We are currently looking for a Account Supervisor to join one of the M+C Saatchi Group's specialist divisions, M+C Saatchi World Services. This division partners with governments, civil society, foundations, academia, and the private sector, to work on the critical issues of our time, including the climate emergency, national security, social justice, conflict prevention, and sustainable development. We provide a fully integrated, end to end service, combining multi-discipline communications teams with subject matter experts, across the world. Our work is domestic and global, often affecting the most vulnerable in society, with international activity orientated towards conflict affected or developing countries.

This role is based out of our New York office (based in Manhattan) and requires a minimum of three days in the office.

PLEASE NOTE: This is an upcoming position in our Account Handling team. We are building an active pipeline for when this role goes live. Please submit your CV if you would like to be considered within the next 3 months.

ABOUT THE ROLE

• To work on range of social change communications projects
• Support all aspects of our existing work, and any other contracts that become active over the course of employment, to ensure project delivery at the highest quality possible, on time and within budget.
• Assist your line managers and others in the wider team in project delivery from encompassing all aspects of a communications campaign life cycle and the agency at large.

Specific Responsibilities:

The Work:

• Obsess about the work: is it the best it can be? Is it on brief? Is it going to deliver the business impact that we want it to? You should be taking responsibility for the quality and consistency of our creative output, always pushing to be even better
• Trust your instincts and lead the team and the client to do the best work possible. That may mean pushing back internally or to the client. It may mean revisiting the brief and starting again. It may mean trying something that’s never been done before. Be brave.
• Lead by example by sharing your passion for good work – inspire your team by taking them to an exhibition. Share your favourite pieces of work each week. Proactively check in with your creative team to see how they are getting on with the brief outside of reviews. Your team and your clients will love you for it and the work will be better as a result.

The Agency:

• Oversee all large-scale production i.e. Film, Digital and integrated campaigns with the support of your juniors.
• Be confident in preparing fee proposals for review with your AD and to discuss with clients
• Be the lifeblood of the agency - stepping into a leadership role for the first time; managing to directing, you should be actively involved in shaping the agency, thinking of new initiatives, ways of working, ways to make it even better
• Take an active role in nurturing and developing talent within the agency and embracing your role as a mentor to more junior members of the department.

Relationships:

• Have a very close working relationship with the creatives, strategists, researchers and producers on their business. Talk to them. Spend time with them outside of the day-to-day running of the account. Involve them in the strategy upfront so that they feel part of the solution. These partnerships will be critical to your success as an Account Supervisor. If they aren’t strong, the work will suffer
• Have a strong working relationship with your key clients, from the more junior clients up to the Senior Managers or above if appropriate. Anticipate client needs and always think two steps ahead to head off potential problems and take advantage of opportunities. The stronger your relationships with them, the more enjoyable your job will be, the happier your team will be and the better the work will be. It’s all about trust. You need to earn it and prove yourself
• Be effective at managing up, ensuring the more senior members of your team can prioritize elsewhere, knowing you have the day-to-day management of the account covered.
• Invest time in making sure your team are happy and supported. They look up to you so remain calm under pressure and a positive force who leads by example and keeps spirits high when times are tough. Identify when they need help and initiate steps to do so.

Strategy:

• Have a clear understand of the broader strategy on the sector in which you work and take an active role in shaping the individual project briefs with your strategist.
• Be familiar with research insights, previous campaign evaluation and the impact that has on live projects. Be able to talk confidently and clearly about strategic issues and considerations with your clients and team.
• Take an active interest in the sector and any issues or current affairs that may impact the strategy, including an understanding of different communications models and channels – and proactively share your point of view.
• Work in close partnership with both your strategists and account management team to help set the strategic direction of the projects that you work on. Ensure all work is on brief.
• Be seen as the strategic partner of the client, helping them to navigate their business challenges and offering fresh opinions and insights that unlock new opportunities.

Business Impact:

• Ensure resource is used efficiently and help plan ahead, thinking more long term rather than reacting to client requests and feedback
• Monitor how the processes are working on the account and if there are any issues, suggest new ways of working
• Look for out of scope opportunities and work with your seniors to develop proposals for these. Be able to then present them to client and confidently negotiate where necessary
• Start to focus more about business outcomes not just the creative output – are we delivering against the brief? How are we measuring success and are we meeting expectations?

ABOUT YOU

What skills and experience you bring:

• 3-8 years’ experience working in a commercial communications capacity or in a similar working environment.
• Fluent in written and spoken English.
• Practical understanding of business operations.
• Excellent oral and written communications skills (English).
• Proficient in all components of Microsoft Office (Outlook, word-processing, power point and spreadsheets).
• We are interested in candidates with a working knowledge of, or a degree in, Politics, History, International Relations, Marketing, Communications or a related topic.
• Must be able to legally work in the US
• Desirable: experience working with government clients or for government objectives
• Excellent communication skills to enable him/her to engage with senior stakeholders and to understand client requirements
• Sense of responsibility towards the organization’s reputation.
• Interested in geopolitics and global affairs.
• Understanding of the company’s culture and business area.
• Forward leaning attitude in support of team and for involvement in high-profile projects.
• Ability to travel internationally and work independently.
• Experience of, or an interest in, the Middle East would be beneficial.

WHAT WE OFFER

M+C Saatchi Group offers a competitive benefits package including: 25 vacation days, 401k match, annual pay reviews, flexible working, and WFH opportunities. Salary is dependent on experience but ranges from: $105,000-$135,000. All candidates must have the ability to work without restrictions in the US; we are unable to sponsor any work visas for this role.

ABOUT M+C SAATCHI WORLD SERVICES

Using the experience and creative capabilities of M+C Saatchi Group, we are dedicated to tackling complex behavioral and social issues. Since its launch, the new division has enjoyed continued strong growth and now ranks as one of M+C Saatchi's most successful companies. Clients include a range of governments, INGO's, foundations and multilaterals, such as the UN, the Gates Foundation, USAID, DFID, and the Nike Foundation. We have a strong focus on countering social issues ranging from violent extremism to sanitation to narcotics, using multimedia messaging campaigns.

The M+C Saatchi Group has pledged its commitment to create a company that values difference, with an inclusive culture. As part of this, M+C Saatchi Group continues to be an Equal Opportunity Employer which does not and shall not discriminate, celebrates diversity and bases all hiring and promotion decisions solely on merit, without regard for any personal characteristics.

If you require any reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment and selection process, please make us aware as part of your application.

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