Client Service Director

Role: Client Service Director

Location: Johannesburg, South Africa

ROLE MISSION

As Client Service Director, you will be expected to demonstrate a cross functional range of skills and experience. You must have a proven track record in managing and overseeing client portfolios, strategically leading and growing client service teams, and leading, developing, and winning business growth opportunities both organic and new. You need to operate with confidence and gravitas, with both clients and internal stakeholders. You should be comfortable in leading teams in both on and offline creative communications development and execution (globally and locally), as well as have a good creative eye yourself. Commercially you need to be comfortable in the numbers forecasting, actual and cost control specifically and consequently the management of the required GP targets per client. You should have proven people and management skills (including hiring and talent identification). You will be responsible for the guidance and development of the entire client service team, so it is essential you are a great communicator, able to inspire your teams and spot potential.

What You Will Be Doing In Your Role

Client Service Director:

• You will act as the senior client service representative on all OLIVER Africa portfolios, ensuring the optimization of the client relationship and consequently the financial health of OLIVER Africa and our account management teams.
• You will oversee and manage all relevant account management resources (BUDs/Account Directors/IPMs etc.) and be accountable to the client for the deliverables of each studio (strategic lead).
• You will drive the growth of the portfolios and teams, working closely with senior clients on their advertising and content requirements and maintaining OLIVER as the chosen partner in the process ensuring overall organic growth of the agency.
• You will build strong relationships with all snr clients and their day to day teams as required.
• You will work closely with your clients as a long-term business partner, steering the development of their brand and marketing strategies.
• Act as primary escalation point for all clients for any issues that may arise with your teams delivery.
• You will be confident with clients and will challenge the client, when necessary, whilst keeping a positive relationship. You will negotiate to create win-win compromises with your clients on behalf of you team members where needed.
• Facilitate weekly check ins / health assessment sessions and ensure each team delivers the expected levels of client service requirements at all times, and that the various clients are playing their part to action successful workflows from brief to final output.
• Participate in client/agency reviews as required (annual / bi-annual), as outlined in client SLA.
• Lead client contract renewal process as required.
• Transparency -engage and provide updates to OLIVER Africa leadership as required active participation in weekly SMT sessions.
• In collaboration with your account leads, engage and provide updates to OLIVERs global account leads (GDPs)as required.
• In collaboration with HR and Operations, ensure the necessary talent growth plans, quality conversations and compensation planning routines are driven across the client service dept.

Leadership and staff management:

• Lead each team by example, mentoring and guidng the account management team to achieve their best in line with OLIVER best practice and client expectations this should include business and personal coaching of your account management team.
• Developing and driving your teams to constantly add value to our clients and to challenge the briefs we receive, to break the norm and deliver outstanding creative work and grow each portfolio where possible.
• Resolve conflict within the teams as it arises to always ensure great collaboration and teamwork.
• You will have oversight of the various client WIPs and topline knowledge of all key projects going through the Studios, without being pulled into the day-to-day management of projects. You need to have the ability to direct teams to deliver, without getting caught up in the detail.
• Drive OLIVERs values and vision throughout the client service team.
• Building reputation: leading the client service team to enter awards and recognition platforms as required.

Growth:

• As referenced above, you will be responsible for growing each Studios offering, pushing our capabilities to clients brand teams and keeping OLIVER/IIG front of mind with brands for all our current and potential agency services.
• You will actively seek out opportunities with brands and build relationships with senior clients, pushing to upsell our offering leveraging Brandtech Groups capability should always be strategically top of mind.
• You will play an active role in OLIVERs new business activity/pitches as required - accountable to drive new business results with OLIVER Africa as opportunities arise.
• You will partner with OLIVER Africas New Business Executive and Operations, to ensure effective pitch routines and content are in place and easily accessible (E.g.: building out case studies and OLIVER Africa pitch collateral).

Process & Operations:

• In collaboration with Operations, drive efficient operational process flow and optimization of resources. Follow refined processes outlined by OLIVER ways of working best practice and client SLAs, ensuring teams work to the processes set out, but also that there is agility to challenge and adapt process where necessary.
• Develop and implement effective and efficient internal and external ways of working for all studios as required to optimize outputs.
• OLIVERs propitiatory OMG system will be your primary workflow and client relationship management tool. The use of this platform should be maximized wholistically throughout your teams from project brief to scheduling and overall resource utilization management (MI reporting as required).
• Ensure OLIVER Africa delivers exceptional MI reporting to clients as required.
• Identify and solve operational gaps i.e., training; resourcing; process; communication and any areas requiring overall process adjustment.
• Communicate new process & any process change (internally and externally).
• Overall resource & capacity management; forward thinking resource management planning as required.
• Drive Excellence; Pride and Discipline in staff (Done. Correct and On-time.)
• Manage, oversee, and coordinate the sharing of knowledge and the facilitation of learning within your team to improve business practices, refine processes, aid, and promote the development of creative ideas and introduce new services.
• Set up and management of any freelance resources as required within the various portfolios.
• Networking of possible new talent leads as required

Financials:

• Have oversight of the P&L for each Studio/ Client as required, and delivering the necessary weekly B&S updates in partnership with your Business leads
• Commercial lead and advisor to BUDs/IPMs/ ADs to drive client and project profitability and optimization.
• Ensure your teams billings and client payments are actioned timeously and that any issues relating to client financial health are addressed at a senior level (internally and externally) and resolved.
• Oversee & grow revenue pipeline together with the Business leads
• Weekly target tracking against Global bank and stretch targets / as required.
• Forecast OI (operating income) on a weekly basis/ as required.

What Skills Will Help You Be Successful

• 8+ years of relevant client services agency work experience, including senior role client service role (BUD, CSD or similar).
• Strong strategic thinker.
• Strong digital marketing landscape capability.
• Previously having lead teams of over 15 + people.
• A strong grounding in the commercial running of accounts, bank and stretch forecasting and P&L.
• Strong gravitas and the ability to build relationships with senior clients, building credibility and trust in the client / agency relationship.
• Capability of resolving problems with a solution-based attitude.
• A team player with a client centric focus and possesses the ability to build strong and effective working relationships with your teams and colleagues.
• Some client-side experience will be advantageous.

About Our Company

Lots of agencies say they're different. OLIVER is.

OLIVER believes that agencies work better inside a brand's organisation; delivering more effective work at the speed required to drive modern businesses forward. Using our unique Inside Intelligence methodology, we build specialist, dedicated in-house agencies that collaborate with clients to form better marketing solutions.

Established in 2004, our model is now driven by over 4000 people, working across more than 200 in-house agencies globally. Clients include The Guardian, Unilever, Barclaycard, PepsiCo, AXA, The AA, Adidas, BMW, Post Office, and 3M. OLIVER is part of the Inside Ideas Group (IIG), which also includes a global content agency to Adjust your Set, design, experience, and engineering company DARE and property marketing specialists Aylesworth Fleming.

OUR VALUES

We are a company built on our values, we have given you a brief overview below but would love to tell you more.

Be Ambitious to succeed

Be Imaginative to push the boundaries of whats possible

Be Inspirational to do groundbreaking work

Be always learning and listening to understand

Be Results-focused to exceed expectations

talent@oliver.agency

Follow us on Instagram : @oliver.talent

Job ID: 5988

Inside Ideas Group and its affiliates are equal opportunity employers committed to creating an inclusive working environment where all our employees are encouraged to reach their full potential, and individual differences are valued and respected. All [suitable] applicants shall be considered for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, neurodiversity, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by local laws.