Client Service Director

**Role**: Client Service Director

**Location**:Johannesburg, South Africa

**ROLE MISSION**

**As Client Service Director, **you will be expected to demonstrate a cross functional range of skills and experience. You must have a proven track record in managing and overseeing client portfolio's, strategically leading and growing client service teams, and leading, developing, and winning business growth opportunities - both organic and new. You need to operate with confidence and gravitas, with both clients and internal stakeholders. You should be comfortable in leading teams in both on and offline creative communications development and execution (globally and locally), as well as have a good creative eye yourself. Commercially you need to be comfortable in the numbers - forecasting, actual and cost control specifically and consequently the management of the required GP targets per client. You should have proven people and management skills (including hiring and talent identification). You will be responsible for the guidance and development of the entire client service team, so it is essential you are a great communicator, able to inspire your teams and spot potential.

**WHAT YOU WILL BE DOING IN YOUR ROLE**

**Client Service Director**:

- You will act as the senior client service representative on all OLIVER Africa portfolios, ensuring the optimization of the client relationship and consequently the financial health of OLIVER Africa and our account management teams.
- You will oversee and manage all relevant account management resources (BUD's/Account Directors/IPM's etc. ) and be accountable to the client for the deliverables of each studio (strategic lead).
- You will drive the growth of the portfolios and teams, working closely with senior clients on their advertising and content requirements and maintaining OLIVER as the chosen partner in the process - ensuring overall organic growth of the agency.
- You will build strong relationships with all snr clients and their day - to day teams as required.
- You will work closely with your clients as a long-term business partner, steering the development of their brand and marketing strategies.
- Act as primary escalation point for all clients for any issues that may arise with your team's delivery.
- You will be confident with clients and will challenge the client, when necessary, whilst keeping a positive relationship. You will negotiate to create win-win compromises with your clients on behalf of you team members where needed.
- Facilitate weekly check in's / health assessment sessions and ensure each team delivers the expected levels of client service requirements at all times, and that the various clients are playing their part to action successful workflows from brief to final output.
- Participate in client/agency reviews as required (annual / bi-annual), as outlined in client SLA.
- Lead client contract renewal process as required.
- Transparency -engage and provide updates to OLIVER Africa leadership as required - active participation in weekly SMT sessions.
- In collaboration with your account leads, engage and provide updates to OLIVER's global account leads (GDP's)as required.
- In collaboration with HR and Operations, ensure the necessary talent growth plans, quality conversations and compensation planning routines are driven across the client service dept.

**Leadership and staff management**:

- Lead each team by example, mentoring and guidng the account management team to achieve their best in line with OLIVER best practice and client expectations - this should include business and personal coaching of your account management team.
- Developing and driving your teams to constantly add value to our clients and to challenge the briefs we receive, to break the norm and deliver outstanding creative work and grow each portfolio where possible.
- Resolve conflict within the teams as it arises to always ensure great collaboration and teamwork.
- You will have oversight of the various client WIPs and topline knowledge of all key projects going through the Studio's, without being pulled into the day-to-day management of projects. You need to have the ability to direct teams to deliver, without getting caught up in the detail.
- Drive OLIVER's values and vision throughout the client service team.
- Building reputation: leading the client service team to enter awards and recognition platforms as required.

**Growth**:

- As referenced above, you will be responsible for growing each Studio's offering, pushing our capabilities to client's brand teams and keeping OLIVER/IIG front of mind with brands for all our current and potential agency services.
- You will actively seek out opportunities with brands and build relationships with senior clients, pushing to upsell our offering - leveraging Brandtech Groups capability should always be strategically top of mind.
- You will play an active role in OLIVER's new business activity/pitches as required - accountabl