Group Account Director

Iris North America•Atlanta, GA

6d•$175,000 - $210,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Iris is seeking a Group Account Director to lead one of its Houses, with full accountability for client relationships, commercial performance, a portfolio of clients, a P&L, and a cross-functional team. The role has a direct role in shaping agency-wide priorities and serves as the #2 under the Managing Director for the Atlanta office, helping maintain a high-morale, supportive workplace. The Group Account Director provides strategic counsel to clients, builds senior and C-suite relationships, and leads business reviews that demonstrate impact and uncover opportunities. The role drives organic account growth and new business, oversees forecasts, pipeline visibility, project burn, procurement conversations, and financial reviews, and partners closely with Operations. The position leads cross-functional teams, develops team members, and supports agency leadership and culture. It champions strong creative work in partnership with the CCO and creative leadership, and pursues case studies, awards, and press visibility. The role also encourages experimentation with AI and other tools, using sound judgment about where technology adds value. The position is based in Atlanta and requires working in the office at least three days per week, with client travel as needed.

Requirements

15+ years of account leadership experience at an agency, with direct P&L or budget ownership.
Experience developing 360 campaigns, including production shoots.
A track record of building senior client relationships beyond day-to-day contacts.
Experience leading and developing cross-functional teams, including people outside the direct reporting line.
Strong financial fluency, including forecasting, scoping, burn management, and pricing conversations.
A clear point of view on creative quality and confidence advocating for it with clients.
Curiosity about AI and a track record of adopting new tools and ways of working.
Composure and judgment under pressure, including the ability to protect trust and morale in difficult moments.
Ability to work in-office at least three days per week and travel for clients as needed.
Authorization to work in the US for any employer; Iris is not sponsoring or assisting with work authorization.

Responsibilities

Lead one of Iris’s Houses and own its client relationships, commercial performance, portfolio of clients, P&L, and cross-functional team.
Serve as the #2 under the Managing Director for the Atlanta office and help maintain high morale and a positive workplace.
Develop deep understanding of clients’ businesses, categories, and competitive landscapes, and translate market shifts into strategic counsel.
Lead QBRs that demonstrate impact and identify opportunities; build trust-based relationships, including senior and C-suite relationships.
Drive organic account growth, contribute to new business, and identify upsell and cross-sell opportunities across the network.
Own forecast and pipeline visibility, manage project burn with Operations, lead procurement conversations, and report performance against plan in monthly finance reviews.
Lead the full cross-functional client team, establish clear roles and shared accountability, develop team members, delegate intentionally, and monitor workload and morale.
Manage risks upward early, model agency standards, and contribute visibly to Iris’s culture and priorities beyond the House.
Advocate for strong creative work and partner with the CCO and creative leadership to protect it through client sell-in.
Pursue recognition for work through case studies, awards, and press visibility.
Experiment with AI in personal workflows and encourage thoughtful adoption across research, briefing, and reporting.
Work in the office at least three days per week and travel for clients as needed.