Account Manager

We strongly encourage people of color, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and non-binary people, veterans, parents, and individuals with disabilities to apply. As an equal opportunity employer Walker Sands is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion and welcomes everyone to our team.

In your application, please feel free to note which pronouns you use (For example – she/her/hers, he/him/his, they/them/theirs, etc).

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Walker Sands is looking for a strategic, detail-oriented account manager to join our growing Chicago team.

As an organization that emphasizes constant learning, Walker Sands strives to go above and beyond in developing innovative and strategic marketing programs for our clients. Our client portfolio contains an impressive list of Fortune 500 corporations, fast-growing high-tech companies, professional services firms and business associations.

Account managers serve as the liaison between our clients and our internal agency resources, and must be personable and relationship-oriented, as well as demonstrate strong written and verbal communication skills. Candidates should have a strength for prioritizing and organizing within a fast-paced, collaborative work environment, with the ability to translate client needs into service team priorities.

As an Account Manager, you lead projects and programs at an operational level, working under the guidance of Account Directors or Account VPs. Your role is focused on account operations and logistics of supporting our internal services teams and client teams. You’ll be responsible for directing program workflow, tracking program KPIs, managing budgets and account profitability, and providing administrative oversight of program scope and contracts.

An Account Manager demonstrates solid foundational account management skills and will support a variety of account sizes and structures across Walker Sands services in support of services leaders or more senior members of the account management division. You’ll help build our growing Client Services team and learn from our industry and channel experts to build knowledge of B2B marketing best practices and Walker Sands services. We seek an Account Manager who is looking to become a future agency leader with a willingness to advance their career to strategic account leadership, and learn more about agency operations and services provided to our clients.

Responsibilities

• Clients: Manage primary day-to-day client interactions, including internal coordination of responses to client inquiries. Proactively update clients on the status of activities and deliverables. Establish rapport and foundational trust with clients by providing timely and insightful communication. Coordinate, schedule and facilitate client touchpoints and prep internal teams for client meetings that drive program momentum and demonstrate agency preparedness.
• Craft: Assist in gathering and drafting client-facing materials; review client-facing materials before submitting to ensure quality and they align with client expectations. Utilize internal systems or create new ones for managing and tracking the status of activities/deliverables in a documented, shareable format that drives program efficiency and stronger client outcomes. Organize program materials to make information easily accessible to internal and external teams. Facilitate development and documentation of measurable program KPIs. Participate in ongoing learning and development to advance knowledge and skills in client industries, agency tools/resources, service execution and B2B marketing trends. 
• People: Foster strong relationships with service teams, department peers and client stakeholders. Prep internal teams for client meetings and presentations, sharing goals, roles and background information in advance. Direct internal teams through focused and productive internal meetings. Encourage participation from all meeting attendees to ensure all voices get heard. Adjust standard account operating procedures to meet unique client and internal team needs and make for smoother, more collaborative account teams. Develop strategies to motivate account teams and create a culture/environment that produces great work
• Business: Assess client health every week and identify program and account risks to account VP. Mitigate potential project risks, ensuring smooth delivery by collaborating with internal stakeholders. Actively manage engagement plans (gantts) to ensure they are up to date with accurate resource allocations. Communicate hours targets and progress to the services teams, and help services teams prioritize work against the budget/hours available.

Experience

• 3-4 years servicing client accounts in a marketing and/or PR agency, preferably in the B2B and/or technology space.
• Ability to think strategically and understand clients' business goals.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent listening, negotiation and presentation skills.
• Strong attention to detail and project management skills.

Compensation & Benefits:

• We strive for salary range transparency in our hiring process. This is a major step towards not only complying with regulations where required, but also to make sure pay equity and DEI are top of mind during the hiring process. Base salary is only a part of the total rewards package - this role will also be eligible for a bonus based on company performance, as well as benefits. Below is the starting salary for this role:
  Starting Salary: $65,000 - $73,625 a year
• Placement on the salary scale will be determined by various factors, such as, but not limited to, relevant qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, seniority, geographic location, performance, education, business or organizational requirements and internal equity.
• Starting salaries are not inclusive of a full range of compensation for this role and are instead meant to reflect the expected beginning salary for a new hire. Merit-based increases can be earned after time in role.
• Total Rewards Package:
• 🩺 Health Coverage: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans, plus mental health resources, pet insurance, fertility benefits, and more.
• 💰 Retirement Savings: Employer-matched 401(k) and access to financial planning services.
• 🌴 Flexible PTO: Take time as needed for vacations, mental health, or personal days. Includes 8 paid holidays, half-day summer Fridays, and a week off between Christmas and New Year.
• 🏡 Hybrid Work: Mix of in-office and remote work, with tools to stay connected across teams.
• 🎉 Milestone Sabbatical: Celebrate five years with a two-week sabbatical and a $2,000 gift.
• 👶 Family Support: Generous paid leave for new parents and caregivers, plus policies for pregnancy loss, adoption challenges, and more.
• 📚 Growth Opportunities: Clear career paths, mentorship programs, and learning events to help you grow professionally.
• 🌟 Culture: Our agency values our supportive, collaborative culture where we work hard to achieve the best outcomes for clients. Read more on our website here!

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