Director of Client Service

Fervor has an opening for a Director of Client Client Services (alternate titles: Director of Accounts, Director of Client Strategy and Growth) to lead our client services team - a team that uses our trade to impact the world for good. 

The Director of Client Growth will serve to build both direct client relationships, build the strategic engagements for our clients, and lead the client service team. This role will set the tone for how Fervor develops client engagements. You will lead that effort and serve as a relationship builder, a business mentor to the clients, and key leader within the agency. 

Here’s the short story. We need a key leader to manage, strengthen, and grow great client relationships and contribute to the leadership of the agency overall. You will own client engagements, how we develop them and how the team delivers. You will own some key client relationships while directing the client service team and providing clear communication to the broader cross-functional team. You’re collaborative. You’re curious. You’re an excellent communicator. You’re strategic. You’re an accountable leader.

TOPLINE:

• Exemplify and live out the values of the Fervor Core Principles.
• Lead the growth and development of client accounts, manage team members, and think strategically.
• Manage and grow client relationships while developing members of the team.
• Maintain a deep understanding of how the agency makes money, and how your work contributes to the agency’s profitability through holistic management of a productive client services team.
• Implement and propose changes and enhancements to all client service processes.
• Own the Client Service Playbook, update regularly, improve its SOPs, processes and effectiveness.
• Report to the Fervor CEO.

LEADERSHIP FOR THE AGENCY:

• Closely control internal client services budget, client service travel budget, and other appropriate budget lines.
• Work cross-functionally within the agency to ensure we are delivering on promises and growing clients strategically.
• Closely monitor all clients’ budgets and timelines to increase ROI for both the client and the agency.
• Work with the internal team to exceed our clients’ expectations, grow their trust and deepen our relationships with them.
• Build up your team – celebrating successes and learning from mistakes.
• Facilitate the progression of projects through Fervor’s workflow process, demonstrating command of tools including, but not limited to, Asana, Harvest, Google Workspace, HubSpot and Slack.  
• Recognize issues early and partner with the leadership team to resolve them.

BIG PICTURE FOR ALL AGENCY CLIENTS: 

• Oversee, manage and strengthen (not merely maintain) client relationships.
• Ensure the Client Service team proposes new ideas, grows client engagements, and protects the agency’s profitability.
• Continuously offer unsolicited ideas to increase the effectiveness of the client’s organization and marketing activities and ensure monitoring of this is place for agency.
• Work with the Client Service team to establish clearly defined goals for each client, monitor progress and report results to both Fervor and the client on a regular basis.

FOR YOURSELF, THE AGENCY, AND ALL CLIENTS:

• Stay abreast of developments in our clients’ industries and their respective organizations.
• Keep honing communication/marketing expertise and techniques which will serve both the agency and our client partners.
• Network and connect — to serve your community, grow your influence and add value everywhere you go.
• Find out what re-fuels you so you can stay fired up and energized.
• Improve your presentation skills — for audiences big and small.
• Keep learning, stretching, and growing.

ACCOUNTABILITY:

• Maintain expertise of our clients’ businesses.
• Facilitate strong client relationships, graded at least annually using AMI and NPS.
• Think strategically on behalf of our clients, translating campaign strategies into executable programs and projects.
• Ensure all client partners have goals for growth
• Facilitate the client service team, encouraging creativity and collaboration across all divisions, driving productivity and establishing priorities.
• Ensure evaluation tools and processes for professional development are executed for CS team.
• Effectively develop and maintain timelines, budgets and hours usage, graded monthly.

SOME THINGS THAT MAY DESCRIBE YOU:

• You have several years of experience leading client service teams, managing client relationships and have handled a diverse range of projects in an agency setting.
• You thrive on making sure clients and creative teams are on target by keeping them well informed.
• You can say “no” when needed. Politely but firmly.
• You love to solve problems by getting ahead of them, often detecting them before they make a mess.
• You bring an acute attention to detail, with the ability to think and act strategically. 

SOME PREFERRED AND REQUIRED SKILLS: 

• Prior agency experience is required. 
• Nonprofit and/or faith-based brand experience is preferred.
• Detail-oriented, a strong communicator, and an effective presenter.  
• Team player with strong interpersonal and organizational skills.
• Able to think and operate with strategic orientation in task/project management. 
• Able to lead cross-functional teams and participate in and navigate cross-agency collaboration.
• Manages up and knows when to escalate internal and/or client concerns.

Time and location & pay:

• This is a full-time exempt position with a salary commensurate with experience.
• We utilize a hybrid work schedule, working regularly from our office in Kansas City, MO.
• Group health insurance plan.
• Fervor fully pays for employee dental, vision, group life insurance, short term disability and long term disability insurance.
• Our generous PTO policy allows for you to take time off when you need it.
• A SIMPLE IRA plan with a company match of up to 3%.

Education:

Bachelor’s-level degree in marketing, advertising, business or related field.