Client Engagement Manager

The Client Engagement Manager leads client accounts within the agency, ensuring that they are profitable and growing. They take responsibility for the delivery of the highest possible quality creative work that meets the client's needs and addresses their business problems. The role is responsible for building strong client relationships and coordinating with internal teams to deliver a broad array of innovative solutions that meet clients' needs, and identifying opportunities to grow accounts.

Role & Responsibilities

• Cultivates and strengthens successful client relationships with the goal of increasing agency revenue
• Develops a working knowledge of all company services and processes, including industrial design, engineering, graphic design, prototyping and consumer research to effectively sell in and lead projects
• Collaborates with cross-functional subject matter experts as needed to achieve project objectives
• Confidently champions agency capabilities and multi-disciplinary expertise with current and potential clients
• Ascertains and synthesizes client objectives, budgets and timelines to define scope of potential projects
• Independently estimates and writes compelling, custom work plan proposals that win business and accomplish client objectives
• Serves as primary point of contact and detail-oriented project manager focused on delivering the highest quality project outcomes to ensure client satisfaction
• Publishes detailed project timelines to prioritize jobs/tasks and oversees allocation of internal resources to fulfill established delivery dates, keeping projects on time, on budget and on brief
• Works with legal dept to ensure timely negotiation of MSA and all terms & conditions and approvals are in place
• Remains in frequent contact with clients to manage the project to ensure needs are being met and to nurture the relationship with an eye towards future engagements
• Maintains up to date and accurate job cost accounting with finance team across all current projects to ensure projects stay on budget on a timely basis, correcting course as needed to ensure profitable delivery of aligned work plan
• Analyses historical job costs to ensure profitability through the accurate estimating of future jobs
• Employs critical thinking skills to find solutions that satisfy client wishes while upholding business needs
• Manages scope changes internally and with clients to ensure clear expectations and successful outcomes
• Schedules and oversees logistics for client meetings, ensuring meeting notes are captured, reported and distributed to all key parties to document project progress, client feedback, agreements and next steps

Qualifications/Requirements

• 5-7 years client services experience in a creative field (design, advertising, marketing)
• Agency experience preferred; Client corporate experience a plus
• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, or related field; MBA a plus
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills
• Strong organizational skills and fastidious attention to detail
• Time management and multi-tasking skills to juggle multiple clients and projects at once
• Adaptability and strong problem-solving skills
• Superior client services disposition with advanced interpersonal, motivational and negotiation skills
• Ability to build rapport and collaborate with others within the company and externally
• Understanding of consumer behaviors and industry trends; consumer insights experience a plus
• Comfortable managing in an extremely fluid, fast-paced environment
• Fast learner with ability to quickly obtain product/service knowledge
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite (Teams, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Excel, Project); HubSpot a plus