Account Director - Alexandria, Virginia, United States

At SimpsonScarborough, we spend our days building brands that endure, inspire, and elevate the all-important work of colleges and universities in shaping our future. Recognized as a leader in the higher-ed marketing industry, our company runs a fully remote team of approximately ...

Job description

At SimpsonScarborough, we spend our days building brands that endure, inspire, and elevate the all-important work of colleges and universities in shaping our future. Recognized as a leader in the higher-ed marketing industry, our company runs a fully remote team of approximately 65 employees coast to coast.

We are looking for an experienced Account Director to serve as a trusted partner to our clients: someone who can grow relationships, expand accounts, and guide strategic marketing and branding work from strategy through growth. In this role, you'll act as both advocate and advisor: cultivating client trust, anticipating needs, and ensuring every project strengthens the long-term partnership. You'll also lead internal teams with clarity and purpose, balancing big-picture account vision with day-to-day project success.

Requirements

• Client Leadership & Advocacy: Serve as the client's senior partner, shaping scopes, clarifying goals, leading presentations, and building enduring relationships that anticipate needs and drive growth.
• Strategic Account Management: Provide insight and direction across projects, ensuring deliverables reflect client goals and broader strategy. Lead goal setting and proposal development to expand client engagements.
• Internal Team Leadership: Align cross-functional teams (research, strategy, creative, digital, media) around client goals and project outcomes. Act as a trusted escalation point, resolving challenges quickly and diplomatically.
• Stakeholder Management: Navigate complex campus environments, align diverse stakeholders, and keep momentum toward shared institutional outcomes.
• Presentation & Communication Excellence: Deliver compelling presentations that simplify complexity, inspire confidence, and facilitate decision-making across executive and working groups.
• Growth & Analytics: Proactively identify opportunities for client growth and contribute to agency-wide revenue goals. Apply analytical thinking to ensure account strategies support both client success and the agency's financial health.
  

Qualifications

• Agency know-how: Minimum 5 years in client-facing account management roles within an agency environment. You understand the pace, complexity, and financial realities of agency life.
• Higher ed experience preferred: Familiarity with higher ed marketing/communications/advancement is ideal but not required.
• Effective communicator: Skilled at presenting to senior leaders, facilitating discussions, and writing clearly and persuasively.
• Trusted escalation point: Ability to handle challenges under pressure, bringing calm, clarity, and quick decision-making.
• Goal setter & driver: Experience defining clear goals, creating accountability, and motivating teams to deliver.
• Team aligner: Proven ability to translate big-picture strategies into focused, coordinated actions.
• Analytical mindset: Ability to interpret financial, performance, and market data to inform decision-making and drive profitability.
• Ability to manage multiple accounts independently in a fast-paced, remote-first environment. Strong knowledge of brand strategy, market research, content, digital marketing, and campaign execution.
  
• Bachelor's degree and/or equivalent practical experience will be treated equally.

Salary, Benefits & Perks

• Salary starts at $100,000.00 and will be commensurate with experience.
• SimpsonScarborough offers a full benefits package, including nationwide health coverage, dental, vision, employer paid life insurance & short-term disability, flexible time off (FTO), and additional voluntary benefits such as pet insurance, identity and legal protection, hospital indemnity, additional life coverage, critical illness and accident insurance, paid parental leave, and a 401(k) with employer contribution after waiting period.
• Perks include flexible work model including, and annual stipend for remote working and professional development, two (2) weeklong agency-wide refresh weeks (summer and winter office closures), and a day off for your birthday.

At SimpsonScarborough, we believe diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are central to our core values, cultural norms, and critical to our long-term success. We believe this work is a continual effort that requires consistency, intentionality, vulnerability and accountability for ourselves and others. Through our efforts we strive to make impact in our work, in our workplace and in our industry.

SimpsonScarborough is an equal opportunity employer. We have a strict anti-harassment policy and a no tolerance non-discrimination policy. We welcome employees of all backgrounds regardless of nationality, race, religion, gender identity, veteran status, and all characteristics protected by state and federal law.

Beware of fraudulent job offers. SimpsonScarborough will never ask you for personal information or for interviews through unofficial channels. Please report any suspicious activity to