Account Manager

Description

The Account Manager serves as both a trusted client partner and operational lead, seamlessly guiding projects from strategy through execution. This role is responsible for cultivating strong client relationships, managing integrated marketing initiatives, and ensuring projects are delivered on strategy, on time, and on budget.

This individual acts as the central hub between clients and internal agency teams, balancing strategic thinking with exceptional project management and workflow leadership. They are expected to proactively solve problems, drive collaboration across departments, maintain clear communication, and ensure agency resources are aligned to deliver the highest quality work efficiently and profitably.

The ideal candidate is equal parts relationship builder, organizer, strategic thinker, project manager and natural leader — someone who thrives in a fast-paced agency environment and can confidently lead both clients and internal teams through complex, multifaceted projects and campaigns.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities as Account Manager

Client Leadership & Relationship Management

• Build and maintain strong, trusted relationships with client contacts through proactive communication, responsiveness, and solution-oriented thinking
• Serve as the day-to-day contact for assigned clients and projects under the tutelage of an Account Director
• Anticipate client needs and proactively address challenges to ensure a positive client experience
• Collaborate with the Account Management team to support client growth opportunities and long-term account health
• Continuously deepen understanding of clients’ businesses, industries, and marketing challenges
• Support Account Directors by presenting plans, recommendations, timelines, and project updates confidently and professionally to clients and internal stakeholders
• Act as the client advocate within the agency and the agency advocate within the client organization
• Ensure creative work remains aligned with client objectives, brand standards, and campaign goals
• Contribute ideas and recommendations that elevate the quality and effectiveness of the work

Project & Workflow Management

• Manage multifaceted projects and integrated campaigns from kickoff through final delivery
• Develop, manage, and maintain detailed project timelines, workflows, scopes of work, budgets, and resource plans
• Input assignments accurately into project management software tools and ensure they remain on schedule, and within budget parameters
• Partner closely with Creative, Strategy, Production, Media, and PR/Social teams to coordinate deliverables and drive seamless execution
• Collaborate with Resource Managers and Producers to ensure the right people are assigned to the right projects at the right time
• Manage approval processes and ensure all agency workflow standards and procedures are followed
• Maintain accurate project documentation, status reports, meeting notes, and project records
• Identify project risks, troubleshoot issues proactively, and recommend solutions
• Coordinate and facilitate key project meetings, status meetings, and cross-functional touchpoints
• Oversee production and out-of-pocket estimates alongside account and finance partners
• Monitor project profitability, utilization, and budget pacing

Communication Skills

• Exceptional written, verbal, presentation, and listening skills
• Ability to communicate clearly, confidently, and professionally with clients, leadership, and cross-functional teams
• Strong meeting facilitation and presentation capabilities in both formal and informal settings
• Ability to navigate challenging conversations with professionalism, composure, and diplomacy
• Skilled at managing communication across multiple stakeholders and priorities simultaneously

Additional Responsibilities

• Be a team builder and a team player
• Inspire a contagious passion for strategic creative solutions
• Model a conscientious, straightforward and dedicated work ethic — talk the talk and walk the walk
• Respect all equally, internally and externally
• Passionately uphold the agency brand, culture and values
• Collaborate among multiple departments effectively and efficiently
• Be accountable for meeting goals and expectations

Requirements

• 3–5 years of agency experience in account management, project management, or integrated marketing leadership
• Proven ability to successfully manage clients, projects, timelines, budgets, and cross-functional teams
• Understanding of integrated marketing and production disciplines, including print, digital, broadcast, social media, PR, experiential, and live events
• Demonstrated problem-solving, organizational, and time management skills
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced agency environment
• Self-motivated, proactive, adaptable, and highly detail-oriented
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and project management tools
• Bachelor’s degree required
• Willingness to travel up to 20% as needed

This job description serves as an overall summary of responsibilities for the position outlined. Please note it is subject to change with specific expectations associated with the position.

At Wray Ward, every resume is reviewed by a human recruiter or hiring manager. AI is not used to make candidate selection decisions.

Culture Alignment

At Wray Ward, we firmly believe that internal and client relationships are key to our success. Certain attitudes define how we work and are important in what we seek for our culture and mission. Our key agency attitudes are:

• WE, NOT ME — We check our egos at the door. As a result, we thrive in a positive, collaborative atmosphere that welcomes diverse professionals and invites everyone to contribute their best.
• ASK “WHAT IF?” — Always going beyond what is and considering what could be, we create unexpected possibilities that differentiate our brands and accelerate their success.
• BE FEARLESS — Creativity demands that we hold nothing back. So we mutually support each other in speaking up, taking risks and courageously contributing audacious, unedited, unconventional ideas.
• NAIL IT — Everything we do is about results. We not only achieve our clients’ goals, but also continually exceed their expectations. Every person here shares individual responsibility for their own, our agency’s and our clients’ success.

Our 39,000-square-foot home promotes collaboration and productivity through inspired meeting areas, offering natural light, vibrant colors, patterns and textures. Homelike elements are found in every corner, from the open-air roof-deck to our game room with foosball, ping-pong, Connect Five, classic board games and cornhole. Brightly colored throw pillows on sofas and our town hall meeting space, smart entertainment systems and live plants are scattered throughout. From holiday parties to movie nights, bowling and dodgeball teams to yoga and walking groups, we have a warm and inviting culture. Our office ushers us in, and it welcomes us home.

Our Mission

We are a community of catalysts using insights, strategy and creativity to transform spaces into stories and materials into experiences. 

Candidates must possess authorization to work in the United States, as it is not the practice of Wray Ward to sponsor individuals for work visas. Wray Ward participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the United States.

At Wray Ward, we strongly believe that a diverse staff and inclusive culture will greatly enrich our work, our business, our industry and our lives. We are committed to an intentional approach to listening, understanding and talking, and to using our individual and collective talent, voices and influence to drive change.

Wray Ward is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class.