Area Director

Position summary

The primary function of the Account Director (AD) role is to ensure client teams meet or exceed client service level agreements (SLAs). Provide operational oversight to ensure smooth day-to-day performance while addressing and escalating matters of concern. Ensure core business processes are in place and aligned with best practices. Responsible for ensuring teams utilize technology (Engage) as designed. Responsible for developing teams within portfolio and working with other teams or functional areas to develop best practices across portfolios. Support Senior Account Directors and Managing Directors in sales and account growth initiatives.

Job qualifications

·    A Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience is required

·    Over 8 years' experience and a proven track record of being a recognized leader and manager of people in a national or global customer service intensive environment

·    Demonstrated record in developing operational solutions that have permanently resolved poor contract performance or difficult situations

·    Established accomplishments in successfully delivering on client SLAs, building high performing teams, and creating client relationships

·    Excellent client service skills with a service-minded approach towards the client. Must be sensitive to client needs, remaining calm and confident, even in stressful situations

·    Proven experience managing large teams and knowledge of multiple service lines

·    At least one year business development experience

·    Minimum of five years of successful financial management; understanding of how day-to-day operations and strategic decisions impact client P&Ls

Supervision

·    Number and title(s) of direct reports (if any): Senior Account Manager or Account Manager

·    Received: Managing Director of Operations, Business Director or Senior Account Director

Job relationships

·    Internal: This position works closely with Client Operation Directors, Senior Client Operation Directors, Account Directors, Senior Account Directors, and Managing Directors

·    External: This position works closely with operational client contacts and vendors.

Job duties

(* denotes an "essential function")

·       *Manage a portfolio of multiple accounts (2-7) with gross profit of least $300,000

·       *People Leadership – lead, develop and empower highly functioning client teams

o    *Provide oversight and support for the selection, induction, development, retention, motivation, and performance of direct and indirect reports

o    *Provide training and development opportunities and serve in mentoring role for his/her direct reports. Ensure Managers provide similar support for Supervisors, Workflow Coordinators, and associates on their teams.

o    *Manage operations staff performance including establishing development goals, setting business objectives, establishing priorities, and providing ongoing performance feedback

o    *Encourage a culture of structured succession planning for key roles

·       *Operations leadership – ensure accounts meet and/or exceed client expectations

o    *Ensure operational controls and management information and reporting requirements are fulfilled

o    *Oversee overall performance metrics of accounts/departments against contract/target or business unit benchmarks

o    *Engage expert. Familiar with all aspects of Engage.

o    *Train managers how to properly utilize the Engage system to optimize performance.

o    *Set up engage for new clients.

o    *Ensure managers within portfolio understand Engage and utilize the system as designed.

o    *Contribute to the ongoing Engage development by championing improvement opportunities/ideas.

o    *Implement strategies to improve and standardize all aspects of operations

o    *Share knowledge, best practices, and solution designs within the relevant management teams to ensure continuous business improvement

o    *Execute modifications to organizational design and teams to optimize operational activity and improve client experience

o    *Investigate and resolve issues escalated by the client and communicate significant issues to reporting chain

o    *Drive the quality-of-service delivery across the organization

·       *Financial and Contract Management

o    *Ensure operations controls are in place to manage budget and be profitable

o    *Leverage knowledge to collaborate on and negotiate terms for contracts or renewals

o    *Develop strategic account plans

o    *Write, deliver, negotiate and approve contract amendments/Statement of Works (SOWs)

o    *Write, deliver, negotiate and approve contract renewals

o    *Negotiate Periodic Price Adjustments (PPAs)

·       *Customer & account leadership – maintain appropriate communications channels with the clients, the field and offsite leadership

o    *Provide insight into weekly, monthly, or quarterly account reviews

o    *Develop appropriate client relationships with operational counterparts

o    *Support up selling, cross selling of new services and the renewal and PPA process as required

o    *Support the annual budget process for assigned accounts

o    *Possess a comprehensive understanding of all client's business and the impact of our services

·       Other

o    Partner with functional teams to implement appropriate policies, internal controls, and reporting

o    Promote a culture of high performance and continuous improvement that values learning and a commitment to quality

o    Highlight operational, compliance and financial risk areas

o    Participate as a key project team member new business implementation

o    Follow delegations of authority for operations team