Senior Account Manager

About the role

A Senior Account Manager must demonstrate proficiency and experience working in the Digital Communications sector – awareness and/or experience of other communications including Insight, Content/Creative and Print, Technology and/or Marketing Services, would be advantageous. Demonstrable agency experience with digital is a must.

The role provides management and support for the team and Account Director groups with major clients. Along with the direct management and responsibility for a portfolio of key and medium-sized CDS clients with opportunities for both service and commercial development.

Primary customer contact points are typically senior stakeholders, commercial leaders, communications specialists, and multichannel service owners. This audience expects their Senior Account Manager to have a deep understanding of their business, their industry as well as their business challenges and corporate and digital strategy.

The Senior Account Manager should therefore understand how CDS through its wider service portfolio, support the client in achieving exceptional communications and experiences that fundamentally drive improvements to operational efficiency, agility, improved financial performance and an enhanced experience for their customer.

Your day-to-day...

• 
  Liaising with clients to take, challenge and progress briefs across the operational pillars of the CDS business – primarily Digital focused.
  
• Work closely with the wider CDS operational teams to ensure customer satisfaction related to service delivery/support services across CDS clients.
  
• Work with clients at a strategic level to assist in development solutions to meet strategic corporate needs.
  
• Maintain and distribute Management Information on work in progress, through-put, and performance, supported by Account Managers and Client Services
  
• To develop ‘higher and wider’ client relationships across your nominated accounts.
  
• Flexibility and innovation to respond to customer needs, often travelling to customer sites to work with them to develop and agree on solutions.

In summary, the ideal candidate will possess an inherent drive for results, motivation, and acute attention to detail. They can work independently, use their own initiative and cope with complex competing demands.

About CDS

CDS is an agency that enables strategic change in organisations. We help clients create, develop and deliver better services to meet the evolving needs of customers, employees and citizens.

Our experts specialise in technical enablement, operational transformation, experience transformation and business process outsourcing. We improve outcomes by resolving complex insight, digital, data, technology and print challenges.

Consequently, many of the largest, most complex organisations trust CDS to provide solutions that improve health, wealth and safety in the UK. For example:

• Digitally transforming the ability to report crime online for UK police forces.
• Building a new digital platform for the regulator Social Work England.
• Providing behavioural analysis and insight to drive EE's evolving digital and customer service offering and delivering marketing and operational print management services to the Ministry of Defence

Our clients include National Rail Enquiries, the Cabinet Office, Bank of England, Open University and Insight Investments. We also work with global brands, including Coca Cola, McDonald’s and Microsoft.

Together with our parent company, Bailie Group, CDS is positioned as a leader in enabling change. We are a multi-award-winning agency recognised by the industries we serve and our peers for our innovations and contributions that truly make a positive difference.

Responsibilities

We are looking for someone who…

• Either be, or quickly become, familiar with CDS product and service offerings and the benefits they offer to customers
• Become deeply familiar with your assigned account(s) business, strategy, objectives, structures, and ways of working so you can add value to their business.
• Provide honest and inspiring advice to customers, on the services and solutions that would deliver business benefit to them.
• Own the commercial client targets, demonstrating accountability and best practice across all systems, business processes, sales data, and forecasting.
• Ensure CDS delivers contracted services and to represent the customers points of view in internal and external meetings
• Ensure timely, regular, and effective communication between CDS and your accounts – to be our primary representative and first point of contact for your accounts – supported by a Client Services model.
• Managing and maintaining agency CRM and planning tools with account activity, key contacts, and communications for each client.
• Supporting Sales Operations in best use of data and the development of client satisfaction and engagement initiatives .
• Contribute to, and where relevant, lead on the production of tender documents, proposals, quotes, and presentations that meet the requirements your accounts have set, and the quality levels CDS expect.
• Support CDS and our customers, performing other related duties as and when required.

Requirements

• Demonstrable agency experience with digital is a must
• A self-starter able to set and manage both personal and team goals
• Passionate for knowledge, as this is a fast-paced, constantly evolving consumer-driven / technology-driven market
• Ability and drive to build strategic relationships with clients and colleagues alike
• A strong organiser and effective with time management and CDS resource management
• Able to think quickly and make decisions within minimal referral/guidance
• Experienced in working with high-profile clients
• Excellent experience with Microsoft applications – Teams, SharePoint, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Ability to negotiate and sustain complex networking relationships
• Comfortable with collating, analysing, and interpreting operational and financial data to support account development strategies
• A strong, honest communicator who possesses excellent verbal, listening and written skills
• Excellent on the telephone and with email applying the appropriate tone and representing CDS core values

Excellent presentation skills – experienced in preparing and leading client presentations, stakeholder meetings and pitches.

In return

• Attractive base salary
• 25 days holiday + public holidays
• Company pension and life assurance scheme
• Medicash health plan – online GP access, support services & discounted gym membership
• Complimentary fruit, coffee, tea, and Friday drinks at the office
• Wellbeing events/services in Leeds office
• Cycle to work scheme
• Season pass loan for rail & bus travel
• A business focused on professional development and personal growth opportunities
• Smart, engaged co-workers and a culture of inclusion, innovation, and opportunity
  

Our inclusive culture

CDS positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity. We foster an inclusive culture that enables everyone to achieve their full potential and enjoy a fulfilling career with us.