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Walker Sands

Senior Account Manager

Posted 3 Days Ago
Be an Early Applicant
In-Office
Chicago, IL, USA
78K-89K Annually
Senior level
In-Office
Chicago, IL, USA
78K-89K Annually
Senior level
The Senior Account Manager manages client relationships, oversees program execution, and supports account growth while mentoring junior staff and driving business success.
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We strongly encourage people of color, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and non-binary people, veterans, parents, and individuals with disabilities to apply. As an equal opportunity employer Walker Sands is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion  and welcomes everyone to our team.

In your application, please feel free to note which pronouns you use (For example – she/her/hers, he/him/his, they/them/theirs, etc).

If you need reasonable accommodation at any point in the application or interview process, please let us know.

Walker Sands is looking for a strategic, proactive and client-centric Senior Account Manager to join our growing team.

As an organization that emphasizes constant learning, Walker Sands strives to go above and beyond in developing innovative and strategic marketing programs for our clients. Our client portfolio contains an impressive list of Fortune 500 corporations, fast-growing high-tech companies, professional services firms and business associations.

Senior Account Managers serve as key client partners and internal account leaders, bridging client business goals with agency execution. This role requires strong relationship-building skills, strategic thinking and the ability to manage complex programs with confidence. Candidates should excel in communication, organization and decision-making within a fast-paced, collaborative environment, and demonstrate the ability to translate client needs into actionable strategies that drive measurable outcomes.

As a Senior Account Manager, you both support and lead accounts with increasing independence and strategic ownership. You are responsible for overseeing program execution while elevating the work beyond operations into strategic contribution. You will own client budgets, proactively manage risks, support renewal processes and identify opportunities to grow accounts organically. You will also play a key role in mentoring junior team members and strengthening internal team operations.

A Senior Account Manager demonstrates mastery of foundational account management skills and begins to operate as a results-driven partner to both internal marketing channel experts and our clients. You will manage larger and more complex accounts in partnership with senior account and strategy leaders, contribute to agency growth through upsell and cross-sell opportunities and collaborate closely with senior leadership to drive long-term client success. We seek a Senior Account Manager who is continuing to evolve into a senior agency leader with a strong point of view on client strategy, team leadership and business growth.

Responsibilities

  • Clients: Manage primary day-to-day client interactions, including internal coordination of responses to client inquiries. Proactively update clients on the status of activities, strategy and deliverables. Establish rapport and foundational trust with clients by providing timely and insightful communication. Coordinate, schedule and facilitate client touchpoints, setting appropriate expectations for outcomes. Support and lead preparation with internal teams for client meetings that drive program momentum and demonstrate agency preparedness.
  • Craft: Working with marketing channel teams, facilitate the development, review and delivery of high-quality client-facing materials that align with strategic objectives. Establish and optimize systems and processes that improve program efficiency and performance. Align with channel leaders to ensure clear documentation and tracking of program KPIs, connecting execution to business impact. Translate client goals into actionable plans for internal teams, ensuring clarity and alignment across workstreams. Demonstrate strong understanding of B2B marketing strategy and work with channel experts to apply insights to improve program outcomes. Continuously expand expertise across client industries, agency capabilities and marketing best practices
  • People: Foster strong relationships with service teams, department peers and client stakeholders. Provide clear direction and context to internal teams, ensuring alignment on goals, roles and expectations. Encourage participation from all meeting attendees to ensure all voices get heard. Adjust standard account operating procedures to meet unique client and internal team needs and make for smoother, more collaborative account teams. Develop strategies to motivate account teams and create a culture/environment that produces great work.
  • Business: Assess client health every week and identify program and account risks to account VP. Mitigate potential project risks, ensuring smooth delivery by collaborating with internal stakeholders. Actively manage engagement plans (gantts) to ensure they are up to date with accurate resource allocations to maintain operational efficiency. Manage and forecast budgets with accuracy, ensuring alignment with scope, profitability and client expectations. Communicate hours targets and progress to the services teams, and help services teams prioritize work against the budget/hours available. Support and lead development of scopes of work and support pricing and resourcing decisions in partnership with senior leadership. Identify and support opportunities for account growth, including upsell and cross-sell initiatives. 

Experience

  • 4–6 years of experience managing client accounts in a marketing and/or PR agency, preferably in the B2B and/or technology space
  • Proven ability to manage and grow client relationships with increasing strategic responsibility
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with confidence presenting to clients
  • Demonstrated ability to manage budgets, scopes and account profitability
  • Strong project management and organizational skills, with attention to detail
  • Ability to lead cross-functional teams and mentor junior team members

Compensation & Benefits:

  • We strive for salary range transparency in our hiring process. This is a major step towards not only complying with regulations where required, but also to make sure pay equity and DEI are top of mind during the hiring process. Base salary is only a part of the total rewards package - this role will also be eligible for a bonus based on company performance, commission bonus, as well as benefits. Below is the starting salary for this role:
    Starting Salary: $77,500 - 89,000
    • Placement on the salary scale will be determined by various factors, such as, but not limited to, relevant qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, seniority, geographic location, performance, education, business or organizational requirements and internal equity.
    • Starting salaries are not inclusive of a full range of compensation for this role and are instead meant to reflect the expected beginning salary for a new hire. Merit-based increases can be earned after time in role.
  • Total Rewards Package:
    • 🩺 Health Coverage: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans, plus mental health resources, pet insurance, fertility benefits, and more.
    • πŸ’° Retirement Savings: Employer-matched 401(k) and access to financial planning services.
    • 🌴 Flexible PTO: Take time as needed for vacations, mental health, or personal days. Includes 8 paid holidays, half-day summer Fridays, and a week off between Christmas and New Year.
    • 🏑 Hybrid Work: Mix of in-office and remote work, with tools to stay connected across teams.
    • πŸŽ‰ Milestone Sabbatical: Celebrate five years with a two-week sabbatical and a $2,000 gift.
    • πŸ‘Ά Family Support: Generous paid leave for new parents and caregivers, plus policies for pregnancy loss, adoption challenges, and more.
    • πŸ“š Growth Opportunities: Clear career paths, mentorship programs, and learning events to help you grow professionally.
    • 🌟 Culture: Our agency values our supportive, collaborative culture where we work hard to achieve the best outcomes for clients. Read more on our website here!

#LI-Hybrid

Top Skills

B2B Marketing Strategy
HQ

Walker Sands Chicago, Illinois, USA Office

55 W Monroe St, Chicago, IL, United States, 60603

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