Account Director

Due to recent investment in high technology mail fulfilment & print technology, coupled with a commitment to business growth, we are looking for a highly ambitious Account Director with 5+ years' experience to head up one of our client services teams.

The Account Director has responsibility for the successful acquisition (where applicable), retention and revenue development of all client accounts in your team. You will lead your own team of two Account Managers, with the objective to grow your teams' revenues, through repeat business and new business, to drive your team's profitability – and maximise your earnings.

Duties & Key Responsibilities:

Responsible for managing a team, you will need to show:

• Leadership, encouragement, motivation, and delegation to ensure your teams' success
• Ongoing team member mentoring & development (of Account Manager), to ensure targets are being met & clients are delighted
• Regular team meetings, maintaining clear communication & direction
• Encourage a culture of recognition and reward
• Regular updates to the Sales Director on your team's progress, opportunities & challenges
• Driving optimum sales & margin performance and customer retention from your team
• Working with our IT Development team, with a view to automating our client's business mail needs, wherever possible.
• You are a key point of contact for your teams' clients and are expected to be pro-active in your approach to keeping clients updated and informed, as mailing campaigns go through the factory and are despatched.
• Liaising with the Finance team to review estimated sales values & margins vs actuals and to implement any necessary changes to ensure profitable account retention.
• To produce quotations and win orders (new and existing customers) in line with, or above, the company's gross profit target.
• Consulting with your client services team members as well as the data processing team, the dev team, the print team & the operations team, to ensure each mailing goes out on time, in full and with 100% accuracy.
• Liaising with the Finance Team to remain aware of client credit limits and timely payment of invoices.
• You & your client services team are responsible for managing each order from quotation to invoice. Client invoices are to be raised within 48 hours of mailing despatch, or, when raising 'pro-forma' invoices for new business accounts and postage, within 24 hours of order confirmation.
• Initiative-taking approach to automating work processes & procedures, identifying areas of improvement where necessary, to enhance Client experience & the businesses performance overall.
• Driving optimum sales & gross margin performance of your team, through elevated levels of client retention & development and a pro-active approach to new business.
• Regular pro-active contact with existing and occasional clients, to develop spend, frequency of use and profitability of the account.
• To seek to maximise postage gross profit margin by exploring multiple methods to reducing buying-in costs – without impacting delivery times.
• To seek to maximise outsourced print management gross profit margin, by exploring all methods of reducing buying-in costs without impacting quality.
• Focusing on exemplary customer service and always maintaining a good rapport with clients – even when under pressure, or when things, on occasion, do go wrong.
• All incoming new business enquiries are shared amongst our Account Directors, and they are to be managed and initially spoken to by you to establish their requirements. You are to professionally introduce the business and offer the best solution to their needs.
• Where you need support around outsource print management, introduce our print management specialist to explore the company providing print management opportunities.
• Work in unison with your colleagues (throughout the business) to achieve the companies' overall objectives.
• Being responsible for your client services team absences, due to holidays & sickness
• Maintaining and developing your own knowledge within the print, mail & post industry, to support & enhance your own progression

Skills Required:

• Experience of managing multiple high technology campaigns at the same time, in a demanding environment.
• Be a positive team member, even when under pressure. We consider it vital, and part of the terms of employment, that the Account Director plays a key part to contribute to a happy & positive team culture, in the wider client services team.
• Extensive mail fulfilment and postage account management experience (including Direct Mail / Business Mail / Hybrid Mail / Transactional Mail)
• Significant Knowledge of UK & International postal services and products across DSA's, Independent carriers and Royal Mail is essential.
• Particularly good working knowledge of the latest digital printing & automated mail enclosing technology
• Methodical approach to work, being able to multi-task and work with elevated levels of diligence and accuracy.
• Experience of Salesforce CRM & Tharstern MIS desirable, but training will be given
• Experience of Microsoft Office Package: Excel, Outlook, Teams & Word

Attributes:

• Highly driven. We really like to work with Account Director's that are highly financially motivated and want to build a career and better life for themselves and their team.
• Communication – effective communication skills with colleagues and clients.
• Approachable – being open, transparent, and supportive.
• Teamwork – a resolute team member, with the ability to communicate at an elevated level, but also willing to assist all colleagues to achieve a common goal.
• Diligence – conscientious and confident in their work. Complete work without the need for supervision and work to deadlines.
• Can do attitude – enthusiastic, motivated, clever work ethic, flexibility to tasks and hours of work, desire to learn and accept ownership/responsibility
• Mindfulness – conscientious and confident in your work
• Leader – highly professional with a fun aspect to encourage team performance.
• Demonstrate desire to learn more & improve and accept ownership & responsibility for your work, your career & your team's performance.