Account Manager

Position Title: Account Manager
As the client's first and foremost point of contact, the AM is many things to many people. Whether you're saving the day, herding the cats, putting out fires or lending an ear and commiserating, the AM is ultimately the client's go-to who makes sure the client is delighted and has what they need. But you're not just a friendly face – you're a strategic thinker, a confident decision-maker, and a proactive partner who helps clients discover opportunities they didn't even know they had.

The role requires a love of people, exceptional communication, killer organization skills, mental flexibility, the confidence to make judgment calls, and the ability to juggle all the balls (without constantly checking if you're juggling them correctly).

At the end of the day, the AM job can be summed up in these four goals:

• Cultivate, strengthen, and grow loyal client relationships as a trusted strategic partner
• Empower the creative team to do their best work
• Proactively drive the best outcomes for clients, even when they don't know what they need
• Contribute to achievement of agency and department goals

These are lofty goals. We accomplish them in a million tiny ways through a variety of everyday activities and remembering the Waltz mantras in everything we do. Every client and every project is different, but the same fundamental approach leads to the best results no matter the circumstances.

We cultivate loyal client relationships and become a trusted strategic partner when we:

• Build, maintain, and proactively strengthen relationships with key client stakeholders at all levels
• Delight clients with the very best service they can imagine
• Proactively offer creative and strategic input to propose the right solutions for the project – before clients even know they need them
• Deliver excellent work on time and on budget
• Confidently communicate both good and bad news with tact and poise
• Confidently present ideas, lead meetings and conversations, and, when necessary, handle challenging discussions about budgets, timelines or expectations
• Underpromise and overdeliver
• Keep a smile on our face and treat clients the way we would hope to be treated if we were in their shoes
• Schedule regular check-ins to understand client goals, challenges, and opportunities

We achieve the best outcome for the client when we:

• Take the time to learn and understand the client's business, industry and objectives
• Collaborate, communicate and work as a team
• Keep clients updated on project status and make sure they are happy with how the work is progressing
• Act as a liaison between the client and the creative team to ensure the client's needs are being met on every project
• Shepherd each project through the creative department and ensure they are on brand and on brief from concept to delivery
• Never stop improving by keeping an open mind, learning new things and staying in touch with traditional and non-traditional marketing trends by taking advantage of professional development opportunities offered
• Remember that we succeed when our clients succeed
• Work with clients to understand their marketing plan and yearly goals, or help them craft a comprehensive annual marketing plan with clear SMART goals if they don't have one
• Think beyond hourly rates to understand the true value our work brings to clients

We empower the creative team to do their best work when we:

• Provide strategic input to develop, coordinate and/or write a detailed creative brief for each project
• Project manage campaigns across the full marketing mix, ensuring they are on point from concept to delivery
• Lead kick-off meetings with the client and/or design team at the onset of each project
• Stay organized, make sure the team has everything they need to do the work and get answers or missing items quickly
• Remember we are all on the same team and working towards the same goals
• Make confident decisions based on our experience and judgment, without constantly seeking approval

We contribute to the achievement of agency and department goals when we:

• As part of the team, prepare for and participate in new business presentations and pitch fresh and innovative solutions to clients/prospects
• Meet with potential clients and explain the merits of Waltz Creative
• Actively identify and pursue opportunities to grow existing client accounts
• Consistently look for new business opportunities with existing clients as well as recognize new leads/opportunities and refer them to the appropriate team members
• Take care of our own business by meeting deadlines and staying on top of key responsibilities such as:
• Track and submit a weekly log of billable time
• Monitor budgets, changes of scope and general client/project information using agency project management system (Function Point)
• Complete projects in a timely manner and review financials before invoicing
• Understand the financial impact of pricing decisions on agency profitability
• Periodically assess and report on the health of client relationships and growth opportunities
• Embody the Waltz mantras and put forth our best effort every day

The Skills:

In addition to the