Look East is looking for an Account Director who will be responsible for providing project and program development, direction, and oversight to and on behalf of Look East in the areas of client service and business development. Look East works with a variety of businesses spanning food and agriculture, including retailers; restaurants; companies that are both established and startups in agtech, animal health, agriculture innovations and products, food processing, executive recruiting; commodity associations; food and agriculture industry organizations, like The Center for Food Integrity.

Responsibilities

Client Programs & Project Teams

  • Serves as primary client contact – understanding their business, building relationships, and helping them build trust in their people, products, processes and/or brands.
  • Provides consistent and ongoing strategic counsel to clients involved in food and agriculture industries.
  • Drives and is accountable for the overall success and retention of assigned clients, programs and projects by monitoring workflow and staffing needs against budgets, maintaining agreed upon profit margins, completing outlined program/project goals on time, while meeting or exceeding client expectations.
  • Develops, manages and evaluates current/prospective client communications programs, applying a wide range of strategic tools and services to achieve communications goals.
  • Gathers data, drafts reports and analyzes trends specific to client goals and objectives to provide proof of program results.
  • Writes client and internal documents, develops presentations, copy, proof reads, edits.
  • Assesses client program workflow needs and monitors project team performance against program objectives.
  • Maintains client relationships, monitors client satisfaction, and effectively addresses client concerns.
  • Helps lead account team(s) to build incremental business
  • Communicates account status to agency management regularly
  • Excellent problem-solving skills
  • Participate in new business programming and presentations

Business Operations

  • Manages project forecasting and account financials including budget planning, allocation and oversight.
  • Completes and oversees time and expense entry to ensure billable targets.
  • Reviews and approves client invoices and vendor invoicing for accuracy and completeness.
  • Writes and edits reports, proposals, and general business correspondence.
  • Presents complex information and ideas in a one-on-one and group situation both internally and to current/prospective clients while adapting to the unique needs of each audience.

Business Development Support

  • Initiates and secures new business through development and presentation of proposals, pitching and outreach to prospective clients.
  • Searches for opportunity to increase business within existing client base.
  • Generates new business through the expansion of personal networks.

Position Qualifications

  • Minimum of a Bachelors degree in Communications, Public Relations, Marketing, Journalism, or a 4-year degree in a related discipline and 7 or more years the in the field or in a related area, or suitable combination of education and relevant experience preferred.
  • Extensive knowledge of commonly used concepts, practices, and procedures within the Public Relations industry, specifically, food system knowledge, and demonstrated comprehensive knowledge of office and facilities coordination;
  • Previous work experience in an agency setting, corporate communications, food or agriculture company, organization or association, or consumer products helpful.
  • Exemplary professionalism in day-to-day interactions and customer service skills with external clients, vendors, visitors, and colleagues.
  • Critical thinking and problem-solving abilities to address client issues
  • Demonstrated savviness in professional relationships
  • Written and verbal skills should be concise and effective.

Other

  • Ability to travel as needed (approximately 25%), frequency determined by client work.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and seek diversity in candidates for employment. EEO Employer W/M/Vet/Disabled/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity.

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