Account Director, Strategy & Crisis

Job Description

We have an immediate opening for an Account Director in our New York office on our Strategy & Crisis Team. This role will support a variety of clients in public affairs, issues management, legal, banking/finance, healthcare, etc. It's yours if you are someone who is passionate about your work and are cool and calm under pressure You're the type of person who can read a room well, you know when you command and own it and you also know when you take a step back. You're so focused on the best strategy to a problem that you don't have time to get star-struck! We are looking for someone who wakes up every day checking everything from POLITICO, to the WashingtonPost, to the New York Times.
Our candidate is curious. While they will work on crisis and public affairs clients, they may also touch healthcare, real estate, tech or corporate accounts. They see this as a challenge and opportunity to grow their skills.
Our account directors lead accounts (no surprise there), counseling the client, providing fresh ideas, motivating the team, ensuring goals are being met and…they still pitch!
Our agency is integrated, and our Account Directors frequently work on accounts that involve aspects of brand integration, influencer integration, digital strategy, etc. While we don't expect you to be fluent in all of these areas, we anticipate that this will excite you!

Core Skills & Responsibilities

A great Account Director truly excels at leading client accounts. They show tremendous leadership potential at the company. They are a positive influence, a team player, patient teachers and mentors to junior staff. They empower junior staff and help them grow. They are honest with themselves and upper management about their work. They have good instincts and challenge the team to think bigger. They are creative and push their account teams and the company to do better and think out of the box. They are solutions-oriented. They understand their clients' business goals and are constantly mapping back to ensure our work is directly having an impact on them. They are not afraid to push back and challenge a client if the direction being given won't result in the ROI they are looking for.

They delegate respectfully and effectively to junior staff. They are clear about deadlines, roles and responsibilities and expectations.

Responsibilities Include:
• Leading strategy and counsel for clients in crisis and issues management.
• Developing and executing comprehensive communications and public affairs strategies.
• Providing thought leadership opportunities for clients and serving as a leader within the agency.
• Leading client accounts and conducting media trainings for Sunshine Sachs clients, top executives and celebrities.
• Leading new business proposals and RFP responses.
• Training and mentoring junior staff on the inner workings and executions of crisis & strategy, PR, media relations, and overall work approach.
• Managing junior staff and helping them to grow their careers.
• Responding to client requests and ensure requests are taken care of in an efficient manner.
• Working directly with lobbyists and attorneys for clients.
• Support administration of accounts including developing agendas, meeting recaps, activity reports, client status reports and budget trackers.

You should apply if:
• You have at least 7 years working in PR, specific experience in politics, government, legal affairs, finance, or regulatory matters.
• You've managed a team with direct oversight for at least 4 years (of those 10 mentioned above).
• You know how to navigate New York stakeholders, thought leaders, and media.
• You are a strong writer – persuasive, concise, creative, and quick!
• You believe yourself to be excellent at pitching new business – confidence is key!
• You have established press contacts
• You are a strategic thinker, bring new ideas to the table, and love a good brainstorm.
• You have strong decision-making abilities and accountability; this is an important role, own it!
• You have an innate curiosity and an entrepreneurial spirit…have a suggestion on making something better? We encourage you to do it!
• You are incredibly organized, detailoriented (see what I did there?), and able to excel at managing multiple projects simultaneously.
• You're willing to work select evenings/weekends and travel when necessary – our clients often need us to GO, GO, GO!
• You enjoy overdelivering rather than meeting expectations and take genuine pride in being part of something good.

Basic Perks

Sunshine Sachs offers medical, dental, and vision plans, 401(k), annual merit-based bonuses, PTO and commuter benefits. Additional perks include, Summer Fridays, frequent celebrations, a flexible work schedule and company-organized volunteer opportunities. We frequently identify company-wide opportunities to listen, learn and act throughout the year (Election Day, International Women's Day, etc.).

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sexual orientation, identity and expression, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-rvkn20-3-137-161-222-42 in your application.