Description:
The Account Director is responsible for developing and nurturing key global accounts. The role is essential to strengthening client relationships, identifying growth opportunities for the business, and ensuring that solutions are developed and delivered on time and against operational and financial targets.
The Account Director takes full responsibility for the strategic and operational management of their accounts and for the performance of their team, ensuring all work is completed in line with the SLA. The postholder is a strong leader who focuses on the vision and strategy of the account, balances daily support needs with long-term planning, and combines vision and reality into effective plans.
Key Responsibilities
Operational excellence
- Plays a leading role in delivering client satisfaction, including client liaison, management of internal resource departments and management of external suppliers.
- Works with the Head of Operations to manage the on-site and off-site account teams operating in the areas of the client's business under their direction, ensuring compliance with company operating procedures.
- Manages the personal development of team members through appraisals, one-to-one meetings, mentoring and training.
- Takes ownership of, and resolves, issues, quality concerns and corrective actions.
Growth and client development
- Develops effective growth strategies and manages the opportunities for these clients.
- Builds client development plans for each year with the Head of Client Development.
- Achieves and exceeds growth targets.
- Develops strong relationships with senior key decision-makers.
Financial and risk management
- Manages the overall financial performance of the account, including risk analysis and remedial action.
- Identifies risks to the account and puts strategies in place to manage them.
- Leads contract review and renewal.
- Produces regular MI reports and account relationship plans.
Knowledge, Skills and Experience
The successful candidate will have:
- Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to build positive relationships at all levels and with all types of people, up to Board level.
- Excellent communication skills (verbal, written and presentation) with clarity of expression.
- Demonstrable people management skills, including performance management and team leadership.
- A passion for quality.
- The ability to present account planning and strategy for retention, growth and added value.
- A demonstrable track record of successful client and contract management.
- The ability to anticipate internal and external business issues and develop risk mitigation strategies.
- Experience managing department financials, budgeting and forecasting, and large P&L budgets.
- Extensive client service management experience, ideally including time working on client sites.
- Experience managing client service plans and KPIs.
- Significant experience developing and maintaining client relationships.
- In-depth knowledge of Performance Improvement philosophy and its implementation.
- Significant experience managing work in a fast-paced retail environment.
- Previous experience presenting to senior management and Board level.
- A proven track record of operational management of client services departments.
Experience Required
The role requires 10–15 years of overall experience.