Account Director (Southeast Asia)

THE JOB / Account Director

The Account Director (AD) is a strategic leader responsible for the overall development and management of client accounts. They have a high level of client interaction, overseeing the client relationship and taking the lead in managing and developing project. ADs actively participate in new business development, generating leads, and engaging in presentations and meetings.

The ideal candidate for the Account Director position is an experienced client service / account leader who excels in building positive relationships with clients, colleagues, and third parties. They possess expertise in project planning and management, events and activation, account and process management, and working for clients with complex organisations and sponsorship portfolios. The right candidate enjoys problem-solving, collaborating with a team, and has agency experience. They bring innovative thinking, a willingness to explore new territories, and a drive to challenge the status quo. The ideal candidate demonstrates strong organizational, time management, and communication skills, contributing strategically and creatively during planning and execution stages while overseeing account budgets.

THE WORK YOU’LL DO

The prime role of the AD will be to oversee a sub-region within APAC for a major global client.  The sub-region is comprised of multiple markets each with a marketing lead as well as an overarching regional marketing head. This global client is strategically critically to Octagon and has a vast global sponsorship portfolio as well as sophisticated business to use those assets.

Client Relationship Development:

• Serve as the Account Lead for the a sub-region of key account, managing the relationships with multiple stakeholders for each market and at regional level in order to be seen and respected as a trusted leader and point-person while driving business/projects forward.
• Lead day-to-day client interface to all markets to ensure project objectives, planning, delivery timelines and impactful results are achieved.
• Act as a trusted consultant providing proactive thinking to enable successful growth of the client’s business objectives.

Account and Program Leadership and Delivery:

• Lead from the front with a ‘can do’ attitude and proactive ownership of projects and process, upholding the highest quality standards, both in service, deliverables and global requirements of the client / brand.
• Oversee the day-to-day operations of the account team which includes leading client status meetings, managing programming tracking documents, developing informative & thoughtful POVs, crafting insightful wrap-up reports that will advise sensible plans, real-time improvements, and strategic budget management capabilities
• Manage multiple projects on a daily basis, with a proactive approach. Projects include events, activations, campaign support, new opportunity assessment utilizing existing or new sponsored assets
• Conduct pre-planning, management, and implementation for events, including vendor vetting and selection, contract review and negotiation, and requisite event activation plans and supporting communication documents (i.e., Work Plans, Event Overviews, Event Guides, etc.)
• Oversee the management of consumer-facing programming – including channel integration, vendor management, budget management, program and event execution, and recapping
• Create and inspire relationships with partner agencies to drive regional interconnected programming
• Develop a deep understanding of local market teams’ needs & objectives

Business Development:

• Actively identify, create and pursue new opportunities across the client’s portfolio
• Participate in new business development efforts via prospecting and contributing to the development of proposals farming opportunities from the Client as well as new clients to the agency
• Generate forward-thinking, creative ideas to improve sponsorship-led programs and develop differentiated use of existing partnerships

Financial Acumen:

• Oversee and drive financial health of accounts: maximizing long and short-term profit opportunities, remaining financially aware and ensuring that the company’s profit margin is achieved
• Review of actual v SOW fees and timesheet tracking on a continual basis ensuring the agency’s fees/time billed is on track

Team Management:

• Lead and manage a team of reports who will support you on the account, inspiring loyalty, and commitment, providing relevant level of support while instilling confidence, motivation and empowerment, while providing feedback on a regular basis and ensuring career progression is supported, allowing team members to become effective, independent and increasingly capable of working well with less supervision
• Continually build, grow and maintain our culture, demonstrating our All in Play attitude and values in all colleague, client and stakeholder interactions

Growing Agency Expertise:

• Additional projects as assigned, which may include: assistance on other events and hospitality programs, sponsorship evaluations, competitive reviews, POVs, white papers, property research, etc.

WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR

Knowledge and Experience:

• Min 6 - 8+ years’ experience working in account management, project management or client service with a brand, agency and/or team or sports or entertainment property.
• Extensive experiential, sponsorship activation, event, experience is a desirable.
• Extensive experience of owning and growing positive and effective relationships with senior client stakeholders, resulting in account growth and evolution; ability to cultivate strong relationships with staff, other internal stakeholders, vendors and partners
• Experience working with creative and media agencies
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Software (specifically PowerPoint, Excel and Word)

Skills:

• Strong client management skills and possesses the confidence to provide them with strategic guidance and direction
• Team leadership and management skills
• A sense of business process and how marketing, communications, and events are used to impact the bottom line and brand objectives
• Exceptional attention to detail, alongside organizational, time and project management skills
• Exemplary verbal and written communication skills; ability to articulate clearly and offer a strong, collaborative and constructive presence and personality in client and internal meetings – communicating with conviction, enthusiasm and confidence

Ability:

• Ability to balance multiple sophisticated tasks simultaneously, often under time pressure
• Capability and comfort in managing budgets, showing excellence of financial management
• Capacity to quickly become knowledgeable on our clients’ industry, brand, and business.
• Proven ability to think analytically & strategically
• Ability to negotiate contracts to favorable resolution
• Strong ability to work within a team, demonstrate initiative, and solve problems effectively and independently
• Impeccable client relationships skills to manage a client with high standards.

Others:

• You have a passion and/or interest in the power of sports and/or entertainment, gaming, music and/or celebrity & lifestyle culture