Group Account Director

– Help great causes by developing marketing campaigns that deliver results
– Wide variety of projects spanning branding, advertising and direct marketing
– Newly refurbished warehouse powered by solar panels installed by agency directors.
– Find your purpose, whilst building on your 9+ years of experience. Join our creative team of 18 people (including client service team of six).

“Advertising is too valuable an instrument to waste on commercial products… it justifies itself when it is used for social purposes.” Howard Luck Gossage

We believe that with thought, experience, and skill, communications can actually improve the world – by building support for the work of charities and other socially-minded organisations. We have developed our business to specialise in doing just that, and are inviting you to join us.
We work with around 20 Australian charities including Médecins Sans Frontières, The Smith Family, WWF, Australian Red Cross, and Camp Quality, to develop the communications they need to build support for their work. We help them to develop branding platforms, execute direct response advertising, and develop fundraising and marketing campaigns.

This newly created leadership role is an amazing opportunity for someone to lead our account service team, nurture client satisfaction, and create opportunities for the agency to lead, innovate and build on our reputation of strong creative work.

Your responsibilities:
– Create the conditions in which Marlin can deliver innovative and effective creative work, profitably, year after year
– Lead the account service team to create strong relationships with new and existing clients, setting goals for the Account Directors, and supporting them to achieve them successfully
– Develop training and tools for Account Service team
– Drive new business development by ensuring clients understand our capabilities and experience, and by assisting Creative Strategy Director to identify new product offerings that Marlin should develop to meet emerging client needs and objectives
– Remove obstacles to business development by ensuring service issues are identified and resolved
– Work with Head of Design and Head of Copy to improve processes and tools to drive client satisfaction and profitability
– Pitch for continued campaign and relationship program work, using your strategic skills to research, and prepare proposals and presentations
– Negotiate fees and service expectations to ensure that Marlin can increase the % of turnover that is earned as profit
– Forecast income and report on progress to Directors
– Scope and recruit appropriate resources for Account Service team
– Design and manage brand-appropriate front-of-house experience for clients and agency team

What is on offer:

– Work with leading charities that have chosen to work with a specialist, independent agency
– No glass ceiling – report directly into agency partners
– Don’t get boxed in – work across branding advertising, direct marketing, and digital marketing
– Help agency leverage its strong reputation amongst charities to strengthen its own market position
– Reconnect with your passion for communications as part of a purpose-driven team of professionals

The ideal candidate will have:

– Undergraduate or post graduate studies in communications, marketing or equivalent and minimum nine years’ related industry experience
– Experience as senior leader in a direct or advertising agency – previously worked as a Senior Account Director OR 4+ years in an Account Director role
– Experience working with brands to deliver integrated campaigns
– Experience working on relationship management / loyalty programs
– Strategic leadership style and experience working across agency teams to lead performance of agency
– Strong communication skills and proven ability to develop business growth, and negotiate
– Exemplary client and team management skills and highly developed leadership skills
– Advanced client relationship skills
– Advanced problem solving skills
– Excellent presentation skills