Account Director (Client Services Manager)

Account Director (Client Services Manager) 

Own key client accounts and build our Client Services Team, Sydney HQ 

Deliver winning media strategies for our key clients and build the team around you, with a clear path to Director of Client Services. 

About Smash Brand Group 

Founded in 2003, Smash Brand Group is an independent media and growth agency helping Australian mid-market and challenger brands make their marketing investment work harder, with no added management fees on core media. Our senior people stay close to the work, and we run on a straightforward philosophy of no agency theatre, no unnecessary complexity and no hiding behind activity. 

We have strong client retention, with clients ranging from national household-name brands to ambitious challengers, and our Client Services Team leads those relationships day to day. 

About the role 

As SBG grows, we are looking for an Account Director to manage a portfolio of our key client accounts and build our Client Services Team, based at our Sydney head office and reporting to our General Manager. This is a senior, hands-on role for an experienced media planner and buyer with strong client relationships, the confidence to present recommendations and a love of leading people. 

First and foremost, this role is about growing our clients’ results. You will develop effective campaigns across above-the-line (ATL) and digital media that build their brands and drive their sales, knowing how mass media builds awareness and demand and how digital supports engagement and enquiries. 

When a client has a broader growth challenge, you will bring in our Growth Acceleration services, adding performance, creative, analytics or other specialist growth expertise as it is needed. One SBG team stays accountable for bringing it all together, so the client gets the right capability at the best value without having to manage multiple agencies. When our clients grow, so does SBG. 

Alongside your own accounts, you will coach and develop the team, set the standard for planning and delivery, and work with our General Manager on team structure and recruitment as the team expands. Our National Media Strategy Director leads new business, so you and the team can focus on the clients we already have. It is a genuine step up for a media leader with early people-management experience, with a clear, capability-based path to Director of Client Services. 

What you will do 

• Own and manage a portfolio of key client accounts as their senior day-to-day contact and trusted advisor, leading annual planning and regular client reviews. 
• Develop winning media strategies that grow your clients’ brands and results, planning and buying across TV, radio, out-of-home, print and digital, from channel mix, reach and frequency through to negotiating strong value with media owners. 
• Bring in our Growth Acceleration services where they help a client reach their goals. 
• Make sure campaigns are delivered accurately, on time and on budget, with plain-English reporting that turns complex data into clear next steps. 
• Guide renewal, scope and pricing conversations with transparency and sound commercial judgement. 
• Coach and develop the team, setting clear goals, giving regular feedback and helping each team member progress through our CS career pathway. 
• Work closely with our National Media Strategy Director, contributing media expertise to new business pitches and making sure every new client moves smoothly into the team. 
• Help build the team, from structure and recruitment to how Client Services scales, and represent Client Services on our leadership team. 

What you will bring 

• Deep ATL planning and buying expertise across TV, radio and out-of-home, strong knowledge of the Australian media landscape, and active relationships with media owners. 
• At least two years managing or leading people, and a genuine passion for coaching and developing talent. 
• Six or more years in media planning and buying in an agency or comparable fast-paced environment, with proven ownership of significant client accounts. 
• A track record of retaining clients and growing their results, building long-term partnerships through trusted advice and strong media strategy. 
• The presence and confidence to present recommendations to business owners and senior marketing leaders and bring them with you. 
• Proven negotiation skills and a record of securing strong value from media buys. 
• A strong working knowledge of digital media, and how to combine channels to support brand-building and performance objectives. 
• Strong commercial judgement across budgets and trading terms, with a focus on delivering value for clients. 
• A growth mindset, ambition and a real appetite to keep learning as an agency leader. 
• Confidence with HubSpot, Excel and PowerPoint, and comfort using AI tools for research and synthesis. 

What we offer 

• A genuine step up. Own key client relationships and grow into leading a bigger team, with a clear, capability-based path to Director of Client Services. 
• A seat at the table. Represent Client Services on our leadership team and help shape how the business grows. 
• Competitive remuneration. A base salary of $110,000 to $115,000 plus superannuation, and an uncapped incentive built on long-term client success, as it is for every role at SBG. You earn on the accounts you manage, plus an override on the accounts your team manages. 
• A proposition you can be proud of. A model that puts client value first and is hard to copy. 
• An established business with start-up energy. Decisions are made quickly, and there is genuine room to shape how the team works. 
• A close-knit, collaborative team with flexibility for life’s important moments. 
• A paid volunteer day and birthday leave, plus ongoing industry training and an annual education allowance. 
• Savings and discounts on thousands of everyday items, and wellbeing resources through our benefits platform. 

How to apply 

Please submit your resume, highlighting your career progression, media planning and buying experience, and experience managing client accounts and leading people. 

We’re particularly interested in candidates who have managed significant client accounts in a media, advertising or integrated agency environment, delivering strong results by understanding each client’s business and bringing them the right media solutions, while leading and developing a team.