Client Engagement Director

Summary of Role

A Client Engagement Director (CED) owns the client relationship, internally and externally, and is responsible for continued profitable growth and development of accounts. A CED is the eyes and ears of the client for WW, and will know best what is on the brief, on target for the brand, and what the client is looking for. For the client, the CED is the essential voice of reason on strategic and creative issues, someone they trust implicitly to do what is right for them and their brand(s).

Essential Duties & Responsibilities as Client Engagement Director

• Own the relationship with the client by managing successful, profitable and trust-based engagements with key clients. Balances having a strong relationship on both business and personal levels, so that clients trust the CED
• Look for organic growth within the clients by:
• Identifying proactive ideas that will benefit the client
• Nurturing relationships within the client organization (e.g. in different teams or departments or brand groups)
• Building trust such that WW is thought of as a ‘must have’ on new projects and assignments
• Ensure that the strategic goals of the brand/client are communicated to the WW team and met through work of the highest quality
• Work closely with the Insights team to participate in strategy development and to set and measure brand goals, and help the Insights team analyze research and present findings to clients
• Work closely and effectively with project managers so that projects proceed as anticipated and strategic goals are met, anticipating obstacles, and aggressively addressing concerns that could undermine client relationships or perceptions of WW by the client
• Understand the client's business and be a trusted business partner, not just a supplier of communications.
• Manage the financial health of the client at WW - ensure targets are met or exceeded, and the account is run efficiently in terms of resource utilization
• Collaborate with the VP, Director of Client Engagement and the Client Engagement Executive Director (as applicable) on client plans and budgets and follow up on how the plans are being implemented
• Intuitively understand the dynamics of clients’ businesses, and make good use of insights to stay informed about the client and their industry
• Stay in tune with all account activity and anticipate potential issues or dissatisfaction, proactively taking steps to remedy concerns
• Present plans, recommendations, work and analysis to clients.
• Seek referrals where appropriate for additional work or new client introductions
• Play an active role in ensuring successful onboarding of new client team members

Communication Skills

• Demonstrate excellent written, verbal and listening skills
• Be comfortable and adept in representing Wray Ward with a client’s senior management
• Demonstrate outstanding presentation skills in formal and informal settings and be an excellent meeting leader
• Communicate in a clear, coherent and professional manner
• Be self-assured as well as sensitive when leading client team members
• Maintain a candid professional relationship with other Wray Ward staff

Additional Responsibilities

• Be a team builder and a team player
• Inspire a contagious passion for strategic creative solutions
• Model a conscientious, straightforward and dedicated work ethic — talk the talk and walk the walk
• Respect all equally, internally and externally
• Passionately uphold the agency brand, culture and values
• Collaborate among multiple departments effectively and efficiently
• Be accountable for meeting goals and expectations

Qualifications

• 10 years of agency experience in leading accounts or equivalent client experience in marketing management roles
• Demonstrated success in attracting, managing and growing clients
• Proven track record of taking projects and initiatives from insights to objectives to strategies to tactics
• Demonstrated success in leading teams without direct reporting relationship
• Must be willing to travel up to 20%
• Bachelor’s degree

This job description serves as an overall summary of responsibilities for the position outlined. Please note it is subject to change with specific expectations associated with the position.

Culture Alignment

At Wray Ward, we firmly believe that internal and client relationships are key to our success. Certain attitudes define how we work and are important in what we seek for our culture and mission. Our key agency attitudes are:

• WE, NOT ME — We check our egos at the door. As a result, we thrive in a positive, collaborative atmosphere that welcomes diverse professionals and invites everyone to contribute their best.
• ASK “WHAT IF?” — Always going beyond what is and considering what could be, we create unexpected possibilities that differentiate our brands and accelerate their success.
• BE FEARLESS — Creativity demands that we hold nothing back. So we mutually support each other in speaking up, taking risks and courageously contributing audacious, unedited, unconventional ideas.
• NAIL IT — Everything we do is about results. We not only achieve our clients’ goals, but also continually exceed their expectations. Every person here shares individual responsibility for their own, our agency’s and our clients’ success.

Our 39,000-square-foot home promotes collaboration and productivity through inspired meeting areas, offering natural light, vibrant colors, patterns and textures. Homelike elements are found in every corner, from the open-air roof-deck to our game room with foosball, ping-pong, Connect Five, classic board games and cornhole. Brightly colored throw pillows on sofas and our town hall meeting space, smart entertainment systems and live plants are scattered throughout. From holiday parties to movie nights, bowling and dodgeball teams to yoga and walking groups, we have a warm and inviting culture. Our office ushers us in, and it welcomes us home.

Our Mission

Day in and day out, we will passionately create the most innovative, engaging and effective work in the home category — we will live it, we will breathe it and we will own it.

Candidates must possess authorization to work in the United States, as it is not the practice of Wray Ward to sponsor individuals for work visas. Wray Ward participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the United States.

At Wray Ward, we strongly believe that a diverse staff and inclusive culture will greatly enrich our work, our business, our industry and our lives. We are committed to an intentional approach to listening, understanding and talking, and to using our individual and collective talent, voices and influence to drive change.

Wray Ward is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class.