Account Manager

The account manager has a deep understanding of our clients’ businesses and is buttoned up on every detail. In this role, the account manager functions as a brand manager on multiple product brands and is the internal brand expert. The account manager guides junior account team members’ day-to-day activities and partners with senior account leads in strategic planning and financial management of accounts. They are the go-to team member on market knowledge and competitor intelligence. They share information early and often. They are an active listener who can predict client needs, bring unexpected ideas to them and exceed their expectations, all while managing teams, budgets and timelines. 

This person could be located in the Kansas City, MO, office; Columbia, MO, office; or remote. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: 

Account Management

• Set clear expectations of Woodruff and clients with clients and internal teams. Resolve conflicts or confusion quickly.
• Capture details, questions, next steps and timing from internal discussions and facilitate internal communication to ensure everyone is on the same page. Organize information in a timely, clear and concise manner.
• Develop documents and communications that guide projects internally, including job input forms, kickoff documents, meeting notes and posts on Wrike, our project management software.
• Work with project managers to develop project timelines. Monitor progress from start to finish to ensure projects are moving through Woodruff’s processes smoothly. Proactively guide teams to help solve problems and ensure team members are updated. 
• Contribute to agency projects as requested. Carry out action items assigned, follow through and report on outcomes to supervisor or other project stakeholders.

Client Relationships and Business Growth 

• Have a deep knowledge of clients’ unique business needs and their industries, competitors, products, technologies and trends. Also know clients’ internal structures and teams, their individual needs and motivators as well as their personal preferences. Share this information with team members.
• Understand how clients take their products and/or services to market, and how Woodruff’s capabilities can help them in their business. Help guide the development of effective marketing, communications and advertising strategies and plans for clients.
• Build trusting client relationships through a client-centric approach and by delivering Woodruff’s extraordinary outcomes confidently.
• Understand clients’ businesses and be able to make recommendations, consult and cross-sell Woodruff services where appropriate.
• Participate with the account director in the management of client development plans. 
• Manage multiple brands under the client umbrella, understanding the unique business and marketing objectives and providing direction and clarity to internal and external teams.
• Work with the account director to present information, proposals, new ideas, issues and opportunities to clients.
• Work with the account director to identify organic growth opportunities and capture information to convey to internal teams to propose new ideas to clients.

Team Leadership and Internal Relationships

• Build rapport and trusting relationships with internal teams. Collaborate with multiple internal teams to ensure projects are delivered on time and reflect Woodruff and client standards. 
• Use client profiles as well as other client information to onboard new team members to work on the clients’ business.
• Understand when and how to bring internal team members into client interactions.
• Lead the account team in day-to-day efforts; delegate and regularly ensure the account team is moving projects forward efficiently, proactively solve problems, resolve conflicts and provide guidance for team questions. Alleviate day-to-day involvement from the account director.
• Drive adoption of account management best practices through example setting, positive reinforcement and taking corrective action in real time.
• Partner with internal teams to plan project size and workflows and ensure all aspects are accounted for when developing scopes, value, time frames and pricing.
• Update agency staff on client news and highlight projects, including goals, workflows, outcomes and results, and present this information to all staff in staff meetings and other agency gatherings. 

Financial Management of Accounts

• Participate in budgeting and planning discussions. Work with the account director to become well-versed in maximizing budget allocation based on client objectives and strategies.
• Prepare scope of work and scope of value descriptions and provide accurate and detailed information to develop pricing.
• Proactively communicate with internal teams and clients regarding project size and scope, expectations, deliverables, timing and price. 
• Work with junior account team members and production to create change orders. Communicate transparently and proactively about scope changes and change orders with clients.
• Review invoices and ensure billing schedules are followed. Work with junior account team members to review billing explanations and recaps for clients.
• Work with the account director on quarterly forecasting for assigned clients. Grow financial literacy through understanding of gross revenue, agency fees, out-of-pocket job costs, AGI and profitability measures.
   

Supervisor Expectations: 

• Expectation setting, including working with your direct report on new staff orientation, training and work assignment
• Departmental responsibilities, including working with your direct report on policy enforcements, OOO requests and adhering to hiring criteria
• Regular communication, including one-on-ones, conflict resolution, philosophy guidance and ongoing coaching and mentoring
• Employee enrichment, including working with your direct report on goal setting, timely performance reviews and ongoing feedback. 

Masters

• Account management
• Budget management
• Junior team leadership. 

Gets Exposed To

• Forecasting
• Expanded financial literacy
• Expanded business growth strategies and activities
• Team management and people development. 
   

Knowledge and Skills: 

• Highly organized; able to manage significant amounts of information effectively
• Advanced verbal and written communications skills
• Extremely thorough with tremendous attention to detail
• Proactive problem-solving
• Collaborative and able to work with a variety of personalities, disciplines and roles
• Intense listener; puts information into action that gets results
• Resourceful and flexible; able to execute with minimal direction, often on short notice
• Market savvy; able to develop strategies appropriate for clients’ business and industry. 

Leader Behaviors: 

How leaders act on a daily basis as they seek to implement the company’s vision and strategic priorities, strive to fulfill the brand promise and live up to the values. Everyone can be a leader.

• Open-minded and active listener 
• Continually grows people and business 
• Truthful and transparent 
• Decisive and accountable 
• Forward-thinking 
• Proactive and communicates in a positive manner. 

Education/Experience/Certification(s):

• B.A. or B.S. degree; a degree in a discipline related to advertising, marketing, journalism or communications or comparable experience 
• 5+ years of agency experience 
• Pet industry experience preferred but not required 
• Background in mid-level marketing positions and/or demonstrated superior performance as an account executive.