VP, Client Experience

Barkley•Kansas City, MO

About The Position

BarkleyOKRP is one of the largest full-service independent agencies in the U.S., helping brands not just win attention, but keep it–with ideas that create gravity. As a Big Indie, our integrated expertise runs deeper than the line for free food after a client meeting. A five-time Ad Age A-List honoree, BarkleyOKRP proves that gravity-defying ideas get noticed. And because we actually give a damn, we’re a Certified B Corp. This dynamic leader will independently lead a team/teams of BarkleyOKRP team members to deliver Whole Brand ideas that drive business. This person plays a significant role in creating the conditions for brave ideas, business growth, client retention, and supporting the overall client experience at BarkleyOKRP. At the Vice President level, this person is responsible for maximizing every touch point with our clients so that they have a uniquely positive experience and motivates them to have a long-standing relationship with BarkleyOKRP. Every deliverable is an opportunity, and this person manages the team and the vision for how all the pieces come together to make that a positive and impactful one. A successful VP, CX is a client expert who delivers n a positive experience by knowing their client, nurturing the relationship, and by deeply understanding the in’s and out’s of their business. As an expert in marketing, this person often has depth of knowledge in one or more verticals (e.g. CPG, QSR, or Retail) and brings their own level of influence and insight to the table with the client. This forges a tight relationship with continual contact and the ability to have difficult conversations when needed. It also allows for the VP, CE to craft a customized experience for their client based on business needs and the overall relationship. This person has the ability to partner with the right cross-agency team to match client needs while nurturing an inclusive team culture that empowers their direct reports and galvanizes the full team. Working closely with each department, this person respects the expertise of each team member and the importance of each role in the overall client relationship. They foster a team culture, leading by example to create an environment that attracts people to their team. As an agency that builds whole brands, this person’s passion must be unwavering in the support of that pursuit. They are committed to every step of the process and lead their teams in creating the conditions for quality work that takes into account context and content - meaning developing great ideas with a command of where and how it will be seen. They take a very proactive approach and do not wait for requests. This team member is a critical leader at BarkleyOKRP. They will be overseeing significant revenue and often responsible for 2-3 clients or a very large one. As such, they are expected to manage the business health on behalf of the agency, identify and land organic growth, and be mindful of financials for the client. Ideally, this person is a blend of creativity, problem-solving, business savvy, and passion for the work.

Requirements

Experience as a trusted advisor to client leadership, often VP and CMO
Experience with integrated production
Experience with channel planning and media
Experience building and executing growth marketing plans
Experience inspiring, delivering and selling great creative
Experience mentoring, developing and promoting talent
Experience operationalizing and expanding contracts
Experience developing work scopes and staffing plans
Experience budgeting, forecasting and reporting revenue
A bias for curiosity and skill-building

Responsibilities

CLIENTS: Leadership & balance of multi-client relationships, foresight, & activation of all Client needs and business management.
Knows how to customize the client experience for individual client needs and set BarkelyOKRP apart
Be the expert and advisor on the client’s business. Consult with clients, steering modern business and brand innovations
Continually brings perspective to the team on what moves the client’s business forward and where to find success. Offers the “forest vs the trees” so big picture doesn’t get forgotten or forsaken for a timeline or small project
Proactive leadership that can foresee any client issues and knows how to solve early or escalate and request management support to resolve before they are detrimental to the relationship
CREATIVE: Advocate, anticipate & create conditions for whole brand thinking. Presell & protect the work. Manage resourcing and open financial doors for the work and the team. Lead Annual planning and organic growth opportunities (for new creative work)
Seeks out, nurtures and delivers Whole Brand ideas that solve business problems and measurable results by engaging the full cross agency team and additional resources when needed
Advocates for brave work and manages the client to be prepared to “buy” innovative ideas.
COLLABORATION: Cross Department team unifier & problem solver. Proactive leadership for whole brand & client. Offers a clear POV that brings focus, clarity, & growth. Proactively leads financials/resourcing/scoping to agency business case & impact
Creates the conditions and protects a diverse and inclusive environment where each team member feels they can bring their best self, be respected and seen
Serves as lead agency guide to ensure strategic approach is delivered not just integrated within BARKLEYOKRP but also partner agencies and internal client teams
Inspires across the strategic and creative process. Accountable for the timely development and management of the scoping process that is precise, detailed and forward-thinking by including the right department input and client direction - resulting in profitable, annual contracts
Accountable for financial forecasts, billing/budget tracking and reporting contracted revenue with recommendations to solve any resource management or burn issues that impact profitability. Knows how to build repeatable processes within their team to deliver accurately.
Foster a positive, purposeful culture to the team that enables a can-do attitude and enjoyment of the client and the work. Identify and manage any negative issues, or challenges within team culture
Responsible for growing and retaining direct reports that includes a clear growth plan, ongoing communication on performance, and well-defined roles & responsibilities
Partner closely with Project Management to be involved in the right meetings, information sharing, and connection points for the whole team to be successful and seamlessly integrated. Provide continual clarity for evolving roles between CX and PM
Forecast, track and report contracted revenue and organic growth