VSA’s purpose is to design for a better human experience. As a strategy and design agency, we blend consumer insights and data with human-centered design to activate meaningful, motivating and measurable experiences in an increasingly noisy world. With offices in Chicago, New York and San Francisco, VSA offers a full range of fully integrated capabilities—branding, advertising, data science and technology—all under one roof. VSA is also a proud member of Meet The People, an international family of unified and independent agencies. For more than 40 years, we have delivered solutions for business and creative leaders at some of the world’s most respected brands and forward-thinking organizations, including Google, Nike and IBM.
We're searching for an ACE Director, Client Engagement who will take the helm of our client relationships. Your warm, approachable demeanor, coupled with an entrepreneurial spirit, sets the tone for success. As our go-to person for client engagement and new business acquisition, you'll leverage your expertise to enhance relationships and create branding and new design opportunities.
Join Our Transformative Journey!
We're in a transformative phase, and seek strategic individuals to strengthen our account management team as we evolve and expand our capabilities. We highly value entrepreneurial-minded professionals who can drive growth, deliver integrated solutions, and infuse new ideas. If you excel in understanding client businesses, nurturing long-term relationships, adapting to change, and bringing innovative ideas and business to the table, we encourage you to join us on this exciting journey!
Our ideal Director, Client Engagement is a seasoned professional in branding, marketing, digital, strategy, writing, and relationship management. Your primary focus is client growth, but you're also skilled at nurturing internal relationships to better serve our clients. You share our passion for introducing innovative, human-centric brand and creative solutions to the world.
We value professionals who drive this growth, deliver integrated solutions, and bring fresh ideas to the table. Specifically, we're on the lookout for proactive individuals who can seek leads and open doors to new clients. If you're ready to combine your drive and strategic thinking, we want you on our team!
Responsibilities
- It goes without saying that you’ll maintain positive relationships with clients, handling the “health and wellness” of our engagements.
- You will also maintain active stewardship of a strong VSA reputation…REPRESENT.
- You will strategically frame opportunities, develop approaches, and supervise executions, selling and managing across VSA’s capabilities/offerings.
- You will guide clients towards a strategic relationship by delivering insights that resonate with their brand, their industry, their customers and their markets.
- You will also help magnify the voice of the client, keeping their interests, business opportunities and strategic needs front and center throughout the entirety of a project.
- You will identify ways to improve the work quality, team mix and client happiness, working closely with practice leads to strengthen all engagements.
- You will lead the proposal effort, managing the SOW and MSA process from development to signature on their designated accounts, keeping track of all acronyms along the way.
- Details, details, details: In partnership with Project Management, Finance and Legal, you will accurately define scope, pricing, and timing.
- You will run the execution, delivery and maintenance (AKA “cinching the deal”).
- You will influence and steer the “product,” supporting a balance between the account team’s responsibilities and your own.
- You will encourage collaboration within the team to promote camaraderie and a positive atmosphere. That means you should be a hard-working supporter of work outcomes, with the foresight to raise risks when vital.
- You should also seek to deepen or expand SME each year, and when appropriate, promote this expertise externally.
Requirements
- A Bachelor’s degree in marketing, advertising, communications, business, or a related field (a Master’s degree is a big plus)
- 8 or more years of work experience, with recent experience in an agency environment—digital experience is an asset
- 3 years of client service manager-level experience with consistent track record
- Strong domain knowledge of the client and industry in which they operate: its company, culture, market and competitors
- Previous experience and deep interest in advising clients through brand transformations
- Experience in pursuing and winning new business growth; via existing accounts, RFPs, pitches, and their own networking
- Strong presentation and communication skills, with the ability to develop powerful presentations and articulate confidently
- The drive and the knowhow to go above and beyond to ensure client’s issues and requests are resolved
- The capability to find opportunities within the client’s organization and define the business problem that VSA will help solve
- A demonstrated ability to be forward-thinking and innovative while understanding client needs and the limitations of VSA’s business processes and technologies
- Skills in problem solving, judgment, critical thinking and decision-making
- Strong people and influence leadership skills
- An interest in connecting people, building relationships to brands, and a desire to do this with some of the most talented people in the country
This is a hybrid position in Chicago
VSA Partners is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive, equitable environment for all employees. All employment decisions are made based on qualifications, merit and business need.
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