Account Executive at Top Brand Strategy, Design & Activation Agency

ROLE

As an Account Executive, you are the central support player in all your project teams. You’re the first person any of the team will come to when something needs doing and the team look to you to complete all project administration. Very often, you’re the first point of contact for the clients too. In this role, the key is to keep everyone informed so that they know what’s going on at any time.

Each day, you find yourself constantly moving between managing account finances, project delivery, ensuring everything is ready for meetings, booking couriers, briefing work into the studio and any number of other things to keep projects moving forward. You are the master juggler. At times, you’ll also find yourself supporting the Front of House, answering the phones and welcoming clients and other guests into the agency.

You take a vested interest in your own personal growth and development while you’re in this role, always eager to expand your knowledge and experience. You’ll become confident to share your point of view in meetings and in time, you’ll begin to get to know your clients who are peers to you, developing strong relationships that mean your clients ask for you on every project.

Overall during your time as an Account Executive, you’ll learn the routines to become a brilliant project manager and the foundations of what makes a fabulous client partner for BrandOpus.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Managing Your Projects

Commercial project management

• Lead small projects on your clients including presenting at client meetings, as agreed with your AD
• Create timelines by consulting with others in the team and heads of department
• Keep timelines up to date at all times, communicating changes and the impact of these to the team and clients
• Be able to explain to clients how a project will run and the steps involved
• Write and circulate status reports and contact reports internally and to clients
• Complete all other administrative tasks for the team including ordering taxis and couriers for your client projects
• Create and maintain project folders on the server organising all stages of creative work presented for every project you’re working on
• Set up project codes and create quotes and invoices for all elements of your projects
• Maintain accurate expense reports for clients, including ensuring you and your team complete personal expenses each month
• Keep track of the latest project quote and any other bought in quotes and raise purchase orders as needed
• Work closely with the production team at the back end of projects to ensure the final work is delivered to the client within expectations

Managing your client and the internal team

• Be the go to person and knowledge for projects you’re working on
• Be the point of contact for clients and keep the team informed of issues and questions from the clients
• Inform clients of deadlines at the beginning of projects and regularly during a project and in the event that timings change
• Raise any concern about your project to the AM or SAM, as soon as possible, to prevent problems escalating
• Receive requests for files from clients and ascertain relevant information to enable us to supply what they need including when the deadline is, what the files will be used for, the format they are needed in and liaise with the relevant internal team to deliver the appropriate files

Meetings

• Arrange all meetings for your projects including the travel for all team members
• Prepare for all meetings on behalf of the team including making sure IT and other conference tools are working, refreshments and catering is served, meeting room is ready (note pads/pencils out, work up on the walls), bring run-outs of previous stages of work, meeting stimulus, studio brief, and organise samples etc. as needed
• Arrive early to meetings and if clients are attending, be there to welcome them at Reception and ensure they have all they need to feel at home
• Take notes in every meeting and circulate these as required, ensuring that the actions from each meeting are clearly outlined
• Be clear on actions from meetings and work with the team to ensure all these are followed up

Becoming a Partner to Your Client

• Compile personal details about your clients including birthdays, marital status, interests and hobbies, favourite drinks, dietary preferences etc.
• Arrange personal gestures for your clients on behalf of the agency that acknowledge key moments including a promotion, birthday, wedding etc.
• Create and maintain accurate client organograms and contact details for clients you’re working on, ensuring the client contact list is always up to date
• Attend all agency hosted client events and ensure your own clients have everything they need including drinks, phone chargers, taxi booked etc.

Supporting Organic and New Business Development

• Audit supermarkets for brand categories you work on and share findings with the team
• Monitor and read specific industry press and Google alerts for your clients, alerting the team to relevant category and cross category news
• Carry out research activities for new business initiatives and pitch presentations

You and the Team

• Develop an understanding of the agency philosophy and principles
• Have productive and effective relationships with people at every level of the business
• Be the first point of contact and buddy for interns and people doing work experience in Account Management
• Take personal responsibility for learning the different roles in the business and how you work with others to successfully deliver projects
• Identify and acknowledge personal strengths and weaknesses of yourself or with the help of others and use this knowledge to develop your capabilities