Account Director

About the role

For five decades, mdg has been a leader in the association and event marketing space. And while we've been leading, we've also been learning: learning what motivates audiences now, how to build loyalty, and which performance tools actually impact registration numbers. We specialize in audience development and attendee acquisition for associations and trade shows, working across strategy, creative, digital, and communications to make that happen. We don't copy and paste strategies or use technology for show. We dig deep into unique situations and apply what makes sense, instead of what's expected. The Account Director is the client's lead point of contact and the person accountable for how well marketing strategy translates into an executed, high-performing campaign. The account strategist sets the client's overarching marketing strategy; the Account Director partners with them closely, brings a marketing-fluent point of view to every client conversation, and owns turning that strategy into creative direction, campaign execution, and measurable results. They lead the internal account team responsible for delivering the work, hold the team and the output to a marketing bar, not just a production schedule, and are accountable for the performance and profitability of every account in their portfolio. This position supports our Client Services group under our Sales team. It is eligible to work a hybrid schedule, generally requiring work in-office and/or show-site 2-3 days per week. The ideal candidate will be based out of any of the following locations: Alexandria, VA; Washington, DC; Chicago, IL; San Diego, CA.

Responsibilities

• Partner with the account strategist to bring the client's marketing strategy to life day to day, acting as the client's go-to on how that strategy shows up in the work.
• Lead client presentations and meetings, translating strategy into a clear point of view the client can act on.
• Direct primary and secondary research and persona development, feeding findings back to the account strategist to sharpen strategic and tactical plans.
• Guide the creative team through brand identity, concept, and message platform development, checking every deliverable against the client's strategy before it goes out.
• Build campaign performance benchmarking and reporting, monitor results, and flag course corrections to the account strategist.
• Own the client relationship as mdg's lead point of contact, managing accounts autonomously and staying ahead of client needs.
• Lead campaign kickoffs, new client onboarding, and all other client meetings.
• Draft scopes of work and budgets for account strategist approval ahead of client presentation.
• Send weekly updates to clients and the account strategist on job status, production schedule, and performance.
• Represent mdg at client events on-site, directing research, press, social content, and photo/video capture