The uncommon agency for the common good

Senior Account Executive (San Diego Office)

Who You Are
A strategic and collaborative team player who has a demonstrated track record of exceptional client service. You are ambitious and eager to grow, capable of working independently, and always thinking about how best to help your clients achieve their short-, medium-, and long-term goals. You are thoughtful and intuitive, always forecasting, always anticipating; you can identify problems and proactively generate solutions. You lead by example, and you are always willing to roll up your sleeves and jump in to achieve the results the client and agency will be proud of.

Who We Are
Civilian is a different kind of marketing communications agency. From our headquarters in San Diego to our offices in Sacramento and DC, we are dedicated to improving quality of life for our employees, clients, and the world. We are a purpose-driven certified B Corporation focused on tackling challenging issues, creating positive change, and strengthening communities. We do this by working with nonprofits, government agencies, and purpose-driven organizations to promote environmental sustainability, advance public health, and support economic development.

We are a dedicated group of innovators and problem solvers who come to work every day grateful for the opportunity to make a difference. We support our employees’ professional and personal development with a rich set of benefits, humane working hours, and a culture that rewards embracing challenges and having a great time doing it. The success of our approach shows in our average employee tenure of nearly five years (vs. the industry average of 2.5) and in the number of Civilians that return. We offer a truly unique balance of professionalism and heart—and an office full of free snacks, a dog or two, and the occasional afternoon happy hour.

The Job
The Sr. Account Executive is responsible for serving as the liaison between the client and the agency to ensure campaign goals and needs are met on a daily basis; independently leading small- to mid-sized projects and effectively managing up for larger, supervisor-led projects. The Senior Account Executive builds and upholds client relationships; manages day-to-day client interactions; develops a thorough understanding of clients’ business; ensures that clients’ needs, timelines, and budgets are met; keeps internal teams accountable for client deliverables, and provides support, guidance, and counsel for junior staff.

Responsibilities:

Day-to-Day Activities:

  • Develop strong working relationships with clients, earning their respect, confidence, and, most importantly, trust.
  • Independently lead small- to mid-sized projects.
  • Proactively develop knowledge and expertise of client projects, as well as overall campaign needs, important strategic and tactical considerations, potential road bumps or pitfalls, and relevant industry trends to effectively advance and steward client work
  • Transition from a “doer” to a “thinker”: consider and proactively address client needs, campaign needs, and/or opportunities for organic account growth, as opposed to waiting until direction is provided
  • Work with the Account Supervisor to develop client briefs and brief the project management and creative team on projects; demonstrate fluid understanding and mastery of agency capabilities, outputs, and ability to recommend and sell in where appropriate.
  • Lead status meetings, write client conference reports, update client-facing status documents, and maintain files on agency file server.
  • Coordinate the planning, development and execution of Account Services activities in accordance with the client’s and agency’s objectives and budget. Ensure agency systems and procedures are adhered to and/or improved to ensure client expectations are fulfilled while agency profitability is protected.
  • Develop and apply strategic lens towards client business and deliverables and sharing POV and suggestions with manager and client when necessary, shifting from order taker to processing requests and adding value or suggestions
  • Conduct internal reviews of Media, Creative, Digital, and Communications teams’ work with a critical eye on meeting client expectations, implementing industry best practices, and adhering to the project brief.
  • Develop and maintain productive, supportive, and communicative relationships with ACSV team members
  • Manage up to keep supervisor abreast of the day-to-day; present well thought out solutions when problems arise.
  • Maintain the Civilian standard of quality across all documents, deliverables, and reports.
  • Ensure the completion of high-quality deliverables on-time and on-budget based on established agency processes; demonstrate fluency in all project timelines, budgets, and project statuses for all initiatives under management.
  • Proactively consult with key departments and divisions to keep them informed of upcoming workload; keep account lead informed so there are no surprises.
  • Provide fiscal management for all client budgets and accounts and on-time adherence to established billing processes; demonstrate ability and willingness to manage up for final sign-offs at each necessary checkpoint.
  • Expertly and efficiently employ agency systems including Workamajig project management software and other agency tools; train junior staff on Civilian processes and protocols.
  • Can do attitude with a willingness to raise hand, get out of comfort zone, and do various tasks both known and unfamiliar when necessary.
  • Contribute and add to agency culture by making us better with your unique perspective and experience.

Qualifications:

  • 4-6+ years of experience in an advertising agency setting OR working on multiple projects in a fast-paced environment
  • Bachelor’s degree required
  • Mastery of advertising agency disciplines, departments, and outputs (especially media); how they work together in an integrated way; and how to sell services in
  • Outstanding written and verbal communication skills; capable of writing and speaking with a clear, concise point-of-view and should be comfortable presenting internally/ externally if necessary
  • Experience and mastery with MS office and Google Docs/Charts/Sheets and ability to create clear, client-worthy presentations if necessary
  • Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to relate to, persuade, and build consensus with clients
  • Impeccable organizational and project management skills

Location
San Diego, CA

Status
Full-time with flexible hybrid in-office/virtual schedule plus full benefits

Let’s Get to Know Each Other
Are you the one? Are we the one? If this sounds like a fit, let’s talk more. Please email careers@civilian.com to tell us why we absolutely, positively need you on our team. Don’t forget to attach your resume. And check out https://civilian.com/careers/ and our Glassdoor reviews for more information on how talented, smart, and delightful we are.

YES, I WANT IN

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