We’re looking for a strategic thinker to help lead some of our most complex, integrated accounts, crossing brand, digital, content, creative, PR and influencer marketing. The ideal candidate will bring deep experience working with consumer brands in CPG in an agency setting, with a keen understanding of a wide range of marketing disciplines. As a brand steward and trusted advisor you’re eager to play a central role in our client’s success, honing business objectives, capturing insights and defining priorities to build the path forward. You’re responsible for ensuring client alignment, advocating for the most strategic work possible, ensuring account profitability and continually serving up fresh ideas to help our clients capitalize on growth opportunities and make a positive impact in the world. In partnership with project management, you’ll collaborate across a multi-disciplinary team to develop strategic plans and ensure all deliverables meet Maxwell’s quality standards, and are on time and within budget.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Go-to resource, helping clients articulate and achieve their business goals to build healthy, thriving client relationships as a trusted partner, problem-solver and opportunity spotter
- Sees the big picture, endlessly curious about the business, opportunities and challenges
- Establishes account priorities and develops clear project briefs to help manage expectations between agency and client
- Leads internal and client kick-off meetings to clarify roles, and expectations, discuss the briefs, and set up the project for success.
- Provides strategic oversite, sharing clear feedback grounded in a strong understanding of the client’s objectives and brand positioning
- Oversees the day-to-day running of all assigned accounts to proactively develop and sustain client relationships, continually supporting clients’ business with relevant ideas to achieve their goals
- Partners and collaborates with relevant teams and disciplines to ensure the strategic development of plans and recommendations, playing a strategic role throughout the project through review, analysis, and evaluation of the work, ensuring work is aligned with the client’s needs and objectives.
- Works with project management to develop scopes of work and budgets, oversees performance monitoring and budget management, taking responsibility for leading accounts for growth and profitability
- Represents the agency’s point of view with a willingness to respectfully defend counsel and challenge push back when warranted
- Contributes to agency new business development, leading pitch deck development and presentations
- Understands and embodies Maxwell’s core values, becoming a model of the company’s values for employees, clients and partners
- Holds the team accountable for hitting project milestones within budget, with the help of a Project Manager
- Works with finance and project management to ensure accounts are profitable
- Keeps work flowing past bottlenecks and stays alert to scope creep
QUALIFICATIONS
- 10+ years of agency account experience crossing strategy, brand, communications and advertising for consumer brands
- Proven track record of building trusted partnerships and proactively developing accounts
- Collaborative alliance builder, team player and motivator at all levels of an organization, internally and externally
- Strong knowledge of creative, digital and production
- Knows how to read a room, dig deeper for clarifications and insights, inspire and engage, and speak up when appropriate to defend with confidence and grace
- Unflappable, steady and articulate
- Endlessly curious about people, culture, business strategy and marketing trends
- Keen listener open to learning from others in every department you interact with
- Ability to quickly hone what’s most important, rally a team and see projects through completion
- Flexibility and determination for championing the values of the agency
Maxwell is an independent agency committed to helping brands seize not only opportunities for growth, but positive impact. We’re a team of thinkers and doers and collaborators, motivated by leaders and change-makers in food, wellness, hospitality and tourism. At Maxwell the Strategy Director is an interdisciplinary role, bridging client objectives and creative with brand truths and unexpected insights, helping to define programs that connect with audiences where and when it matters most. They bring an abundance of cultural curiosity, tapping into their rich digital experience and editorial know-how to help build successful brands with meaning and campaigns with impact. They understand the nuances and complexities of how a brand shows up across the digital landscape, are in tune with every consumer touch point, both online and off, and enjoy working closely with creative and other disciplines to solve problems, spot opportunities and nurture innovation.