Senior Account Manager (Maternity Cover)

1. Company description

We create impact

At Rationale, we create impact by making the complex compelling.  We are a strategic brand and content agency supporting clients in regulated markets to define, articulate and amplify what matters most to their audiences. We solve challenges with robust, strategic thinking. We’re relentlessly focused on results. And we’re creative with good reason.

Impact is fundamental to our agency culture as a certified BCorp. We have an emphasis on training and development, team empowerment and creative expression. We work with people who live our core principles: who are in it for the long-term; who find a way; who have high standards; and who have fun.

Every agency says they are doing things differently. So we won’t say that. But we are absolutely driven to make a difference.

Our Principles

We’re in it for the long-term

We’re focused on the sustainable, strategic growth of Rationale and the related development of our people. Thinking long-term is fundamental to the ongoing stability of our business and is what allows us to make the most impact for our team, for our clients, and for the wider world.

This approach underpins everything we do in terms of our decision-making – and it also applies to how we cultivate lasting, supportive relationships with clients, partner organisations, and suppliers.

We’re building something strong at Rationale – something that will endure, and something of which we can all be proud.

We find a way

Rationale is made up of a talented and unique team of tenacious problem-solvers who are curious about uncovering what’s possible.

No matter how complicated the ask, we will do our best to find a way to make it happen.

We deliver on our promises at Rationale by being considerate and proactive, not only in how we approach our work, but in how we treat and respect each other’s needs at work.

We have high standards

Rationale’s success comes from having a happy and fulfilled team of people who are trusted and empowered to do their jobs well.

In doing this, we hold ourselves and each other accountable to the highest standards of quality, relevance and creativity in every single piece of work that leaves the agency.

Keeping this aim front-of-mind results in a value exchange – our people drive the success of our business and this feeds back into each individual’s personal and professional growth.

We have fun

Work is where we spend most of our time, so why shouldn’t it be fun? While we take our work very seriously, we don’t take ourselves too seriously.

We will always take time to lighten the load, to keep perspective, and to make each other – and our clients – feel relaxed, secure in expressing themselves and able to have a laugh.

2. Role description

This is a fixed term Senior Account Manager role, located in lovely Leith. The position requires working with clients to develop strong, consultative relationships, and manage the delivery of creative and strategic projects. The role will involve working from the office a minimum of 3 days a week with the option to work from home 2 days a week.

The contract is for a 10 – 12 month period (TBC depending on starting availability) to support the Accounts Team over a period of Maternity Leave.

Overall client servicing, satisfaction and retention

• Build strong and enduring consultative relationships with members of the client teams as a main and supporting point of contact
• Work with the team to i) manage the delivery of strategic content marketing solutions to clients and ii) ensure Rationale solutions and service delivery achieves the highest levels of client satisfaction at all times
• Run and manage multiple projects of varying scales and priorities in conjunction with each other
• Ensure regular flow of client status reporting, with timely submission of project estimates and schedules, status reports, and so on
• Pre-empt, troubleshoot and resolve any concerns re: client dissatisfaction
• Grow and develop your accounts to create sustainable growth with every client
• Act as the first point of contact for all client Procurement and Agency Management teams, responding to queries and providing all required MI reporting. Ensure all client compliance requirements are understood and met, with all necessary information communicated within the account team and relevant internal stakeholders

Content quality assurance and relevance

• Develop creative briefs and oversee creative output – visual and editorial. Ensure measures are in place to critically appraise work before client review
• Working closely with the Strategy and Creative team, ensure strategic marketing objectives are being followed through from set-up into ongoing delivery of content – seeing that any developed brand narratives and the overall creative vision is not diluted over time
• ‘‘Hold’ the thread of the client’s brief into content assets we are delivering – performing some writing/editing of content or presentations ahead of sending to client to ensure brief alignment
• Responsible for Quality Assurance of assets being sent to the client from the agency

Account Development

• Working with the wider team to proactively drive forward the ‘Client Development Plan’ for each client account against overall business targets
• Help prepare and research client tenders and proposals. Support in delivery of presentations to clients
• Manage and process client billing/resolve any invoicing issues/delays
• Manage and/or oversee project budgets, including preparation of project estimates, business cases, burn reports, ROI models etc.

Workload management

• Ensure all projects are delivered on brief, on time and on budget
• Provide status reporting
• Monitor workflow across agency to ensure efficient delegation of projects
• Take part in weekly resource management, and oversee resourcing against your projects alongside the wider team

​​Supplier management

• Identifying suppliers, screening them for suitability and negotiating MSAs
• Briefing suppliers on project requirements and ensuring management of projects allocated to them. Ensure all appropriate NDAs are completed
• Monitoring suppliers’ overall performance
• Liaising with and building relationships with freelancers and external teams

3. Personal qualities

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build and maintain relationships with clients
• Soft-selling and negotiation skills
• Experience in account management or a related field
• Excellent project management skills, with an ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and ensure timely completion
• Very strong financial management skills and experience, including quoting, estimating, invoicing, and budget tracking
• The ability to quickly review, evaluate and summarise information, with outstanding attention to detail
• Ability to appraise content for quality, and relevance to brief and advise and manage the agency and client team to best result
• Strong problem-solving abilities and a strategic mindset
• Experience in developing and implementing communication strategies
• Strong knowledge of marketing and branding concepts