Client Strategy Director

Location: New York

About Living
At Living we make a difference. A difference for our clients, our people and the communities we work in. We employ smart thinking and industry insight to create positive outcomes for our clients in the financial, professional services and technology sectors.

With offices in New York, London and Hong Kong our specialists’ deep understanding of our clients’ sectors means we challenge thinking, inspire ambition, and deliver meaningful change across their organizations through effective and integrated brand, digital and marketing communications.

About the position

Based in New York, this hands-on role requires experience of growing, developing and managing several client accounts within an integrated agency. You will have a minimum of eight years’ relevant experience, with great communication and organisational skills, financial acumen and be able to work accurately and efficiently under pressure. As an exceptional team player, you will have based your career on building and maintaining strong relationships with recognized clients and will have the passion, enthusiasm and determination to deliver and perform at a high level.

The successful candidate will be required to work from our New York office at least 2 days a week.

Position reports to:
•  Chief Executive Officer, New York.

Reporting to this position:
•  Account Director, New York (manages the account team)

Specific duties include:
•  Leading strategic discovery activity with our clients, ensuring we ‘uncover the truth’ each time and provide the client not only with clear research, but clear recommendations
•  Taking an active role in Living Ratings research, so you understand each aspect of engagement and evidence ensuring you can present this confidently in new business meetings
•  Leading new business activity in the U.S. and being involved in global opportunities and the global weekly business development meetings
•  Liaising with Living’s London and Hong Kong teams on an ad hoc basis to assess levels of work, client satisfaction and new business opportunities
•  The day-to-day overseeing of Living’s key client accounts in the U.S., ensuring they are receiving the highest individual attention and ensuring that we deliver, as a team, projects on time, on budget and on brief
•  Managing the development of Living’s Account Director in New York and guiding that person with the management of the account team
•  Ensure that you hand projects to the account team for first-class project management at the earliest opportunity maintaining an oversight and taking time to understand what is happening
•  Delivering operational excellence to each client, and ensuring you use Living’s best practice methodology, which means clear communication and internal memo briefs for all activity
•  Writing proposals, creating project estimates and high-level timings for pitches and proposals
•  Liaise closely with clients to ensure we seek feedback throughout and after large scale projects, so we understand what we can do better each time
•  Spotting and developing opportunities with our clients, so you and the account management team can turn projects into long term accounts
•  Overseeing each project within the team to ensure it is delivered profitably and so helping to grow and build our business
•  Brief taking and writing, and once approved, briefing Living’s teams
•  he presentation of strategic and creative work alongside senior creatives within the team.

Skills required:
•  To be empathetic with Living’s clients and team, understanding potential issues and providing guidance in a clear and collaborative way
•  To be a team player and understand what this means – making time for other team members and managing your time efficiently
•  Have exceptional communication skills – both internally and client facing. Clear, concise and friendly
•  Have clear reporting skills, knowing when to escalate issues with Living’s CEO
•  Have strong negotiation skills, knowing when to ‘push back’ and when not
•  Have superb time management skills, knowing what to prioritise and when
•  Can work at high speed and intensity, whilst maintaining attention to detail
•  To embody Living’s brand values: thoughtful, genuine, determined and specialist.

Overall, the Client Strategy Director is expected to:
•  Have an excellent understanding of commercial processes, delivering profitable business, new business, and account strategy
•  Have strong negotiation and leadership skills
•  Have a personal drive to deliver value to clients and financial performance to the company
•  Understand all aspects of Living’s offering including brand, digital and campaigns
•  Work closely with Living’s CEO and regarding all account recruitment requirements and team training needs.

Review periods:
•  Performance appraisals conducted by the CEO – twice a year

Contact:
Please apply via email stating your salary expectations to Duncan Shaw.

Living is an equal opportunity employer.