Account Manager (Pipeline) at Ogilvy South Africa

Role

An account manager should be a broadly capable project and account manager who handles a wide range of assignments, projects and/or clients with a high degree of success and independence.

An account manager has demonstrated high-level professional knowledge and skills. They should be able to manage all aspects of a large account, with top cover from their account director/ group account director, business director and/or managing director. They should have project management, budgeting, counselling, programme, people management and emerging business development skills. They take responsibility for the projects they manage, providing excellent client service, applying the agencies best resources, effectively managing people involved in projects and managing for profitable growth. An account manager demonstrates the ability and wherewithal to deliver on our vision, performance requirements and growth projections. An account manager has strong client relationships.

Job Description

An account manager meets all the responsibilities and expectations of an account executive and:

• Manages client expectations.
• Develops and manages projects/programmes, including implementation plans, evaluation mechanisms, staffing plans, budgets and timelines.
• Independently handles several accounts or major projects of a large account, performing much of the day-to-day work with assistance from both more junior and more senior staff as appropriate.
• Is clients primary day-to-day contact on projects, or for smaller accounts, is the contact for the full account and has clients respect, trust and confidence.
• Develops presentations for clients relative to project management/programme status.
• Keeps team(s) appropriately informed and involved in projects.
• Identifies and secures help on emerging account problems.
• Is able to articulate and apply agency vision, goals, practice areas, products and overall capabilities.

Professional skills

• Has full understanding of public relations, influencer marketing and social media and has demonstrated an ability to achieve traditional public relations results with a track record of consumer clients.
• Develops and drafts communication programmes based on team input.
• Understands business trends for industry segment/products.
• Develops their editing skills so that they become capable of directing the written materials of others.
• Oversees and directs media campaigns. Has established relationships with print and broadcast journalists.
• Efficiently and effectively plans and manages events (e.g., press conferences, media tours, press /influencer events etc.)
• Understands the creative process and how to work effectively with internal and external creative resources.
• Has established a circle of industry editorial, influencer community, professional and/or third-party group contacts.
• Has strong presentation skills and plays an increasingly active role in new business and client presentations.
• Anticipates and assists in developing solutions to client needs and problems.
• Provides leadership in building effective, productive account teams.

Financial/administrative

• Develops accurate project budgets and monitors them effectively.
• Oversees timely development and distribution of bills and activity reports.
• Completes timesheets daily and otherwise acts in accordance with company policies and procedures, and ensures that team does the same.

Initiative and general management

• Is familiar with, and supports achievement of, the company's vision and exemplifies the company's values.
• Routinely contributes to agency growth and performance.
• Delegates effectively.
• Routinely recommends and implements solutions when problems arise.
• Assists peers in problem solving.
• Uses talents of colleagues in own problem solving.
• Routinely seeks and shares information with colleagues.
• Participates actively in team, staff and client meetings.
• Routinely invests in building agency and client accounts and resources.
• Works with account director/ group account director to identify and address training, leadership and career development needs.
• Continually seeks new ways to learn, improve and contribute.
• Exhibits a sense of curiosity about client work and seeks more information and knowledge in response.