We are Publicis Groupe Lausanne, part of Publicis Groupe, the third largest communications group in the world. In Lausanne, we host agencies like Saatchi & Saatchi, Leo Burnett, Prodigious and MetaDesign under our roof.
But it’s not only size that matters: Our office has a team of 70 employees from 24 different nationalities and backgrounds, working for a range of international and regional clients from sectors like tobacco, health, finance, insurance, cosmetics, and consumer goods.
Position Summary:
The Account Director role is responsible for the day to day running of accounts in all aspects including financial processes and profitability while proactively managing and developing team members. The Account Director is expected to be a strategic client contact and advisor, with visible ongoing engagement with key clients. Whilst retention and growth of accounts is a key responsibility, the expectation is that the Account Director will also generate new business within current clients and new clients and will lead new business pitches.
Owns the client relationship on assigned brands. Owns the brand strategy and effectively influences the client to achieve brand objectives. Contributes to and may be accountable for new business development. Responsible for staffing, managing and leading the assigned account team.
Agency Operations
* Finances: Understands agency revenue and profitability model. Ensures work is completed within budget by project. Owns the revenue and forecast for the brand. Determines and negotiates budget needs; provides input to fee development. Vigilantly seeks to optimize agency services and internal resources.
* Trouble shoot: Keeps management informed of account status, problems, plans, and meetings and gets senior management involved as needed.
* Team Leadership: Serves as team leader to both integrated agency team and to client. Provides assistance related to agency/team/management policies and practices.
* Best practices: Advances best practices in agency process.
* Develops staff, mentors.
* Knowledge and experience in working on a global brand, understanding localization and transcreation.
Strategy
Owns the brand strategy. Owns and communicates to the extended internal team, the overall client vision and the vision for all marketing programs for client’s business
* Vision: Responsible for overseeing brand strategy and tactics. Sought as strategic leader by team.
* Thought Leadership: Provides idea leadership for brand, and acts as brand steward to drive business forward.
* Planning: Spearheads the presentation to client of annual plans and significant interim programs.
* New Business: Responsible for new business opportunities and driving growth on assigned brands.
Tactics and Execution
Communicates strategy and tactical plan effectively. Ultimately responsible for flawless execution.
· Direction: Provides clear strategic direction to agency team. Evaluates creative product against strategic direction, and provides constructive feedback.
· Holistic Perspective: Approaches brand from holistic marketing perspective, looks at all media and forms of digital marketing, communications and advertising to develop outcomes that meet client objectives.
· Coordination: Proactively coordinates and integrates across all agencies at GAD’s direction, as needed.
· PCL and Groupe Offerings: Solid knowledge of Agency businesses, offerings, and tools.
Client Relationship
Owns the client relationship on assigned brands. Effectively sells the creative product to the client.
· Relationship: Very client facing. Outstanding client service & relationship building. Proactively manages relationship with clients and seeks opportunities to strengthen/build new relationships as needed.
· Agency Champion: Seeks opportunities to showcase agency work among current and prospective clients.
· New Business: Seeks opportunities to grow business within current accounts and into new accounts.
· Leader Role: Be and be seen as point person for senior client.
· Presentations: Expert presentation skills.
· Adaptable: Demonstrates ability to adapt to various client corporate cultures.
· Problem solving: Solves client issues, independently moderates conflicts with significant complexity and political sensitivity.
Approaches brand from holistic marketing perspective. Integrates emerging technologies into client recommendations.
* Comprehensive understanding of client's business.
* Thorough understanding of industry business trends. Alert to changes in clients’ marketplace. Has broad knowledge of what’s going on in the marketplace to offer solutions to clients.
* Cultivates relationships with appropriate thought leaders to help maintain solid knowledge of client’s business.
* Expert in Brand Building and multi channels and multi audiences, including consumer journeys – enough knowledge to be able to act agnostically when making decisions on behalf of the client.
* Detailed knowledge of global and integrated campaign planning and execution, including localization and knowledge of local market needs.
· Bachelors degree required
· MBA, Masters in Marketing or related discipline preferred
· 10+years experience in Brand Building
· 3+ years experience managing others
· Strong Advertising Agency experience
· Demonstrated ability working on a wide range of accounts and categories a plus; Global experience preferred
· Fluency in written and spoken English, French is an advantage but not mandatory.