Account Manager

Position: Account Manager (AM)

Department: Account Services

Specific Titles and Responsibilities:

There are 3 titles that correspond to the position of Account Manager:

• Associate Account Manager
• Account Manager
• Senior Account Manager

The Associate Account Manager is the introductory account position learning the role described below and must be able to understand the responsibilities and demonstrate the fundamentals of each of the competencies outlined below under the direct supervision of his/her manager or designated senior team member (AM in training).

The Account Manager is the client-facing project lead responsible for communicating and documenting project scope, ensuring client alignment, and reviewing agency deliverables against client objectives. Responsible for managing accurate and timely client communications of project information, status, deadlines, and next steps. Supports the team with content development, meeting materials, communicating with HCPs/KOLs/advisors. Provides regular client and project updates as well as drives MLR submissions.

The Senior Account Manager has a proven record of not only independent execution of the responsibilities outlined below, but will also be responsible for successfully onboarding, training, and coaching others in the Account Manager or Project Manager/Project Coordinator roles. Looks for opportunity for organic growth and supports business development. This role may necessitate direct reports.

Position Overview:

The Account Manager’s role is to be the client-facing project lead responsible for communicating and documenting the project scope and specifications, ensuring client alignment during project development, and reviewing agency work deliverables against client objectives and project specifications. The primary role and responsibility is to deliver projects on time and within scope and budget, and to support the full team efforts in obtaining and retaining clients by providing excellent client service and strategic oversight of existing and new accounts. The Account Manager is also responsible for partnering with the Project Manager on day-to-day project implementation, updating timelines, and determining scope changes. Additionally, the Account Manager may need to perform Project Manager responsibilities in the absence of Project Manager support until additional resources are identified.

The Account Manager has overall responsibility for managing and maintaining client relationships through focused attention to detail, team leadership, clear and concise communications, and the sense of urgency. The Account Manager serves as a point of contact for clients of all levels within the organization, including commercial and medical teams. As the central point of contact for the project, the Account Manager must relate client direction and requests to the full team in a timely manner and with defined next steps/deliverables. The Account Manager must have a thorough understanding of the client’s brands and, to a lesser degree, the therapeutic area/focus of the brand to understand and support their strategic goals and objectives.

Core areas of responsibility include:

Client Focus & Service

• May serve as a point of contact for client/brand team
• Qualifies client needs and requests to ensure a clear understanding of the goals and objectives of a project
• Provides clear and timely reporting of client direction to entire team, outlining required next steps and/or deliverables based on the conversation
• Supports the development of educational/promotional programs that are in line with the brand/product core strategic objectives
• Thinks broadly and globally to foresee any potential challenges and issues; provides recommendations and resolutions to these issues before they become a crisis
• Proactively proposes concepts and ideas that will support the client’s core business objectives
• Thoroughly understands and enforces each client’s specified compliance and regulatory requirements
• Have a working knowledge of the brand and disease by working closely with Clinical Services on content development efforts and key messaging
• Final sign off and approval of all content and materials before delivery to Account Director/Assistant Vice President
• Executes projects and services per the contractual agreement; provides client with frequent status updates on progress
• Ensures all services are delivered per contractual agreement
• Manages client requests in a timely, efficient, and professional manner
• Maintains client communication through frequent correspondence and meetings
• Be available and accessible to clients and external parties (ie, HCPs)

Organic Growth/Business Development

• Supports new business efforts by identifying and qualifying potential leads and opportunities with key client decision-makers
• Assists in pitch development brainstorming sessions and conferences that must include Clinical Services, Operations, senior leadership, and VP, Account Services
• Proactively suggests recommendations for programming that will support brand goals/objectives
• Supports proposal and budget development based on existing clients and/or as outcomes from new business pitches, working with senior Account staff and VP, Account Services
• Works collaboratively with senior Account staff on identifying new opportunities for expanding the business

Teamwork/Collaboration

• Performs with highest level of integrity and accountability and helps instill these values with the team and peers
• Includes team members in problem-solving and triaging issues to enforce commitment and accountability of each team member
• Provides clear direction to project management and clinical team members; obtains agreement/commitment to deliverables and timelines
• Provides team with recaps of client meetings and conversations to ensure everyone is moving forward with the latest updates, changes, or redirection on any project
• Serves as liaison between Account Director and Project Manager/Project Coordinator to delegate tasks
• Encourages and supports team members to move outside of their comfort zone by providing additional and varying levels of responsibility and tasks, while balancing guidance and autonomy
• Identifies gaps in team resources and make recommendations that are needed to meet program deliverables

Be available, especially during peak project times; be conscientious of your team’s workload

Business Knowledge/Operational Practices:

• Ensures timelines are developed and followed
• Ensures all team members understand the goals and objectives of a project
• Ensures project kick-off meeting and subsequent status meetings are productive and concluded with a recap of next steps, due dates, and assigned team responsibilities
• Ensures debarment and state reporting process is completed
• Follows agency standard operating procedures
• Ensures all team members are fully versed on client compliance and regulatory requirements

Financial Accountability

• Ensures budgets are in line with scope of services throughout the project’s life cycle
• Documents change in scope or added services and provides the client with an addendum/amendment; obtains management and client approval before proceeding with additional work
• Manages the budgets for each project and advises client and team of any potential scope changes in a timely manner; reviews periodic accounting reports of expenditures for each project with team
• Ensures invoices are processed and submitted on a timely basis and according to billing milestones
• Understands the payment provisions of each client and communicates to finance team during regular financial meetings
• Reviews and approves invoices prior to finance sending to client
• Manages reconciliation process and ensures each job is completed in a timely manner; provides necessary reconciliation documentation to client
• Participates in monthly finance meetings and client finance meetings as needed
• Ensures all projects are reconciled and final billed

Team Leadership (applicable to SAM position)

• Performs with highest level of integrity and accountability and instills these values with the team and peers
• Leads and motivates team members so tasks are completed with the highest level of quality
• Includes team members in problem-solving and triaging issues to enforce commitment and accountability of each team member
• Will provide mentorship and coaching to direct report(s) and create(s) and implement(s) plans for their professional skill development
• Defines and documents performance goals for the upcoming year
• Engages direct report(s) throughout the development process, including regular coaching activities
• Writes and delivers annual performance evaluation for direct reports, reflecting employee progress and contributions throughout the year
• Engages in quarterly touch points with direct report(s) to assess progress of development plan and provides summary report to supervisor(s)
• Works with supervisor(s) to develop management skill set and leadership style

• Manages and mentors direct report(s) in the day-to-day execution of work as well as professional growth within the organization
• Be available and accessible to internal team members and direct report(s), including monthly/ bi-weekly check ins

Experience and Education:

Required

• A minimum of 3 year’s agency experience, including client-facing experience
• Comfort level with scientific information
• Travel as business requires
• Bachelor’s degree