Executive Director, Client Partnership - West Coast ONLY

DEPT®•San Diego, CA

2h•$175,000 - $225,000•Remote

About The Position

DEPT® is a Growth Invention company focused on helping ambitious brands grow faster by operating at the intersection of technology and marketing. The Executive Director, Client Partnership is a senior leadership role responsible for driving the growth, performance, and innovation of strategic client relationships. This role involves serving as a trusted advisor to senior client stakeholders, navigating complex marketing, experience, and technology transformation challenges. The Executive Director will combine strong commercial instincts with strategic thinking to ensure delivered work drives meaningful business impact. They will lead clusters of accounts, shape account strategy, expand DEPT’s capabilities within their client portfolio, and ensure strong financial performance. Success requires curiosity, strong commercial leadership, and the ability to operate end-to-end across the agency lifecycle, from defining opportunities and shaping strategy to building operating models and expanding scope. The role emphasizes building trust with senior clients and setting a tone of excellence.

Requirements

12+ years of experience leading client relationships within a digital agency, consultancy, or marketing services environment.
Proven experience managing large-scale accounts and multi-disciplinary teams.
Track record of growing accounts through cross-sell, up-sell, and strategic expansion.
Strong executive presence with the ability to build trust with senior stakeholders including CMO-level clients.
Experience shaping strategic programs across marketing, experience design, content, or digital transformation initiatives.
Strong commercial acumen including experience managing account revenue, margin, and forecasting.
Ability to operate end-to-end across the agency lifecycle; from defining the work to expanding the relationship over time.
Excellent storytelling, presentation, and communication skills.
Strong cross-functional leadership capabilities with the ability to align diverse teams around a shared strategy.
High curiosity, entrepreneurial mindset, and action-oriented leadership style.
Ability to thrive in fast-paced environments and navigate complex stakeholder landscapes.

Responsibilities

Serve as the senior strategic partner for key clients, building trusted relationships with executive stakeholders across marketing, product, and business leadership.
Lead the development of long-term account strategies that align DEPT’s capabilities to clients’ evolving business objectives, growth ambitions, and competitive landscape.
Bring a strong strategic point of view to client conversations, challenging thinking constructively and guiding clients toward new opportunities for growth and transformation.
Facilitate executive-level conversations around brand, experience, technology, and operating model transformation.
Act as the primary senior escalation point for client issues and ensure they are resolved quickly and constructively.
Represent DEPT® at the executive level within client organizations and strengthen our reputation as a strategic partner.
Lead and support major pitches, proposals, and strategic initiatives within existing accounts.
Own the commercial health and growth of assigned accounts, including revenue expansion, profitability, and scope management.
Define and lead account growth strategies, identifying whitespace opportunities across DEPT’s capabilities including creative, media, experience, content, data, and technology.
Identify, shape, and close cross-sell and up-sell opportunities by connecting client business goals with DEPT’s integrated capabilities.
Lead strategic discussions with clients around scope expansion, new initiatives, and transformation programs.
Ensure accurate financial forecasting and reporting across assigned accounts, including revenue projections, margin performance, and pipeline visibility.
Partner closely with Finance and leadership to maintain strong pipeline hygiene, forecasting accuracy, and long-term account planning.
Ensure accounts operate within healthy financial parameters by proactively managing scope pacing, utilization, and profitability.
Operate confidently across creative, media and transformation conversations, bringing enough digital and MarTech literacy to frame trade-offs and guide strategic discussions.
Help clients define modern marketing and experience operating models that integrate creative, media, data, and technology.
Partner with internal strategy, experience, and technology teams to translate ambitious client visions into executable programs.
Shape integrated programs spanning content, performance marketing, experience design, and platform-enabled transformation.
Champion innovative approaches to delivering work faster, more intelligently, and with greater impact.
Work closely with leaders across creative, media, experience, data, and technology to deliver integrated solutions for clients.
Foster strong collaboration across disciplines and regions to ensure the right experts are engaged at the right time.
Help orchestrate complex programs by aligning diverse teams around clear strategies, operating models, and governance structures.
Partner with delivery leadership to ensure ambitious client visions translate into scalable, executable programs.
Champion the One DEPT mindset by breaking down silos and encouraging collaboration across capabilities.
Lead and inspire multidisciplinary teams across accounts, ensuring teams remain aligned, motivated, and focused on delivering exceptional work.
Provide mentorship and guidance to Client Directors, Executive Directors, and emerging leaders within the organization.
Foster a culture of accountability, curiosity, and collaboration within account teams.
Support talent development by identifying high-potential individuals and helping them grow into future leaders.
Model DEPT’s values and contribute to building a high-performing, collaborative culture.
Ensure work is delivered to the highest quality standards while maintaining strong operational discipline.
Continuously review and improve ways of working within accounts to increase efficiency, speed, and effectiveness.
Partner with delivery teams to ensure strong governance, resourcing alignment, and operational clarity across complex programs.
Ensure new team members are effectively onboarded to accounts with a strong understanding of client goals and team dynamics.
Resolve cross-team operational challenges and maintain alignment on priorities and delivery expectations.