Senior Account Manager

Role Overview

• Line managing and developing Account Managers within the team, providing clear direction, support and regular feedback to ensure a high standard of delivery across all campaigns.
• Acting as the first point of escalation for the team, proactively resolving issues, removing blockers and ensuring campaigns remain on track.
• Leading by example in ways of working, setting the standard for pace, organisation, attention to detail and stakeholder management.
• Driving momentum across projects, keeping activity moving at pace and ensuring all teams are aligned to critical path deadlines.
• Receiving briefs from the from the client (M&S Marketing) and clearly communicating timelines, creative templates that will be followed and costings.
• Linking all briefs back to your direct teams and managing the relationships between M&S Marketing and ITG team to ensure campaigns run smoothly and artwork can be approved in good time.
• Support on pre-production meetings with your Account Mangers per campaign where required (prior to briefing artwork) to ensure M&S marketing have given a clear finalized artwork brief
• Maintain & manage a great relationship with ITG Artwork Production Team (this team are based in Birmingham at ITG Head Office) and flag urgent or large campaigns in advance, giving them realistic deadlines in order to manage our studios resource and client’s expectations of when artworks will be fulfilled.
• Lead the team to brief final artwork to ITG Production team using pre-approved templates, with enough time for them to complete the job well, especially during busy periods. Avoid bottle neck artwork periods by pre-planning and having open discussions with the wider team on when artwork is expected to be briefed.
• You will be the first point of contact & escalation for our main stakeholder on M&S Food and therefore crucial to be in the detail across the full campaign.
• You will accurately manage information from the M&S business units, formulating full production and artwork briefs, liaising with the Production Director to produce detailed print specifications and maintaining print allocations for POS material via our tech system, Media Centre.
• Ensure that printers have been engaged on each campaign on deadlines, workload and realistic timings on when they will receive Purchase Order and final artwork working closely with our Production Director.
• Ensure all M&S cost trackers for POS are kept up to date, and costs are communicated regularly with ITG account team, ITG Senior Account Director and M&S marketing.
• Ensure Purchase Orders are raised in good time in advance of the file to print date and all issues are flagged in advance with the M&S planning manager.

Requirements

• First and foremost, you should be a people person. You should be able to demonstrate exceptional people skills and be a customer-focused fanatic.
• Previous experience of working in an agency environment with Advertising experience.
• Have a good knowledge of creative processes and a thorough understanding of in-store POS.
• You won’t be micromanaged here, the ability to manage your own time and deliver quality with speed is essential.
• You hold strong experience with project management and trafficking multiple projects in tandem, which may be at different points in the creative process.
• You won’t be micromanaged here, the ability to manage your own time and deliver quality with speed is essential.
• You will be managing more than one project at one time so managing your time effectively is crucial.
• Comfortable in interacting with an enthusiastic and committed team – whilst being part of ITG, you will also be part of the client team.
• Previous experience in a leadership or line management role, with the ability to motivate, support and develop others.
• Confident in acting as a senior day-to-day client contact and building strong, credible relationships with key stakeholders.
• Able to work at pace in a fast-moving retail environment, balancing multiple priorities while maintaining accuracy and control.

Benefits

**Work’s a treat!******On top of a competitive salary, you can expect a whole load of perks:

• 25 days’ holiday + bank holidays – we understand the importance of you getting some down time.
• Annual Wellbeing Day – enjoy an additional day on us to look after your physical and mental wellbeing.
• **Pension Scheme – **helping you save towards your retirement home in the sun!
• **Corporate Medical Cash Plan – **claim back the cost of your medical treatments.
• Smart Working Options – spend up to 40% of your working week from home.
• **So many savings **– through our online community platform, you can access dozens of daily deals, from money off top brands to discounts on days out.
• Employee Assistance Programme – our people are at the heart of everything we do, so if you’re happy, we’re happy.
• **Cycle to Work Scheme **– save on the cost of biking to work.
• **Monthly Employee Awards **
• Employee of the Month programme with £250 bonus
• Raising money for charity including a paid Volunteer Day – we’re all about giving back… and having lots of fun in the process!
• Referral scheme – know the perfect person to join the team? You could bag £1,500 for a putting a good word in.
• **Wellbeing Programme – **giving you the opportunity to join regular, interactive Wellbeing Workshops or join our 30 plus Wellbeing Champions.
• **Enhanced Family Friendly Leave – **support for you and your family to help you navigate through the craziness of family life.