Associate Media Director (B2B)

  • Full-time

Company Description

DWA is now part of Merkle. Merkle is a leading data-driven, technology-enabled, global performance marketing agency that specializes in the delivery of unique, personalized customer experiences across platforms and devices. For more than 30 years, Fortune 1000 companies and leading nonprofit organizations have partnered with Merkle to maximize the value of their customer portfolios. The agency’s heritage in data, technology, and analytics forms the foundation for its unmatched skills in understanding consumer insights that drive people-based marketing strategies. Its combined strengths in performance media, customer experience, customer relationship management, loyalty, and enterprise marketing technology drive improved marketing results and competitive advantage. With 9,600+ employees, Merkle is headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, with 50+ additional offices throughout the US, EMEA, and APAC. In 2016, the agency joined dentsu. For more information, contact Merkle at 1-877-9-Merkle or visit www.merkleinc.com.

We are champions for meaningful progress and we strive to be a force for good—for our people, for our clients, for the industry and for our society. We keep our people at the center, creating space for growth, understanding and learning so they can thrive. We embed diversity, in our mindset, in our solutions and in our teams to empower an inclusive, equitable and culturally fluent environment. Building this culture within our teams makes us better collaborators with each other and with our clients, driving better outcomes for all. Merkle is an agency of dentsu.

Job Description

The Associate Media Director is a seasoned account lead across varied client portfolios. The AMD manages multiple client account teams within the business/department, setting the strategic tone across those accounts.

The AMD will have responsibility for the P&L for their account teams, supporting the Media Director and General Manager with office-wide forecasting and financial management. They will be responsible for the professional development of their senior staff and fostering strong relationships with senior clients. They will manage client issues wherever appropriate and be responsible for maintaining exemplary account health.

The AMD will have a prominent role in the local industry and promote the agency’s credentials externally. Within DWA, they will assist the Media Director and General with the development and implementation of new products and services within the media, consulting and analytics disciplines. In addition, they will take on and lead new business projects as required.

Key Areas of Responsibility

Account Management

  • Acts a leader across multiple client account teams and identify/implement growth opportunities within client sets
  • Build and maintain senior client relationships
  • Mentor and support Media Supervisors with managing account health, including resolving client issues and handling challenging client conversations when appropriate
  • With support from the Media Director, the AMD is responsible for the growth of their client accounts within DWA
  • Foster strong account direction within the team, implementing clear account management, process and quality of implementation. Demonstrate accountability for Media Supervisors and Media Planners’ client engagement.
  • Dynamic presence in presentations and other forms of client communication
  • Excellent client scorecard
  • Up to date with industry developments and emerging trends

Finance & Profitability

  • Deep understanding off account profitability, scoping and staffing
  • Work with Media Supervisors to present final SOW documents to the Media Director or General Manager for signature. Responsible for checking all scopes written by the Media Supervisor and calculating costs/staffing plan.
  • Responsible for managing profitability within their account teams and supporting the Media Supervisor with scope reduction/managing workloads when required
  • Responsible for forecasting for their account groups and mentoring Media Supervisors and Media Planners when appropriate
  • Ability to recommend client fee structures for new business and client project work, maintaining profitability and client health
  • Understanding of fee structure in wider DWA products, services and tactics. Ability to match accurate hours to remuneration.

Campaign

  • Champion the strategic planning process for the office. Work with all account teams to ensure a consistent strategic approach is utilized.
  • Support and mentor the Senior Media Planners and Media Supervisors in campaign recommendations
  • Recommend research, competitor analysis and other insights to strategically impact client business and grow accounts
  • Translates marketing goals and brand positioning into viable media communication strategies and ideas
  • Offers a fresh perspective and innovation to the account teams
  • Resolve campaign issues and negotiate make goods where appropriate
  • Have a good understanding of all media channels, including traditional, biddable, social, search, and programmatic
  • Take a lead role in the implementation of strategy and consulting within DWA. Support the management team in creating new products and services where appropriate.
  • Take a lead role in new business. Ability to lead and convert mid to large clients and project work.

Reporting

  • Responsible for quality, accuracy and consistency of the reporting across their client accounts
  • Support and mentor Media Supervisors and Media Planners in reporting excellence Understand and recommend the right reporting structure and scope for a client and how to manage the required data sets correctly
  • Demonstrate strong ability to draw insights from data
  • Lead QBR’s and strategic performance conversations, making recommendations to improve and grow client business
  • Be a part of internal DWA reporting and analytics conversations, making recommendations of new technologies/abilities that could be relevant for the DWA tech stack

Internal/Vendor Relationships

  • Build and foster an office environment that yields strong individual and team performance and knowledge sharing
  • Generate enthusiasm for and commitment to your clients’ business among team members
  • Train and mentor Media Supervisors and manage their growth. Responsible for managing training schedules, including internal and external training opportunities
  • Ensures sharing of best practices, experiences and ideas across teams and offices
  • Demonstrate real leadership qualities, with the ability to positively support teams with tasks and deliverables
  • Support the Media Supervisors in maintaining senior vendor relationships, negotiating preferred rates and providing access to industry information/client movements, etc.
  • Alongside the Media Director, be responsible for leading and delivering wider projects as required, including, but not limited to, DWA product development, industry positioning, award entries and representing DWA at external events

Qualifications

 

  • 7+ years’ experience, with at least 5 years focused online
  • Exceptional leadership skills and management experience, demonstrated through staff development and implementation of exemplary processes
  • Leadership of department/agency initiatives and product recommendations
  • Excellent track record of maintaining multiple client engagements at once and growing client business
  • Build trusting, collaborative relationships with clients of senior levels
  • Stay on top of business and client concerns to head off issues
  • Capable of serving as a DWA ambassador and demonstrating grace in challenging internal/external scenarios
  • Strong commercial acumen. Lead client scoping, staffing and profitability across multiple account teams.
  • Excellent track record of driving client growth and diversification into multiple products and services
  • Excellent client scorecard
  • Strong experience in leading new business

 

Additional Information

Dentsu is a modern marketing solutions company. Our mission is to help clients navigate, progress and thrive in a world of change. Businesses rely on our integrated network of agencies and specialized practices to champion meaningful progress through creative, media, commerce, data and technology. Part of Dentsu Group, our global network comprises 66,000 diverse people in 143 countries, who are dedicated to teaming for growth and good. Some of our award-winning agencies include 360i, Carat, dentsumcgarrybowen, DEG, dentsuX, iProspect and Merkle. Follow us on Twitter @DentsuUSA and visit dentsu.com/us.

Employees from diverse or underrepresented backgrounds encouraged to apply. Dentsu (the "Company") is committed to a policy of Equal Employment Opportunity and will not discriminate against an applicant or employee of the Company, on the basis of age, sex, sexual orientation, race, color, creed, religion, ethnicity, national origin, alienage or citizenship, disability, marital status, veteran or military status, genetic information, or any other legally-recognized protected basis under federal, state or local laws, regulations or ordinances. Applicants with disabilities may be entitled to reasonable accommodation under the terms of the Americans with Disabilities Act and/or certain state or local laws. A reasonable accommodation is a change in the way things are normally done that will ensure an equal employment opportunity without imposing an undue hardship on the Company. Please contact [email protected] if you need assistance completing any forms or to otherwise participate in the application process or to request or discuss an accommodation in connection with a job at the Company to which you are applying.

Privacy Policy