Account Director - Digital Agency - (9 month FTC - Maternity Cover)

The Account Director  will work  with our Business Director  to manage key client strategy. The role will   have solid commercial experience of digital transformation and customer experience with senior level clients. The role works closely with the Business Director leading the Sector, focusing on delivering high quality client experience for a portfolio of clients. 

They will have a deep understanding of client and sector needs and challenges and are able to find and suggest the best solutions to address these.   The role manages relationships of all sizes with different challenges. Most clients will  have a range of diverse needs and will often have to think outside the box to hit the  clients’ commercial and strategic needs.

At manifesto, Client Services owns the why and the what: value, growth and relationship. Project Management owns the how and how well: execution, margin, quality and consistency. This role sits firmly in the Client Services lane, working in partnership with Delivery rather than running projects.

Responsibilities:

Partnership and relationships

• Be a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders, building relationships at SLT, executive and board level and extending our network beyond immediate contacts

• Make sure every client understands the manifesto proposition and its relevance to their organisation, and that we're consistently meeting and exceeding expectations as a partner

• Manage expectations, tension and confidence at partnership level, acting as senior escalation point for relationship concerns

• Own the CSAT strategy and narrative, making sure client feedback leads to clear action

  
  

Account strategy and growth

• Build a deep understanding of each client's goals and sector, and use it to shape programmes of work and create opportunities

• Run Strategic Business Reviews and roadmap sessions that ask the right questions and add genuine strategic value

• Lead re-tenders and competitive opportunities, and contribute to new business pitches with the growth team

Commercial and contractual

• Lead pricing conversations and shape the right commercial model, making sure what is sold is sensible

• Own proposals, estimates and SoWs, with Delivery, SME and commercial input and approvals in place before anything reaches the client

• Manage contractual obligations, including clean sales to delivery handover and negotiating change through the life of an account

• Work with the Business Director  on annual and monthly forecasting and invoicing.

• Own revenue targets, pipeline and forecasting across the portfolio, tracking KPIs and keeping CRM data accurate and current

Representing the client internally

• Bring clarity to the business about each client's strategy and needs, translating them into clear briefs for SMEs and Delivery

• Challenge and reframe requests early, and positively challenge teams to raise the bar on impact

• Take a portfolio view, spotting patterns, risks and opportunities across accounts

Client Services practice

• Be a senior voice for Client Services, contributing to the playbook, community of practice and continuous improvement in how we work

• Champion change internally and externally so we adapt to client and market needs

• Coach and support colleagues, and line manage delegated team members where applicable

Effective day-to-day management of high quality relationships with clients:

• Manage client expectations and take proactive measures to ensure that the relationship between the agency and the client is effective and valuable for both sides and address issues are addressed in accordance with this.

• Ensure that we are exceeding client expectations as an agency partner and responding to client needs at all times.

• Act as the first escalation point for clients where issues/concerns about project or support delivery are not being adequately resolved within the project team. 

• Ensure that project briefs/Statements of Work define the client requirements, budgets and timescales adequately and are fully signed off by clients before work commences.

• Manage contractual obligations and risks.

To ensure long-term mutually valuable relationships with existing clients:

• Ensure all allocated clients have a good understanding of the manifesto proposition and its relevance to their organisation.

• Develop a deep understanding of specific client and sector challenges and their business objectives, by driving regular client touch-points such as Strategic Business Reviews and roadmap workshops with the rest of the manifesto team.

• Build commercially valuable relationships with senior leaders (e.g. external  SLT executive and Board level)  within the client organisations with a focus on growing our network beyond our immediate client contacts.

To grow the business we do with existing clients through creation, identification and conversion of new commercial opportunities:

• Convert opportunities into confirmed Statements of Work, collaborating with appropriate team members.

• Work with the Business Director  on annual and monthly forecasting and invoicing.

• Involved in new business proposals and pitches, working closely with our growth team.

• Keep our CRM updated and ensure tracking of key KPI’s.

To be a senior voice of the client services studio in the agency:

• Unify the Client Services offering across manifesto.

• Promote the Client Services role within the wider business.

• An active contributor in the Client Services Studio, Community of Practice and Client Experience Playbook.

• Onboard, train and line manage new Client Services team members in the future. 

Professional knowledge and experience

• Proven work experience within an agency, ideally digital or similar, as an Account Director or an experienced Senior Account Manager

• Demonstrable ability to communicate, present and influence key stakeholders at all levels of an organisation

• Confident financial planning and reporting 

• Ability to handle challenging situations with tact and diplomacy

• Proven ability to juggle multiple priorities at a time, while maintaining sharp attention to detail

• Proven ability to be proactive in identifying opportunities, issues and/or risk

• Excellent listening, negotiation and presentation abilities

• Strong verbal and written communication skills 

• Experience of public speaking and attending and facilitating networking events.

• Actively build and maintain network relationships.

  Behaviours 

• Passionate about driving value and impactful outcomes for clients

• Possess an entrepreneurial spirit and have an eye for future trends and insights that clients and the agency should be considering 

• Adaptable and resilient, thriving in complex and dynamic environments.

• Commercial acumen and accuracy 

• Confident in adapting communication and leadership style to positively influence outcomes and working relationships  

• Highly collaborative, with excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

• Committed to continuous improvement and innovation, both personally and professionally

• Embodies Manifesto’s values, championing purpose-driven work and fostering a positive team culture

Technical skills

• CRM & Account Management Tools

• Digital Strategy & CX Expertise

• Financial & Commercial Acumen

• Presentation & Communication Tools

• Data & Analytics

• Contract & SOW Management

• Sector Knowledge

• Change Management Facilitation

• Cross-Functional Collaboration

manifesto

We are the digital experience agency for changemakers. We are committed to delivering purposeful and positive  impact for people, planet and society, in restless pursuit of a better world.

We take pride in creating award-winning digital experiences, products and services that are measurably ethical,  inclusive, accessible, sustainable and joyful. 

Our changemaker clients include UNICEF UK, Breast Cancer Now, Trussell, Woodgreen, The Royal Academy of Arts, Zoological Society London, Historic Environment Scotland and Fauna & Flora.

Part of the TPXimpact group - a Certified B Corporation™, we are a team of 130 digital product leaders, creative designers, user experience designers, engagement specialists, software engineers and experience strategists.

TPXimpact

TPXimpact is a digital transformation company, and Certified B Corporation™, on a mission to build a future where people, places and the planet are supported to thrive. Combining vast expertise in human-centred design, data, experience and technology, we help the public, private and third sectors with their digital transformation journey, delivering high quality solutions that improve services, experiences and outcomes. We’re passionate people who work in close collaboration with our clients to create sustainable solutions ready for an ever-evolving world.