Account Director

Reports to: Director of Accounts
Department: Account Services
Classification: Exempt

Overview

The Account Director will oversee one or more large and multi-faceted accounts at Owen, working to understand the client’s business needs to drive growth and ensure our internal creative teams drive successful client projects. This position partners closely with our producer team and reports to the Director of Accounts, as a function of the client services team at Owen. Experience working within a matrixed organization is highly encouraged but not required.

Roles & Responsibilities

• Build, maintain, and grow strong client relationships that drive retention, profitability, and new business opportunities.

• Lead the development of project briefs, proposals, and Statements of Work in partnership with clients and internal team leads.

• Collaborate with creative, strategy, digital, and technology teams to ensure deliverables meet or exceed strategic and creative expectations.

• Partner with producers and project leads to define project scope, budgets, and timelines, ensuring work stays within scope and aligned to client goals.

• Identify and pursue opportunities for organic account growth and long-term client engagement.

• Serve as the client’s strategic partner and advocate, providing insight and guidance that challenge both client and agency to produce exceptional work.

• Coordinate communication between client stakeholders and internal teams to ensure alignment, clarity, and seamless project execution.

• Partner with agency leadership, creative, and new business teams to develop and present proposals, pitches, and creative work.

• Contribute to agency thought leadership by sharing insights and best practices.

• Demonstrate a deep understanding of clients’ industries, audiences, and strategic objectives.

Knowledge & Skills

• 5+ years of experience as an account lead in an agency environment, with at least 2 years owning and growing large complex client relationships.

• Experience collaborating with teams across strategy, design, technology, environment, and content project types, and knowledge of/curiosity about best practices across emerging markets.

• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills in a team and client setting.

• Ability to conceptualize and write clear statements of work for new interactive, digital, and branding projects.

• Ability to develop an environment of trust and respect not only for the client relationship, but in relationships with internal project teams.

• Experience with web-based technologies, including a thorough understanding of the technical and creative content development lifecycles, standards, and best practices.

• Experience leading design, production design, brand development, and other similar creative projects.

• Proficiency in tools like Figma, Airtable, Google Suite, Adobe Creative Cloud for doing all your work.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Advertising, or a related field; or equivalent experience in a client-facing role.

• 5+ years of experience in an agency or in-house environment, with a strong track record of client management, relationship building, and some experience in branding or brands.

Work Environment and Physical Demands

The following capabilities are required in order to perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations that do not create an undue burden on the agency are available to address the following requirements.

• This role requires the ability to work from our Portland office 3 days per week.

• Using standard office equipment, computers and related technology.

• Certain activities are performed in an environmentally controlled office setting subject to extended periods of sitting, keyboarding, and manipulating a computer mouse.

• Bending, reaching, lifting, pushing, and pulling up to 25 pounds.

• Quarterly travel may be expected for this role, and could include client HQ visits and trade events.