Position Overview
Account Director
Reports to Vice President, Managing Director
The Company
LAUNCH! (www.launchthis.com) is a brand communication agency and a division of CIM, Ltd. (Consumer Impact Marketing), a privately held, international, bilingual organization with focused expertise in the areas of Brand Marketing, Sales Management, and Measurement. CIM has established full-service offices in Toronto and Montreal, as well as satellite offices in Chicago and across Canada. CIM is the leading sales and marketing solutions company in Canada, and one of Canada’s “50 Best Managed Companies” for the past 10 years. Importantly, CIM has also been voted one of the Best Places to Work in Canada in 2008 and 2009.
Founded in 2004, Launch! has core expertise in promotional and experiential marketing campaigns. LAUNCH! is recognized as one of the “Top 50 Hottest Agencies” in 2004 and “Top 100 Fastest Growing Agencies” in 2005 and 2006. Launch! delivers measurable and award-winning results for Fortune 500 clients.
The ‘astronauts’ piloting LAUNCH! think of themselves as a new breed of brand marketers. They recognize the changing nature of building and promoting brands as one of the greatest opportunities of our time for marketing professionals who are truly passionate about their industry. They understand that truly powerful brands do not ‘interact’ with their market’s culture; they become a part of it.
LAUNCH! specializes in linking brands and consumers through marketing campaigns, but also in leveraging brand-retailer relationships in new and innovative ways in an effort to bridge the traditional sales-marketing divide. Over the past 10 years, putting consumer interaction to work has become an integral part of the marketing mix and CIM / LAUNCH! has long been a market leader in this area.
To continue to stay out in front of the pack, LAUNCH! is dedicated to creating ever more inventive new efforts to help make their Clients’ brands relevant, valued and welcome in the lives of consumers. LAUNCH! designs both campaigns and the hands-on execution of the program elements in-market to ensure they are delivering the measurable business results today’s Clients demand.
LAUNCH! has the leadership, track record, people, experience and technology, but most importantly, a passion for creating breakthrough communication programs to help achieve their clients’ marketing goals effectively and consistently
Launch! has core values of Passion, Creativity, Relationships, Execution, Integrity, Leadership, and Pride
The LAUNCH! Portfolio includes work for:
20th Century Fox, Colgate Palmolive, Dr. Oetker, Metro, Olympus, Parmalat Canada, Black Diamond, Astro, Pepsico, Frito Lay, Tropicana, Quaker, Reckitt Benckiser, RIM, Universal Studios Home Entertainment, Beam Global Spirits & Wine Canada, Canadian Club, SC Johnson, SIRIUS Satellite Radio, Carlsberg Canada Inc., Kronenbourg 1664, Warner Bros., Whirlpool, DFC, Nestle Purina Petcare, Sony Pictures
The Position
As a highly strategic, energetic leader with experience in strategic planning and client management in the MARCOM industry, the Account Director will manage a portfolio of client businesses and develop an Account team in accordance with the Client(s)’ objectives and LAUNCH! & CIM’s core values. The ideal candidate will be someone who has promotional and experiential marketing experience, a deep understanding of strategy, the ability to think creatively, and strong knowledge of the varied retail channels in which the clients operate.
There are 5 core functions in this role:
To service, retain and grow designated portfolios of businesses in achieving projected financial targets and cementing client relationships at a senior level.
To recommend communication strategies for designated portfolios of businesses, achieving strategic excellence.
To ensure client satisfaction via delivery of on-strategy, on-time, on-budget programs through liaison with Connections, Production, and Creative departments.
To recruit, train, manage, develop and mentor LAUNCH! personnel through the application of PDP, progression and succession planning
To identify and support organic New Business Development opportunities within their existing portfolio of clients
Leading the Business:
Lead the management and support of Client retention and growth activities through the creation, communication and execution of annual account plans to entrench clients in a continuous cycle of interacting and transacting with LAUNCH!
Establish Senior Client “Relationship Contacts” as the “expert” on the business by identifying and providing strategic insight and tactical recommendations for fulfilling Clients’ business objectives and LAUNCH!’s business objectives on an ongoing basis
Participate in the management and delivery of all departmental qualitative, quantitative and financial objectives (Revenue, Margin, Fixed Costs forecasts and budgets, receivables, growth objectives, Employee and Client satisfaction indices, etc…)
Support your teams in fulfilling all the responsibilities of their positions in order to effectively manage portfolios of business in accordance with Client’s objectives, CIM’s core values and all projected financial targets
Continuously explore, internalize and share with and challenge the team best-practices, learning and opportunities about Marketing, Sales, Branding, Field and Events Marketing and LAUNCH! & CIM’s clients’ industries and consumers
Leading the Team:
Lead by example- supporting CIM! Core Values, working effectively with all LAUNCH! & CIM departments and partners, and motivating and inspiring your team to deliver against departmental and corporate objectives
Directly manage an Account team, by supporting the development of their skills and their ability to deliver against Client and LAUNCH! objectives. Manage their performance through the administration of CIM’s PMP Processes, work-withs and informal activities, and document and track these updates as required
Support non-direct team members by providing feedback based on interactions and achievements on Client and corporate initiatives
Manage all on-going administrative functions required of employees who manage staff (payroll, expenses, vacation planners, EIFs, etc...)
Participate in the recruitment, interviewing, orientation and training of new personnel through formal and informal support, coaching and work-withs
Assist direct reports in the recruiting and management of their teams in accordance with the profiles defined by Clients’ businesses and programs, including training, launch meetings, in-field executions, field training, personnel development, final reports, client communications, and networking annual account plans
Participate in setting and executing against the vision for personnel requirements- including formal and informal progression and succession planning and activities
Own responsibility for delivering the “LAUNCH! experience” by reinforcing the LAUNCH! culture, rewarding and celebrating successes, supporting personal and professional development, managing risks and encouraging adventure, creativity and fun
Education
University/college degree in business/marketing/communications related field.
Core Competencies:
Thriving on challenges and solving those.
Results oriented.
Passionate.
Flexibility and a talent for coming up with unexpected strategic & creative solutions.
Ability to articulate a ‘vision’ of how any given solution flows out from the initial challenge.
Ability to inspire and motivate both internal staff and outside Clients.
Ability to delegate effectively – leverage the strength of the team
Strong values/ethics/integrity
Experience:
A minimum 5 years of Client Service and Account Management experience with proven success in retaining and growing client portfolios
A strong understanding of Marketing, Sales and Branding principles
Extensive knowledge and understanding of Promotions and Experiential Marketing
Direct experience working in a service-based or 3rd party agency
Proven success leading inter-departmental team-based projects
Previous responsibility directly managing teams of managerial personnel and proven success coaching and mentoring direct reports through progressive career roles and challenges
Experience with P&L management and accountability
Exceptional planning and organizational skills: time-management, working to critical paths, budgeting, delegating, facilitating meetings, multi-tasking, attention to details, follow-up, etc.
Extensive project management experience in the areas of Brand Marketing, Promotional Marketing, Sponsorship and/or Social Marketing, Event Management or Field Marketing
Proficiency in the use of core software packages – MS PowerPoint, MS-Word, MS-Excel and MS-Outlook.
If you are someone who has an incurable, uncontrollable urge to embrace change, challenge the status quo and the talent to move others, what are you waiting for? Apply.
|