Account Director

Essential Job Functions

• Client Leadership & Strategic Advisory
• Build and maintain relationships with senior client stakeholders across marketing, merchandising, brand, real estate, store operations, store development, and visual merchandising.
• Navigate complex client organizations, building relationships across multiple levels and functions.
• Develop a deep understanding of each client’s business, priorities, and competitive landscape.
• Serve as a trusted advisor on:
• In-store customer experience
• Brand expression
• Fixture strategy
• Environmental graphics
• In-store signage
• Wayfinding
• Overall store flow
• Create intuitive retail environments that enable customers to discover and purchase products.
• Offer a clear, informed point of view to clients, representing both the client’s interests and Miller Zell’s expertise.
• Reinforce Miller Zell’s position as a strategic partner and thought leader through proactive ideas and insights.
• Account Growth & Commercial Ownership
• Own revenue growth, influence margin performance, and ensure overall account health.
• Identify and develop new opportunities across programs, services, and initiatives.
• Lead proposal development, scope definition, and contract negotiations.
• Build multi-year roadmaps that align Miller Zell capabilities with client objectives.
• Ensure Miller Zell is positioned as a strategic partner rather than a transactional vendor.
• Retail Experience Leadership & Collaboration
• Demonstrate comfort and fluency in branded environments, retail store design, store operations, and retail customer experience strategy.
• Critically evaluate designs, strategies, plans, drawings, and recommendations from internal teams, providing clear and constructive feedback on behalf of the client.
• Ensure solutions align with brand standards, customer behavior, and operational realities.
• Collaborate with design, strategy, engineering, and project management teams to elevate the quality and effectiveness of all deliverables.
• Financial & Analytical Rigor
• Evaluate opportunities through a financial lens, including ROI, scalability, and profitability.
• Partner with internal teams to develop business cases, success metrics, and performance reporting.
• Translate data and insights into clear recommendations that drive client decisions.
• Leverage advanced Excel and PowerPoint skills to analyze, structure, and present complex information clearly.
• Internal Leadership & Collaboration
• Partner closely with Senior Project Managers to ensure successful execution.
• Build strong relationships across shared services, including:
• Design
• Engineering
• Production & Print
• Logistics & Installation
• IT
• Marketing
• Position Requirements / Qualifications
• 8–12+ years of experience in account management, consulting, or client leadership (marketing agency, creative agency, retail, or similar environment preferred).
• Background in retail marketing, shopper experience, or retail environments strongly preferred.
• Understanding of visual merchandising, store layouts, and customer engagement strategies.
• Strong strategic thinking with a data-driven approach to retail experience and revenue growth.
• Proven ability to grow and manage complex client relationships.
• Strong business and financial acumen, including experience with budgets, ROI analysis, and decision-making tradeoffs.
• Experience navigating large, complex organizations and influencing diverse stakeholder groups.
• Comfort operating within design, branding, and customer experience environments.
• Ability to provide clear, confident feedback on creative and design output.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
• Ability to influence without authority and lead through collaboration.
• Excellent communication skills, including executive-level presentations and client interactions.