M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment is a full-service creative communications agency operating across lifestyle, sport, entertainment, fashion, technology and beverage.
Our approach is an integrated system of creative and communications services, executing both always-on brand communications as well as creative campaigns from ideation through to design, production, execution and social, via our comms, marketing and influencer specialists who collaborate alongside our in-house studio. We create content across a variety of mediums including still, video, print, experiential, and many more. Our team is a collective of experienced and integrity-driven individuals who believe success is found through navigating, creating and leading meaningful change.
It is our belief that brilliant work can only be achieved with diversity of minds and thought, and an inclusive culture that allows everyone to bring their true selves to work. When people have the permission to be themselves, they will bring their very best selves.
M&C Saatchi Sport and Entertainment North America employs some of the brightest minds in the business. We believe investing in our people and their development ensures they consistently progress.
We won “Best Places to Work” in 2021 and 2022 from PR Week, PR News Agency Elite List in 2023, Ragan Communications named us 2023 Midsize Agency of the Year; Ragan Communications/PR Daily’s named us “Best Wellness Workplace” 2023 and 2024; Ragan Communications/PR Daily’s Winner of Best Mental Health Initiatives and Programming; PR Net’s Top 100 since 2022.
Your Role
The Account Director role requires an individual who is driven by the challenge of driving and executing new creative ideas alongside your team. You are organized and passionate about your work. You demonstrate the ability to craft strategic communications campaigns and deliver innovative solutions for clients. You produce work of the highest possible standard while motivating a team and keeping clients satisfied. A passion for global culture, current trends, social and earned media, and technology is essential. We are looking for an individual who is tuned in and plugged in – in their professional and personal lives.
As an Account Director, you play a key role in the wider business and should have commercial awareness and an understanding of our business and objectives.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead strategic and creative development for all client campaigns, from inception to implementation and execution
- Demonstrate the ability to construct a clear, insightful and succinct creative brief to put your team members and creative counterparts on the path to successful ideation
- Display a very high level of writing proficiency – this extends from succinct communication via email through to the creative capabilities of a press release
- Assume full responsibility for all accounts, managing high-level discussions (i.e. strategy, budget, etc.) with clients as required
- Cultivate strong relationships with clients and all client partners, serving as the day-to- day client lead across the account
- Clearly display an ability to pre-empt and understand the way your core client/s think and strategize about their brands, enabling you to establish your leadership and problem-solving skills
- Ensure the foundational requirements of account management are being followed by your team. This includes correct usage of budget trackers, status reports, briefing documents and other structural documentation that ensures account work is seamless, efficient, and organized
- Lead the team in delegation of roles and next steps across all projects, overseeing timelines and ensuring all work is on track
- As part of that delegation, display an ability to connect 1-1 with your junior team members, maintaining motivation and helping them to better development as problem solvers and creative thinkers
- Stay abreast of all trends across culture, industry, and more, actively monitoring across all platforms and attending relevant industry events to reinvigorate the creative process and inform work
- Demonstrate the importance to your team of sharing critical trend and market information, ensuring to synthesize information and deliver it to the client in a way that clearly shows the opportunity/benefit for their business
- Provide exemplary client management, offering sound strategic, creative, and operational advice while demonstrating expert skill to build and maintain close client relationships
- Be responsible for KPI creation for campaigns and ensuring the team reaches them
- Oversee event management and execution, as well as talent negotiation, management and contracting
- Manage staff press trips and experiences
- Develop and execute effective digital campaigns (within context of broader integrated campaigns)
- Manage all client budgets including monitoring and reconciliation and fee negotiation, including a clear and efficient understanding of internal finance processes (I.E the timely completion of POs, tracking expenditure etc)
- Showcase strong relationships with top-tier, high-level media and be able to leverage these to convert to impactful brand coverage
- Pitch and securing consumer tech coverage, and compile key messaging, media Q&A, and briefing docs for client spokespeople.
- Work with top-tier media to land news exclusives, and navigate challenging corporate communications situations including providing information on background and off-the-record.
- Play a broader role within the agency, seeking and developing new business opportunities
- Showcase an ability to ‘manage up’; working closely with SAD/VP/SVP team members to collaborate effectively on the overall management of the account and understanding what requires escalation to ensure progress
- Experience working within an IAT setting and collaborating with agency partners across the marketing mix
- Have an understanding and experience with consumer tech brands and media and an interest in the industry.
- Have a finger-on-the-pulse of internet culture, and willingness to learn about new social media sites and ways of communicating.
Key Brands
The ideal candidate will be a consumer PR generalist who has experience across major CPG, sprit/beverage and lifestyle brands. Consumer technology experience is a must.
Location/Travel
This role is ideally New York City area based. It is mandatory to be working a full day in our Soho area office (9am - 6pm) at minimum one day a week, every week.
- Be a dedicated, positive and enthusiastic team player and maintain strong working relationships
- Ensure all accounts are being run impeccably by respective teams
- Lead all junior and mid-level staff, mentoring, nurturing and delegating as needed
- Provide strong support for senior leadership, serving as a reliable, proactive, solution-oriented and valuable member of the team
- 6-9 years of experience at an agency demonstrating leading and motivating a team and driving communications strategy, planning and execution
- Copywriting experience strongly preferred, but not required
Benefits
- All employees receive up to 100% Coverage for Health Insurance: 50% Coverage for Dental
- Friday hours end at 3 PM ET (all year round) and drop down to 1 PM Summer Fridays from Memorial Day through Labor Day
- 401K matches up to 3% from Employer
- In addition to 10 days’ Vacation, Employee receives the following annually: 1 Volunteer Day, 5 Sick Days, 3 Mental Health Days (1 of which all staff takes together annually on , or around May 2)
- Closed on all major holidays and over Christmas break
- Quarterly Mental Health and DEI Programming and Workshops
- Line Managers – Every Employee receives a mentor in the form of a Line Manager that is outside of their accounts
- Office Location: 466 Broome Street in Soho, NYC
Salary
$95,000-$110,000 dependent upon experience.
To Apply
Send your cover letter and resume to: jobsnase@mcsaatchi.com
