Position Summary
We are looking for a detail oriented, motivated individual to join the WS team as an Account
Manager on a North American client. The Account Manager (AM) has a strong understanding
of agriculture, specifically crop protection. They can build and maintain exemplary
relationships between the agency teams and clients under the direction of the senior account
team. The AM will work closely with the senior account team, strategy, creative, public
relations, digital, social, paid media and performance teams to build strategic marketing
communications plans that are fully integrated, brand aligned and achieve marketing
outcomes.
The AM ensures that quality of work, timeliness and budget expectations are met from
initiation through completion. The AM is responsible for the execution of marketing plan
tactics with their account executive and the day-to-day leadership of projects.
The AM reports to the account’s business lead on this North American client with dotted
line responsibility to the strategic account team lead as assigned.
Does this sound like you? Let’s go deeper.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Key Accountabilities
- Understands assigned client’s business and objectives and effectively
communicates this information to agency teams.
- Works comfortably in outcome-based, KPI-driven marketing communication
planning, pricing and execution.
- Contributes to the development of marketing outcome plans with creative,
content, digital, paid media, social media, PR and performance teams and
ensures that team members have support data and reference materials as
required.
- Engages market intelligence lead to ensure plans, strategies and deliverables
are aligned with target audience attitudes and purchase journey
- Analyzes client input along with research, customer insights, field feedback,
competitive landscape, etc. to help inform strategic marketing communications
plans.
- Develops planning/project briefs with clients and senior account team before
agency teams are briefed.
- Ensures that marketing outcomes, strategies, tactics, KPIs are clearly defined
and budgets are approved by clients.
- Responsible for the execution of plans as approved by client under the guidance
of the senior account team.
- Guides junior account team activities and development.
Account Management
- Sets clear expectations between the agency and clients and with internal teams.
- Proactively guides teams to help solve problems and ensure team members are
updated with new information.
- Monitors progress from start to finish to ensure projects are moving through the
agency’s processes smoothly.
- Prepares for, participates in and facilitates internal and client brainstorming
meetings as requested.
- Partners with internal teams to plan project size and workflows and ensures all
aspects are accounted for when developing scopes of work, timeframes and
pricing.
- Reviews all design concepts, storyboards, wireframes, brand dashboards,
content plans, automation plans, social media plans, paid media plans and
marketing performance dashboards with the senior account team before they are
presented to the client.
- Works with project managers to help identify agency resources for project
deliverables.
- As required, supports junior account team on executing projects (building
timelines, setting up meetings, taking notes, etc.) while adhering to the agency’s
workflow process.
Budget and Scope of Work Management
- Oversees the development of outcome based pricing for their respective market
segment’s marcom plan, reviews with senior account team and ensures client
approval.
- Understands scopes for individual projects and contributes to the pricing of
these. Works with finance and project management teams to set up jobs in
internal systems.
- Informs senior account team of project budget changes.
- Reviews monthly invoices and ensures billing schedules are followed.
- Contributes to forecasting and reviews with agency’s business lead.
Client Relationships & Business Growth
- Maintains direct senior-level client contact alongside senior account team.
- Builds client trust through quality interactions and a client-centric approach.
Knows clients’ internal structure, teams and preferences and shares this
information with team members.
- Bridges the gap between the client’s challenges and agency’s
expertise. Presents new information, proposals, new solutions and opportunities.
- Maintains understanding of clients’ business needs and go-to-market strategy, as
well as their industries, competitors, products, technologies and trends. Engages
business intelligence team to ensure plans and deliverables are aligned with the
target audience and category.
Supervisor Expectations
- Supervises junior account team (account executives and account coordinators).
- Ensures processes are being followed and client work is delivered accurately,
within timelines and on budget.
- Expectation setting, including working with senior account team on new staff
orientation, training and work assignment.
- Policy enforcement, including out-of-office requests.
- Regular communication, including one-on-ones, conflict resolution, philosophy
guidance and ongoing coaching and mentoring of direct reports.
- Employee enrichment, including working with senior account team and direct
reports on goal setting, timely performance reviews and ongoing feedback.
Knowledge and Skills
- Excellent communication, decision-making and problem-solving skills.
- Strategic thinker with advanced business acumen.
- Resourceful and flexible; able to quickly adapt to change and work in a fast-
paced environment.
- Ability to build rapport and strong relationships with team members and clients
quickly.
- Highly organized; able to manage significant amounts of information efficiently.
- Proactive and self-motivated.
- Assertive and able to take charge of a situation when appropriate with the ability
to lead, motivate and influence others.
- Intense listener; put information into action that gets results.
- Strong project and budget management skills.
- Fluent in digital, performance-based marketing.
- Proficient in analyzing marketing performance to develop actionable insights.
- Proficient in analyzing campaign performance, pulling out key observations,
insights and recommendations.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in agricultural science, agriculture business or related and/or
business commerce, specifically related to marketing or communications.
- 4-5+ years of agency experience in mid-level marketing positions and/or
demonstrated superior performance as an account executive, manager or
marketing manager or marketing project manager.
- Agriculture knowledge required; specific experience with crop protection and/or
aquatics herbicides are considered an asset.
Sound like you? If so, we’re excited to meet you. Send a brief but powerful cover letter and your resume to hr@simplyws.com
ABOUT US
WS has been active in the Canadian market for more than 20 years. Our team ranges from enthusiastic grads to seasoned veterans with over 30 years of industry experience.
Our diverse team of 20 (and growing) seems to really like it here, proven by our incredibly low turnover rate. Our team works from all different parts of the country and collaborate to bring ideas to life through technology.
We offer half day Fridays, that’s an extra half day to your weekend…we also offer flex days, give birthdays off, provide paid volunteer time, have a professional development budget, great social events, and this amazing thing called a “bonus program.” Sometimes, we all get together online for an event and the company pays for our food delivery to support local businesses.
It’s a pretty sweet gig, and we hope you can be part of it someday. Thanks for considering WS..
