Freelance Senior Account Manager

ABOUT INNOCEAN; The Home of Fearless Creativity

INNOCEAN is the fastest growing agency network in the world, with 32 global offices and more than 4,100 employees in 23 countries.

At INNOCEAN Australia, we operate with the autonomy of an indie, and the scale of a multinational – all in service of our promise to clients and team members to deliver Fearless Creativity that earns an unfair share of attention.

We opened our doors in Australia in 2008 with two foundation clients: Hyundai and Kia. Since 2020 the Sydney business has been on a mission to diversify our roster which now includes FMCG, NGO, Insurance, Tourism and Technology brands, not to mention our own Gender Equality not for profit division called F*ck the Cupcakes.

We're a proud, fearless and ambitious group of over 80 creatives, strategists, client partners, media experts, technologists, analysts, and producers who work together in a flat and highly collaborative environment. We are uniquely geared to build integrated creative solutions across all touchpoints on a consumer's journey with a brand, and in culture.

We're famous for our category defying work and an enviable trophy cabinet. Day to day, we dare to break the rules, make noise and embrace a curious and collaborative culture that turbocharges everything we do – this is what allows us to punch above the competition, clear the clutter and unearth the uncomfortable truths that unlock truly attention grabbing, fearless ideas.

It's how we create bonds between brands and consumers, and between us and our clients. Think of us as an extension of the marketing team. One with all the capabilities required to deliver work that gets attention and drives cultural connection

ABOUT THE ROLE

Having recently expanded our remit on a few accounts, we're looking for a Freelance Senior Account Manager / Account Director to help manage the work through the agency on a few key campaigns.  

This role will act as a link between the client and INNOCEAN, maintaining regular contact and ensuring communication flows effectively between them.  

The main purpose of this role is to manage projects and allocated accounts with a degree of autonomy, from kick-off through to final implementation. You will develop an understanding of the client's business, brand, category, and vision. Attending client meetings, you will assist the prepare internal briefing documents and client presentations, liaise with relevant external partners, and manage campaigns, continually striving to exceed your client's expectations. You will know every detail of a project and manage-up and ensure your manager is across project status and proactively flag issues or concerns.  

• Communicate externally with clients and agency village partners and internally with individual departments, business managers and subject matter experts, bringing together the whole ecosystem whilst building strong relationships and trust.
• Work alongside creative, strategy, media, digital development, and data teams; managing multiple campaigns at the same time.
• Strong digital skills with a strong understanding of social and digital platforms and technical / production requirements.
• Ability to think commercially and understand return on investment.
• Strong focus on strategy & execution.
• Strong project management skills.
• Broad understanding of all communication disciplines.
• Ability to solve problems quickly and thoroughly.
• Experience in not-for-profit sector is a bonus.

Responsibilities

Leadership

• Lead, inspire and manage any direct reports sharing the vision and values of the agency.
• Ensure the Agency's image and reputation is well regarded amongst clients and the industry.
• Nurture and supervise any direct reports overseeing their execution of all campaigns to ensure they are on strategy, on budget, and on schedule.
• Delegate and monitor projects and workloads.
• Provide feedback to all direct reports.
• Ensure any issues are identified early and addressed/ troubleshooted.

Strategy, Creative Development & Planning

• Ensure strategic and creative work across key clients has a strong application of digital best practices, consideration of the customer journey and applies 'out-of-the-box' thinking in terms of bringing work to life that is native to channel.
• Shares strategic expertise with the client in an advisory capacity.
• Ensures projects follow the overall strategic direction of the brand.
• Ensure the right specialists are being brought across projects at the right time.
• Knowledge and understanding of the client's business, challenges and desired results in order to recommend strategies to implement.

Client Relationship Management

• Works with clients in a consultant/advisory capacity.
• Manages and nurtures senior stakeholder relationship with the Client Partner.
• Demonstrates solid understanding of the clients brand and expected results.
• Ensure expectations are managed with clients and effective processes are followed internally to achieve the best results.
• Proactively looks for opportunities for the client's business and for the agency demonstrating entrepreneurial mindset, seeking out opportunities.
• Ensures all client issues are identified and resolved.

Account Management

• Understand detail of projects, the client's business challenges and the strategic direction of their brand.
• Oversee implementation and management of digital content campaigns, including social.
• Development of digital project plans as well as training and support of Account Manager in development of project plan development, ensuring timely delivery from concept to execution.
• Understanding of digital channel requirements, ad units and digital best practice.
• Direct the execution of the creative idea from the client's brief ensuring it's to scope, reaching quality expectations, on time and within budget.
• Maintain the agency's standards of creative excellence, timelines, and profitability, whilst driving collaboration and teamwork, striving to exceed your client expectations.
• Directs the team and other departments on projects, strictly adhering and leading project delivery.
• Controls and leads projects with financial targets in mind alongside.
• Play a primary role in Client presentations, selling the work, responding to questions, and communicating the Agency's point of view.
• Ensures seamless delivery of project deliverables.

Finance & Profitability

• Ensure profitability of the agency by ensuring the accuracy of scoping across projects and effective client management regarding scope creep, and negotiations of project costs.
• Financial responsibility and accountability - overseeing billings and revenue, ensuring all finances are met internally and for the client.
• Monthly forecasting and billing.
• Ensure strong partnerships with agency partners and village to get the best out of the work and tap into the specialisms needed to meet client objectives and KPI's.
• Leads and manages external partner agencies as needed.
• Builds and earns trust of internal agency stakeholders.
• Knowledgeable on integrated communications and actively pursues opportunities and upskills proactively if any knowledge is lacking.
• Contributes to the ongoing reviews of junior team members.
• Effectively communicates and manages up where required.
• Proactively building relationships with a view to expanding the agency's remit.

Stakeholder Relationship Management

• Builds relationships and earns trust of internal and external agency stakeholders.
• Effectively communicates to manage up where required.

ABOUT YOU

Qualifications

• No qualifications needed, just a strong portfolio that demonstrates your ability Account Management expertise.

Knowledge, Skills & Experience

• Minimum of 5 years' experience in Account Management within the Advertising industry.
• Previous experience in a management role, leading and coaching other team members.
• Proven track record in managing campaigns from strategy inception through to completion.
• Literacy across shared project management and financial systems.
• Flexibility to adapt your ideas to meet client expectations and take on feedback.
• Exceptional process time management skills with demonstrated experience meeting competing deadlines across platforms without compromising on work quality.
• Solution-driven, even against challenging projects and situations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to work well with a variety of personalities and work styles.
• Skilled with software such as Google Docs, Keynote, Microsoft Excel.
• Flexible approach to work, demonstrating resilience and ability to rapidly adapt to change.

There are a whole range of reasons you would consider working for us, check out some of the reasons below:

• Competitive salary.
• Individual Professional development with regular appraisals, 360 feedback and training.
• Hybrid working.
• Client sponsored benefits.
• Local Business Discounts.
• Progressive parental leave policies.
• Floating leave policies.
• Pet friendly environment.