Account Director

ABOUT THE SHIPYARD

The Shipyard is a leading, independent agency that builds performance-driven brands audiences can’t help but love.

By applying modern mindsets to established models, we fuel brand and marketing decisions that are more courageous and more validated.

Our ability to align bold creativity with individual consumer motivations lets us do more than hope for brand love – we methodically engineer it throughout the consumer journey. That’s how we activate the synergistic power of brand building and performance marketing.

Engineering Brand Love through the courageous ambitions of our people and our clients.

The agency has significant momentum and is on a roll with new business. Our team continues to expand across four cities (Columbus, Newport Beach, Sacramento, and San Diego) and we’re still growing. Come join our team!

SUMMARY

We are looking for a smart, experienced, and motivated Account Director to join our San Diego team.  

The Account Director serves as the principal client lead and is accountable for managing client engagements and providing cohesive, strategic approaches to achieving business objectives and driving performance against designated KPIs. The Account Director mobilizes the collective agency team to deliver against defined scopes of work in a manner that exemplifies quality and achieves overall client satisfaction.

This is a hybrid work from home/office position (in-office attendance is required on Tuesdays & Thursdays) and the candidate must live near San Diego, CA.

At The Shipyard, we know that it's your unique talents, backgrounds, and perspectives that make you who you are, just like our team, who come from various career paths and experiences. We believe we can't be truly diverse without bringing your most authentic self to the agency.  

Studies show that people from marginalized communities may not always apply for positions if they don't meet every single requirement in a job posting. At The Shipyard, we encourage you to apply even if you don't meet all the requirements. We believe that your passion for what we stand for — our values and purpose — is just as important as meeting every checkbox. 

WHAT YOU’LL DO

You will lead, foster, and grow $3M+ of client work through proactive solutions, anticipating and navigating stakeholder needs, and being an integral contributor to the success of a client’s business. As a senior member of the Account Management team, you will also play an integral part in developing and mentoring your direct reports in alignment with department standards of operating. 

Business Leadership  

• Be the undisputed client expert – a possibility creator, anticipating needs and providing vision and guidance to propel the client’s business forward; think of ways to improve their business that they may not 
• Serve as a thought leader on the client’s business and category, working in partnership with the strategy team to apply ongoing diagnostics (e.g., track and apply trends, competitive, etc.) and deliver fresh fodder for ideas and agency points of view  
• Own and champion annual account planning for assigned account(s) 
• Conduct annual/bi-annual client business reviews for assigned account(s) to continually align core team(s), preempt issues and advance new thinking 
• Demonstrate strategic ambidexterity: delivering today and leading tomorrow – align strategic efforts across all departments and execution groups to provide the client with a cohesive and measurably successful program of work today while simultaneously leading tomorrow  
• Onboard new team members to client business for assigned account(s) 
• Provide agency leadership with regular business health updates  
• Campaign performance /reporting/ brand research facilitation 

Financial Management 

• Own all aspects of financial management, including development of annual scopes of work and compensation proposals, contract amendments, client financials, annual client revenue forecasting, and client margins/profitability  
• Provide weekly client revenue forecast updates to Finance team 
• Actively identify white space opportunities for organic growth 

Relationship Management  

• Serve as an indispensable extension of the client's team through immersion in client’s brand(s), business goals, opportunities, and challenges  
• Own and develop trusted advisor relationships with key decision makers (both current and prospective client contacts) 
• Identify and present leadership with any investment needs required to elevate current account relationships 
• Be a role model on what it means to be a positive, proactive and productive member of the Account Management team  
• Provide mentorship and guidance to Account Management direct reports helping to develop their client savvy, leadership skills and strategic thinking   
• Foster a culture of ownership and accountability  

Cross-Functional Scope of Work Facilitation 

• Develop strategic briefs in partnership with Strategy and Creative leadership 
• Collaborate cross-functionally across agency disciplines/departments to develop innovative solutions and comprehensive strategic communications plans for clients 
• Support high-profile projects through contribution to internal deliverable inputs and approvals to ensure the agency’s work product aligns with the client’s business goals and exceeds client expectations 
• Lead and coach the team to be brand custodians, but to also challenge clients when needed  
• Foster collaboration and positive conflict resolution among team members  
• Stay well-informed on account activity and effectively communicate information between internal account contributors and leadership 
• Define scopes of work to serve as an execution guide for internal teams 
• Ensure agency administrative activity including time recording, goals progress, peer feedback, and performance reviews is conducted in a timely manner 

WHAT YOU’LL BRING 

Experience

• 10+ years of senior Account Management experience including supervising/directing teams 
• Proven success in nurturing and growing client relationships 
• Proven ability to deliver solutions that grow client business, and in turn grow the agency’s business 
• Demonstrated ability to take initiative, make independent decisions, and proactively prioritize 
• Training in creating SOWs, proposals, and project briefs that drive exceptional outputs and performance  

Skills

• Strategic thinker with proficiency in digital marketing concepts  
• Ability to communicate, present, and influence credibly and effectively at all levels of a client’s organization, including executive and C-level 
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy 
• Excellent listening and negotiation skills 
• Ability to inspire people and work effectively, proactively, and collaboratively within a cross-functional team setting 
• Capacity to multitask and transition quickly and effectively between clients and projects 
• Approachable, flexible, and adaptable to change 

Characteristics

• An innate curiosity for innovating, problem-solving and connecting the dots 

• An interest in contributing to process evolutions and internal foundation-building 
• A passion for data analytics and strategic insights to drive marketing decisions 
• Proactive mindset and interest in providing clients with solutions to challenges they haven’t properly identified yet 
• Willingness to travel as needed 

WHAT YOU’LL GET 

• The overall target range of base compensation for this role is $131,000 - $152,000. Compensation offered will be determined by additional factors such as location and experience.
• Open PTO
• 40 hours of paid sick time (annually) 
• Flexible work hours and remote work
• Paid holidays + holiday closure between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day
• Company-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Life insurance and disability benefits
• 401k program with employer matching
• 6 weeks paid parental leave
• Employee bonus referrals
• Dog-friendly offices 
• Company-provided snacks and beverages (yes, beer/wine included)
• … and lots more!

REQUIREMENTS

• Must be authorized to work in the U.S. without the need for visa sponsorship.