Account Manager - Johannesburg at Ogilvy South Africa

About the job Account Manager

A creative and persuasive Account Manager – Retail with experience of retail channel(s) with a make it happen’ attitude, entrepreneurial mindset, objective driven outlook and strong business ethics are crucial. Liaise with cross functional business and technical teams to achieve customer’s desired outcomes and draw on previous retail / FMCG experience is key to the success of this role.

Here’s what you’ll bring to the table:

For this role we are looking for an Account Manager – Retail with extensive experience (approx. 5+ years) experience.

• Marketing and retail experience.
• Impeccable communication and interpersonal skills together with the ability to present and influence at all levels.
• Entrepreneurial mindset.
• Highly motivated and objective driven.
• Strong business acumen and ethics.
• Comfortable with a lean operating culture.
• Demonstrable ability to manage multiple projects and accounts with differing timelines.
• Creating and owning relationships across marketing and operations to solve customer business issues.
• Understanding customer’s business objectives and management of high-level relationships.
• Optimising existing business by driving retail execution, initiating marketing activities and communication.

Here’s what you’ll be doing - key tasks and responsibilities: 

• Account management responsibilities include developing and managing strong relationships, connecting with key business executives and stakeholders,
• Collaborate cross-functionally to identify, develop, and manage to execution both follow on and new business opportunities across the portfolios.
• Grow client accounts and be their ambassador internally to ensure success is delivered on every project.
• Liaise with and manage key client relationships while building a wider network of contacts.
• Plan, schedule and oversee key client communication points.
• Manage and naturally become the day to day communications hub for high value and importance client communications.
• Understand and shape an approach to better develop, diversify, and grow client accounts.
• Reliably able to deliver information in all situations to customer and internal colleagues.

You’ll also be required to advance the following:  

• Excellent stakeholder management skills and the ability to interact with and influence customers internally and externally.
• Able to communicate with ease with all customers and able to listen, simplify complex matters and at times.
• Ability to work to strict deadlines whilst multi-tasking across multiple customer requirements.
• Demonstrate excellent analytical, planning, problem solving, presentation and organisational skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, ability to convey technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Strong interpersonal skills: confident communications, active listening, objections prevention and handling, conflicts management and prevention.

Additional skills: 

• Ability to balance priorities and work to tight deadlines.
• Ability to learn and understand products quickly.
• Methodical, highly organised, and accurate approach to work and attention to detail.
• Ability to understand sector specific retail trends and knowledge or interest of retail facing technology would be highly beneficial in creating future solutions and opportunities with clients.
• Ability to build strong rapport, establish trust and credibility through a consultative approach with diverse stakeholders from Executive level down.
• Ability to maintain high levels of productivity, manage multiple competing priorities, and work effectively under the pressure of time constraints in a fast-paced, complex, collaborative, and team-oriented environment.
• High proficiency in written & verbal communication skills.
• Experience with desk based and / or customer-facing activities and influencing key decision makers.