Director, Client Leadership - Northbrook, United States - Blue Chip Marketing Inc

Description

About Blue Chip

We are an independent, full-service, creative marketing agency growing brands through creative commerce. At Blue Chip, we specialize in crafting strategic campaigns to captivate consumers at the critical moment of purchase.

Leveraging a data-driven approach, we design tailored initiatives that seamlessly integrate with retail environments, influencing buying decisions and maximizing brand visibility.

Everyone and everything at Blue Chip is guided by one universal motivation:
to Bring Change. Everything we do is designed to Bring Change through irresistible creative solutions.

Immerse yourself in an unbeatable array of perks at our company, where work-life balance and unparalleled professional development opportunities redefine the employee experience.

Ready to transform your career? Let's Bring Change together

Job Summary

The Director, Client Leadership demonstrates excellent judgement and strong, polished team leadership skills, owns the overall client relationship(s) and is responsible for client P&Ls (GP goals and growth).

This person leads the client business plans and overall strategy with the internal core client team. This person is accountable for multiple client relationships (1+ clients with at least $1MM in gross profit). The Director is responsible for account P&L and ensuring profitability of account based on agency income. Directors work with teams to prioritize project responsibilities complying with scoped work effort/hours. The person in this role must champion department improvement initiatives that enable innovation and drive client value.

In this role, the Director has the ability to take on agency roles beyond client leadership and actively work towards positive change.

Directors are charged with optimizing team alignment and structure based on client/agency dynamics and SOW. The person in this position is accountable for operational innovation and cross-functional leadership. The person in this role must demonstrate mastery of risk assessment/mitigation, and proactively provide optimization recommendations with senior leadership.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Other duties may be assigned.

Team Management

• Oversees all strategic development for client(s) across all levels of campaigns, projects and SOW initiatives
• Builds high value relationships with senior leaders, day-to-day client connections, internal teammates (cross-functionally) and vendors.
• Guides direct reports and cross-functional teams to plan, develop and deliver major client campaigns and multiple SOW initiatives across client(s) ultimately managing account profitability.
• Manages multiple account teams and supervises assignments for one or more clients or brands
• Demonstrates clear understanding of team dynamics and individual working styles to optimize day to day workflow.
• Alerts senior leadership if client or agency actions/requests stray beyond scope of work, and helps engage in contingency planning to recommend solutions
• Manages, mentors and councils direct reports, including onboarding, monitoring of workload, job performance and growth opportunities
• Demonstrates the mission, vision, values, and culture principles of BC Worldwide.

Financial Management

• Manages 1+ client with over $1MM in GP
• Manages multiple client project budgets & client scope with sound financial practices in mind
• Develops client scopes of work including estimates for projects of $500K+ with senior leadership guidance and collaboration
• Secures and maintains client budgets, and manages internal SOW/workflow to maximize agency profit
• Leads P&L management.
• In absence of CL and SCL, proactively monitors actual hours actual vs SOW estimate and report pacing to senior leaders.

o Manages cross-functional client team hours to maintain profitability.

o Partners with Finance team to maintain profitability and forecast future effort.

o Manage cross-functional client team hours to maintain profitability.

• Works with client to ensure delivery of contracted SOW, and internally to identify incremental client revenue opportunities and deliver organic growth
• Supports the team in administration of vendor financial management

o If project has a third-party cost, manage the invoice/PO process; ensure the invoices are within budget and properly coded.

o Provides guidance, resolves complex problems

Industry Knowledge

• Demonstrates thorough knowledge of marcom industry; ability to counsel clients on industry best practices; ability to identify/add ideas to industry discussions (i.e. white papers, speaking engagements, etc.)
• Uses knowledge of major marketing agency disciplines to offer clients guidance on their ongoing and future marketing challenges
• Understands key vendor partners for client benefit

Client Relationship & Communication

• Develops trusted relationships with clients, gaining understanding of professional/personal motivations and influence
• Oversees execution of best proactive management communication including agendas, client status reports and conference reports; and ensure follow up communications, are orchestrated on a timely basis

Client Understanding & Value

• Leads development of client business SWOT that informs the business plan
• Educates the agency about the client's business and marketing challenges at the brand/product level
• Demonstrates a thorough understanding of our client's business and marketing challenges at the brand, category and industry levels
• Responsible for contributing business-building ideas for individual clients at the brand and corporate level, outside the day to day SOW
• Develops competitive analysis and industry trend reports where appropriate
• Supports next level in client strategic leadership and agency growth initiatives

Presentations

• Leads teams in drafting and delivering presentations to senior clients, new business prospects and agency management this includes overseeing annual planning and campaign initiatives, managing contributions of senior agency leaders
• Develops and presents materials to clients and to internal teams
• Delivers clear and effective presentations to senior and executive level clients, as necessary
• Articulates agency POV & crafts storylines with guidance from senior leadership

Project Management

• Provides guidance, support, and standards to CL/SCL/Sup across many teams for Project Management
• Leads development and provides guidance to S/CL with respect to strategic optimization of Project Management tools, systems and resources, providing guidance, standards and proactive global optimization recommendations.
• Manages details of multiple large Integrated Campaigns/projects, or smaller more tactical assignments
• Understands managing deadlines, deliverables and timing throughout the project lifecycle (plan, develop, produce, test, etc.)
• Addresses issues requiring upper management engagement
• Provides guidance, standards, innovates with SME's to resource and develop effective project plans, timelines, etc.
• Champions client strategic leadership and agency growth initiatives
• Use knowledge of agency process to lead direct reports in tactical execution across multiple client projects
• Champions next level in client strategic leadership and agency growth initiatives
• Develops plans to anticipate and mitigate difficult project or account-related issues across multiple programs, with minimal consultation/guidance across multiple programs
• Guides/oversees and steps in where needed with digital, web development and print production processes
• Leads multi-team, cross-functional project and account management
• Consistently recognizes trends, establishes team best practices to drive business forward
• Supports senior management in new business and agency-wide initiatives
• "Steps in" in absence of more junior roles, and commands the Project Management process

General

• Must be able to travel occasionally overnight and on weekends
• Processes daily timesheets, and confirm direct reports are current on time accounting.
• Works with internal resources as well as client's legal and regulatory resources to ensure all activities and operations are performed in compliance with regulatory and federal regulations
• Responsible for maintaining up to date weekly time tracking, per the Agency's time tracking policy

BC Worldwide Qualities

To be successful, every BC Worldwide employee should possess the following qualities:

• Attitude & Commitment – you are a passionate, resourceful, and productive achiever that is a pleasure to be around
• Priority Setting – you define clear action steps and manage expectations of others
• Creative Thinking & Problem Solving – you recognize the relevancy of your ideas to the big picture, demonstrate original thinking and make an impact on your team
• Dependability – you are self-motivated to deliver the highest quality work, on time and budget
• Leadership Ability – you take initiative, motivate others, and assume accountability for your actions
• Communication – you use organized, constructive communication to facilitate great work

Education, Experience and Certifications

• Bachelor's Degree from an accredited four-year college or university required
• Minimum 10 years' experience in account services including planning, managing and activating marketing plans for B2C and/or B2B clients in an agency environment
• Extensive demonstrated leadership experience in the areas of planning, managing and implementing multiple marketing programs and/or project portfolios in CPG required.
• Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional teams to develop and deliver complex client campaigns, from planning to completion, on budget - both short term and long term project/client experiences
• Experience managing budgets and vendors, required
• Experience in digital marketing and social media is preferred

o Working knowledge of digital brand marketing required

• Demonstrated leadership – managing, mentoring direct reports including actively nurturing career paths

Blue Chip is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion by cultivating a workplace that values and celebrates unique perspectives.

We infuse DE&I principles into our campaigns, ensuring representation, cultural sensitivity, and authenticity, creating messages that resonate with diverse audiences and fostering an inclusive marketing landscape.