Role Overview:
The Client Partner/Strategic Account Director at Hallam will be required to act as the senior point of contact across an assigned account group, dealing with senior marketing stakeholders within the clients' businesses and acting as a consultative partner to build trusting, mutually beneficial and scalable partnerships. As a senior member of the CS team, they are responsible for continuous improvement of Hallam’s client experience and commercial success, contributing to enhancement in the quality and innovative delivery of work for clients and contributing to a collaborative and engaging CS team culture.
Purpose:
* Drive strategic growth and retention by developing and executing comprehensive account strategies to meet sales and performance goals.
* Build and maintain strong client relationships, acting as the primary point of contact and ensuring high client satisfaction through excellent service delivery.
* Lead cross-functional teams, managing and coaching account managers while orchestrating specialist teams to deliver high-quality digital campaigns and solutions.
* Ensure commercial success by managing account profitability, filling revenue gaps, and contributing to the agency’s overall business objectives.
Responsibilities:
Communication & Collaboration:
* Foster open communication and teamwork across departments
* Engage in regular check-ins and updates with team members, ensuring alignment on project goals and timelines
* Build strong relationships with clients and stakeholders, ensuring satisfaction and clarity on project deliverables
Strategic Planning and Growth
* Set the direction of the account group’s growth/retention strategy through the creation of annual Account Growth Plans to meet sales and retention targets.
* Develop comprehensive digital strategies in collaboration with specialists.
* Conduct category and competitor analysis and performance diagnostic reports to inform client strategies.
* Oversee the planning process across the account group, ensuring proper workflow visibility on retainer accounts.
Client Relationship Management
* Manage client relationships through the customer journey, from onboarding to offboarding, ensuring long-lasting, profitable partnerships.
* Act as the client ambassador within the agency, championing their business goals and ensuring alignment with agency OKRs.
* Serve as the primary point of contact for key accounts, ensuring expectations are met as per the squad accountabilities map.
* Ensure the highest standards of client experience, driving process improvements where necessary.
* Own and escalate client issues, complaints, or escalations to senior leadership when needed.
Team Leadership and Development
* Manage and coach Strategic Account Managers, ensuring they deliver to high standards, providing guidance, mentorship, and performance feedback
* Support cross-functional digital teams, orchestrating their efforts to deliver high-quality work.
* Mentor teams by sharing knowledge of industry trends, audience insights, and client business challenges.
* Develop and implement team strategies that support both client objectives and agency goals
Consultation and Value Addition
* Maintain a broad knowledge of generalist marketing, providing consultative value to client-side marketing stakeholders.
* Lead immersion sessions and create marketing budget plans with squad teams.
* Negotiate contracts and fees with client stakeholders, ensuring both agency and client goals are met.
Client Deliverables and Accountability
* Ensure the highest standards for client-facing materials (e.g. onboarding documentation, performance reports, QBRs, pitch decks), working closely with teams for timely delivery.
* Take ownership of client briefs, ensuring they meet expectations and uphold high standards.
* Accountable for the success of key financial and team data reporting to senior leadership.
Revenue and Commercial Success
* Work closely with the CS team to fill revenue gaps and ensure commercial success.
* Report key financial data and lead team reporting efforts to senior CS leadership.
* Drive continuous improvement of the client experience and internal processes, contributing to agency-wide initiatives
KPIs:
* Client Retention (contract renewals)
* Client Growth (sales from account group, client referrals)
* Client Satisfaction (client complaints, client feedback via NPS)
* Client Profitability (profit target across account group)
* Ownership and delivery of assigned CS initiatives or ‘rocks’ in line with company strategy
Client Satisfaction:
* High levels of client satisfaction based on feedback and quarterly NPS results
* Client retention (contract renewals) and account growth (sales)
Collaboration & Communication:
* Quality of communication and collaboration within and across departments
* Positive feedback from team members and stakeholders
Requirements:
* Be a trusted client advisor - knowledgeable and passionate about client’s businesses, and where and how marketing contributes to their success
* Strong communication and collaboration skills
* Ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment
* Understanding of digital marketing trends and best practices
* A spirit of collaboration - can lead and inspire the team, the wider agency, clients, and other external partners.
* Shows radical candour, understands when to give praise, motivational feedback and constructive criticism.
* Has a sense of ownership - unafraid to take charge when necessary, be decisive and then build support for those decisions. Prepared to share credit and shoulder difficulties.
* Have a mentor mindset - focused on the personal and professional development of the squad, CS and wider agency team to optimise their combined performance.
* Commercially astute - takes ownership over commercial success of a client for Hallam and Hallam for our clients