VP, Account Director

  • Full-time

Company Description

Adjective & Co. is an award-winning branding and advertising agency headquartered in Jacksonville Beach, Florida with satellite offices in New York. We specialize in brand strategy, brand identity and design, advertising, digital, social media, and brand management. We only work with people who don’t suck—that goes for clients AND team members.

We truly believe a happy team creates amazing work, you can do more with less, get scrappy when needed, and outthink vs. outspend the competition. Notable un-sucky clients include Gatorade, Insomnia Cookies, Chipotle, Sweetwater, New York Islanders, THE PLAYERS, and many others. We give our team lots of freedom, but it comes with lots of responsibility—and the occasional happy hour or three.

Us trapped in a bulleted nutshell

  • The Un-agency

  • Ad Age "Small Agency of the Year" Southeast Gold

  • Award winning creative (Over 200 gold and silver ADDY awards)

  • Ad Age Best Places to Work & Inc. Magazine “Top 50 Best Workplaces in the U.S." 4+years

  • Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in America

  • Killer portfolio of brands and clients that don't suck

  • Not on Facebook

  • Love coming to work. Hate leaving.

  • Think Winston Wolf, but in agency form

  • Out to take over the world

Big Perk Energy

  • Beach office within walking distance to the ocean in Jax Beach

  • Flexible work schedule

  • Travel accommodations for remote employees

  • Amazing, collaborative team environment (lots of work, but lots of fun) 

  • Six weeks in holidays throughout the year and your birthday off

  • Vacation Un-Policy (take vacation time when you go on vacation)

  • Grown-up stuff like healthcare, dental, and retirement plan

  • Freedom to work when and where is best for you

  • Award shows & Annual trips

 

Job Description

The VP, Account Director is a senior client leader and strategic partner who brings rigor, empathy, and excellence to every aspect of account leadership. You are deeply fluent in client service, brand strategy, and integrated marketing. You eat and breathe quality work.

This role owns the client relationship, end-to-end driving strategy, guiding creative excellence, managing teams, and ensuring work is delivered on time, on budget, and at the highest standard. You lead by example, command respect through collaboration (not hierarchy), and balance big-picture thinking with hands-on ownership.

You are equally comfortable shaping long-term brand vision, writing a sharp creative brief, presenting to senior stakeholders, and navigating complex business dynamics. Above all, you respect the craft of great creative work and inspire teams to do their best work.

You will work across strategic, conceptual, and executional initiatives, connecting individual projects to the broader brand ecosystem and aligning teams around a shared vision, clear priorities, and measurable outcomes.

What You’ll Do

Lead the Business & Client Relationship

  • Serve as the senior strategic partner and day-to-day client leader across assigned accounts

  • Own client relationships, scopes of work, and overall account health

  • Build a deep understanding of clients’ businesses, objectives, industries, and competitive landscapes

  • Lead client presentations, annual planning, and key initiatives

  • Effectively sell, defend, and evolve strategic and creative recommendations

  • Anticipate client needs, solve complex challenges, and navigate sensitive situations with confidence and diplomacy

  • Identify and drive organic growth and new business opportunities within existing accounts

Strategy & Brand Leadership

  • Own and articulate brand strategy and long-term vision for assigned accounts

  • Translate business objectives into clear, actionable strategies and integrated marketing plans

  • Ensure all work aligns to strategic intent and delivers meaningful business impact

  • Partner closely with strategy and creative team to ensure ideas are both strategically sound and creatively compelling

Team Leadership & Development

  • Lead, mentor, and manage designated account team, fostering growth and accountability

  • Delegate work while remaining deeply involved, stepping in to own initiatives, and standing behind the work 

  • Provide timely feedback and lead performance reviews

  • Teach and model strong client communication, problem-solving, and creative feedback practices

  • Inspire teams by working alongside them and leading by example

Operations, Financials & Process

  • Manage account financials, including budgets, forecasts, and profitability

  • Track scope, monitor budgets vs. actuals, and proactively manage changes

  • Ensure work is delivered on time, on budget, and at a high standard of quality

  • Keep senior leadership informed of account status, risks, and opportunities

Integration & Collaboration

  • Foster strong relationships with multi-disciplinary and cross-agency teams

  • Ensure seamless collaboration across strategy, creative, production, and execution

  • Activate internal initiatives, processes, and offerings in service of client goals

Qualifications

  • 10+ years of experience in fast-paced agency environments

  • 5+ years of experience leading teams and managing direct reports

  • Proven success in senior Account Director, VP Account Director, or equivalent leadership roles

  • Experience managing large, complex, retainer-based accounts of $3+ million annually

  • Strong track record of client leadership and organic growth

  • Highly skilled in long-term account planning, strategy development, and roadmap creation

  • Excellent presenter—confident with senior clients and internal teams

  • Strong negotiator with sound business judgment

  • Comfortable with data and analytics; able to build business cases that demonstrate value

Additional Information