Account Supervisor

Overview

We have a simple belief — Unexpected Works. It means that the best idea is the one you never saw coming. The thing that catches you so off guard that you can‘t look away. And the only path to genuinely unexpected works is through creativity. Not just what passes for creativity because it answers a brief, looks the part and helps everyone sleep at night. But creativity that is foreign, surprising and interesting enough to cause jaws to drop and sales to soar. It’s having the fresh perspective and raw energy to bring something into the world that no one’s ever seen before. We’re talking about the courage to shake things up and maybe even tear a few things down. And knowing that what most would call the finish line is where the real work starts. We believe in people, product, and profit, in that order. For us, people always come first. They’re the soul of our agency. It takes amazing folks to make amazing work. That’s why we make sure everyone who comes through the door is as great as the people who are already here. It’s also why we constantly strive to build diverse teams where everyone brings something unique to the table. Because you can’t make the unexpected if you only work with the usual suspects. By bringing together diverse thinkers with different backgrounds and perspectives, we validate Bill Bernbach’s notion that an idea can turn to dust or magic, depending on the talent that rubs against it. So, come be part of the magic. 

Account Supervisors at DDB are passionate about making good ideas even better, whether it’s creative, strategic or logistical. They are the key day-to-day interface between the account group, the client and all other agency departments or affiliated partners. They are responsible for the development of the brand plan and providing overall direction to ensure it is implemented effectively. Account Directors are solution-oriented, always thinking about their business, anticipating issues, and implementing their vision to produce superior results. They are comprehensively informed, efficient and effective administrators, trusted and respected by all. Account Directors play a vital role in the training and development of their team, instilling enthusiasm, and setting a good example by living creatively and constantly encouraging their team to go beyond expectations, motivating and energizing them. 

Responsibilities

Creativity  

• Develops a vision for their brand / business – where it needs to go, and how to get there 
• Contributes to the client’s growth strategy thinking well beyond execution and the current campaign 
• Develops and defends innovative and provocative strategies to solve their client’s marketing and communication needs, both in the short and long term 
• Demonstrates excellent creative judgment and inspires creativity in their clients and agency team 
• Nurtures and protects the integrity of the creative idea; takes the creative to new places by partnering with the creative team 
• Looks for and develops customized integrated opportunities for their client’s business(es), knowing when and how to bring in new resources in areas beyond advertising to open new revenue streams 

Productivity  

• Understands completely how the agency makes money: clients, overhead, PBT, expenditures, etc., and helps to maximize revenue / growth through partner agencies 
• Improves agency systems to ensure client expectations are fulfilled while agency profitability is protected 
• Ensures resource management is optimized, making sure people on their team are fully utilized, yet not over-extended 

Knowledge & Skills 

• Builds their strategic thinking abilities by keeping current on industry trends and issues affecting their client’s business expanding their own perspective and knowledge by collaborating and sharing with other Account Directors 
• Collaborates with Strategic Planners and plays a leadership role in co-creation process to ensure the development of provocative, single-minded communications strategies that deliver against the brands’ overall growth strategy and architecture 
• Synthesizes consumer insights, brand knowledge and marketing know-how to effectively defend and persuade their clients to embrace a strong strategic idea and keep it sold 
• Applies all the principles of marketing and available agency resources to further specific business objectives for both the agency and client 
• Maintains DDB’s business philosophy by looking for opportunities to bring the DDB values to life 

Relationships / Communication  

• Builds client’s trust, regularly dialoguing with clients on brand / business issues and advertising / marketing always searching for ways to enhance the client / agency relationship 
• Actively builds client’s commitment to branding, consumer insights, communications strategy, the brand’s campaign and long-term growth strategy 
• Knows how to deal with difficult clients or situations in a diplomatic and solution-oriented manner focusing on the issue and not personalities 
• Manages up; knows when to involve senior management and when to handle a situation themself 

Leadership 

• Takes actions, makes decisions, and shapes team or group priorities to reflect the organization’s vision and values 
• Initiates and implements big-picture thinking, guiding the agency team to produce superior results 
• Leads by example in setting the standard for account team members in work ethic, professionalism, cooperation and organizational commitment 

Qualifications

• 5 years of experience in account management 
• Demonstrated financial responsibility and management 
• Proven experience in managing multiple clients, a digital native who is comfortable building integrated campaigns and leading diverse teams 
• Broad range of experience across business categories and communications media 
• Solid reputation, support with examples of; negotiating skills, talent development, and delivering growth by identifying and building business opportunities. 

DDB is committed to diversity in its workforce and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and to review all of our job postings to minimize biased language. DDB Chicago does not make hiring or employment decisions on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, sex, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, citizenship, or any other basis protected by applicable local, state or federal law.