Account Director
The Account Director is a senior, client-facing individual contributor within the Account Management team at 829. Reporting into a Key Account Director (KAD), this role is designed for highly experienced Account Managers who can independently lead complex client relationships, and own account strategy across their book of business. This role is accountable for driving measurable client business outcomes, including revenue growth, performance improvement, and long-term account health across a complex, multi-channel portfolio.
The Account Director serves as the senior strategic lead on assigned accounts, responsible for client health, retention, and growth. They partner closely with Project Managers, Strategists, and Channel Operators to ensure marketing programs are strategically sound, performance-driven, and aligned to client business objectives. This role does not have direct reports but carries significant influence and accountability. As a trusted advisor to senior client stakeholders, the Account Director connects marketing performance to broader business objectives, ensuring strategies are integrated, data-driven, and commercially sound
What You'll DoStrategic Client Management
- Own the strategic direction of assigned accounts, ensuring marketing strategies are aligned to client business goals and continuously refined based on performance, insights, and client feedback.
- Lead development of integrated, cross-channel marketing strategies grounded in client business context, competitive landscape, and performance forecasting.
- Elevate client conversations beyond execution into business outcomes, prioritization, and forward-looking planning.
- Lead QBRs, annual planning, and strategic working sessions, delivering executive-level narratives that translate performance insights into business impact, future opportunity, and clear investment recommendations.
- Partner closely with Strategists to ensure strategy is consistently applied across channels and clearly reflected in client roadmaps and communications.
Client Relationship Management
- Act as a senior escalation point for assigned clients, supporting your account team during sensitive periods, performance concerns or shifts in scope or expectations.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with senior-level client stakeholders, developing trust through proactive communication, transparency, and thoughtful counsel.
- Establish and maintain a regular cadence of strategic check-ins with clients to reinforce value, surface risks early, and identify opportunities for deeper partnership.
- Own the client lifecycle across assigned accounts, including onboarding alignment, expectation setting, executive engagement, renewal readiness, and long-term partnership growth.
- Own client retention and renewal strategy for assigned accounts, leveraging performance data, client feedback, and financial insight to proactively mitigate risk and support contract renewals.
- Identify and close upsell and expansion opportunities, collaborating with Strategists, KADs, and Executive Leadership on positioning, narrative, and timing.
- Ensure growth conversations are grounded in client business objectives, performance insights, and scalable project plans.
- Monitor account health across KPIs including performance against goals, client satisfaction, retention risk, and revenue stability, translating performance data into clear insights, risks, and opportunities.
- Partner with channel leads to ensure accurate forecasting, budget pacing, and financial hygiene across campaigns and initiatives.
- Regularly review performance trends and insights with leadership, to inform retention and growth strategy and identify optimization levers.
- Serve as the strategic connective tissue between Account Management, Strategy, Paid, Organic, Creative, Content, and Project Management teams, ensuring integrated planning, prioritization, and execution.
- Ensure internal teams are clear on client priorities, expectations, and strategic direction.
- Collaborate closely with KADs on strategic initiatives, account planning, and continuous process improvement.
- Model best-in-class client leadership, communication standards, and strategic rigor.
- Provide constructive feedback and strategic guidance to Operators and Project Managers, supporting high-quality delivery and professional development without formal people management responsibility.
- Act as a quality control and escalation partner, ensuring client deliverables, narratives, and strategic recommendations meet senior-level standards.
- Provide regular updates to leadership on account health, retention risk, and growth opportunities within the assigned portfolio.
- Analyze client feedback and performance trends to inform strategy, optimize outcomes, and support retention and growth.
Key Day-to-Day Responsibilities
- Lead senior-level client conversations and strategic planning sessions
- Craft and elevate QBRs, renewal narratives, and strategic recommendations
- Work alongside KADs and Executive Leadership to through escalations, renewals, and growth conversations
- Monitor account performance, satisfaction, and risk signals
- Partner cross-functionally to ensure strategy and execution remain aligned
- Partner on renewals, scope changes, and growth planning for assigned accounts
- Translate performance data into clear, executive-ready insights and recommendations
- 10+ years of experience in digital marketing or client management across key channels (paid media, SEO, social, email, content)
- Proven experience developing and executing integrated marketing strategies that drive measurable growth and business outcomes
- Strong analytical and strategic marketing skills (competitive analysis, market trends, audience insights, etc.)
- Experience managing and growing client relationships
- Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to influence senior-level stakeholders
- A collaborative, entrepreneurial mindset and a passion for innovation
- Demonstrated leadership experience through mentorship, cross-functional influence, or leading workstreams without direct people management
- Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, or a related field
Benefits and Perks We Provide
- Remote Workplace. You have the option to work at our office in Boston or remotely in one of these states: AZ, CA, CO, CT, FL, ID, IL, KY, ME, MD, MA, MI, MO, NV, NH, NJ, NY, NC, SC, OH, OK, PA, RI, TN, TX, UT, VA.
- Paid Time Off. Receive generous paid vacation benefits that increase each year you’re with us, 12 Company Holidays, and Summer Fridays from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
- 401K + Match. 401K plan with 4% Safe Harbor employer match after one year of employment and financial literacy services provided through our retirement provider.
- Life Insurance Benefit. No-cost coverage to ensure peace of mind for your family.
- Short Term Disability Benefit. We've got you covered if you need to be OOO with an illness or injury that keeps you out of work.
- Healthcare. Choose from several competitive healthcare plans for you and your family with 80% employer coverage for all medical and dental premiums, 100% employer coverage for vision, and the option to participate in the FSA program.
- Commuter Benefits. Allocate pre-tax funds towards your commute to save up to 40% per year in transportation expenses.
- Continuing Education. Receive a personal budget to attend events and conferences.
What We Believe
At 829 Studios, we boldly embrace diversity, inclusivity, and equal opportunity. Our goal: a team rich in backgrounds, perspectives, and talents. Why? Because inclusivity powers our brilliance and client success. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer that is committed to equal employment opportunities regardless of race, religion, creed, color, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national origin, disability, mental illness, age, ancestry, genetic information, military service, or any other status protected under applicable federal, state, or local laws.
Who We Are
829 Studios is a Boston-based integrated digital marketing agency with a mission to propel organizations to unlock their full potential and accomplish their most ambitious goals. We harness the power of logic with magic – a balance of data-driven strategy and brand-focused creative. We partner with diverse organizations across various industries and our client list encompasses venture-backed start-ups, publicly traded companies, non-profits, and more. By committing not only to our growth as a company, but the development of our employees and teams’, we have created a collaborative environment that fosters ingenuity and promotes diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging values within our community. 829 has been recognized as one of the nation’s top agencies by the Inc. 5000 Fastest-Growing Privately Held Companies, Adweek 100 Fastest-Growing Digital Agencies, Boston Business Journal's Fast 50 (Massachusetts' 50 Fastest-Growing Private Companies), HubSpot's Top Digital Agencies list, and a we are and employee-certified Great Place to Work.
Salary Range: $105,000-$110,000
We determine compensation based on experience, demonstrated skills, and current market conditions at the time of hire to ensure fairness and consistency across roles. Actual compensation will depend on experience and may be adjusted based on skills, qualifications, and alignment with the scope and impact of the role.