revealing new approaches…perpetual curiosity can be the difference between a good Associate Account Manager and one that is an irreplaceable member of the team.
• Preparation of Client Deliverables: The Associate Account Manager assists with the preparation of a variety of client deliverables. These include client progress reporting (status reports), monthly billing and budget reporting, client presentations, client recommendations, competitive reports and alerts, industry insights, etc. As directed by team leadership, s/he develops or assists in the development of these deliverables and ensures that all parties are working together to deliver the assets proofed, packaged and on time.
• Financial Management of Projects: The Associate Account Manager will be educated on the business model of the agency and it is expected that they understand the overall importance of financial management of project work. The Associate Account Manager contribution in this area is focused at the project level. S/he should review accrued billed hours versus the estimated hours and look for areas where a project may be trending over. The Associate Account Manager is expected to communicate this to Team Leadership so that a proper project change order can be issued. In addition, the Associate Account Manager will be involved in the monthly billing process, reviewing their project billing worksheets with Team Leadership and providing insight on project progress.
• Flexible, Nimble Resource: The Associate Account Manager is available and willing to “go the extra mile” in order to meet the needs of a client. The Associate Account Manager does not let stress and pressure sacrifice quality. Many times, unexpected challenges arise and the Associate Account Manager will work as a part of the client team, taking on assignments readily, to make sure we are doing what it takes to get the job done. This could include staying at the office past normal business hours, driving to a client’s home to deliver a bound presentation, etc. As a part of a professional service organization, the Associate Account Manager is part of a team serving the client – even when extra effort is required.
• Great Communicator: The Associate Account Manager is able to clearly and professionally communicate through spoken, written and digital communications. S/he understands the context of all communications and uses an empathetic tone when delivering timely, clear, concise and accurate messages. Also, the Associate Account Manager knows when to use the right channel of communications and does not pass on an opportunity to deliver information in-person or over the phone instead of always defaulting to email communications. In addition, s/he looks for opportunity to add-value with every interaction – leading the client with solid rationale and advice, rather than being positioned as an “order taker” in the chain of communications.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed