Recess Studios is a brand agency built to challenge the expected. With offices in Portland and New York, we deliver end-to-end brand solutions, foundational development, consistent application across every touchpoint, and strategic amplification that drives impact. Our multidisciplinary team imagines worlds, crafts honest narratives, and creates experiences at the intersection of culture and commerce. We prize Good Honest Work by Good Honest People, building lasting partnerships through clear standards, tidy operations, and results that exceed expectations.
JOB OVERVIEW
The Account Director (AD) leads a portfolio of partners and internal teams. This role focuses on strategy, new business, and account direction—setting the plan, raising the bar, and solving issues before they escalate. The AD knows the work well enough to coach, course-correct, and protect margin, timeline, and quality, while simultaneously leveraging project momentum to expand business. The AD is the single point of authority for their accounts and an internal and external steady voice for Recess standards.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Set quarterly goals, success metrics, and clear plans for the accounts in your portfolio
- Provide coaching, feedback, and direction to hybrid PM/AMs; run performance check-ins and hold the team to A-grade standards
- Serve as primary strategic partner to senior client stakeholders; lead business reviews and roadmap conversations
- Understand partner business fundamentals and priorities; translate them into scopes, timelines, and budgets that hold
- Advocate for Recess capabilities to expand partnerships; shape and pursue new business aligned to each account’s goals
- Ensure timely, on-budget, to-spec delivery; approve margin exceptions and change-control posture
- Resolve issues quickly to maintain and strengthen trust; document decisions and follow through
- Build account plans with quarterly benchmarks, growth targets, and risk plans
- Identify up-sell and cross-sell opportunities; partner with New Business on pursuits and pitches
- Oversee accurate, timely invoicing inputs and PO/CO compliance across your book
- Ensure partners are kept apprised of all activity; own timely, accurate documentation and correspondence
- Create and present clear, succinct reports on portfolio performance to senior leadership and clients
- Present complex information simply; turn data into decisions and next steps
- Reinforce Recess operating discipline: kickoff hygiene, change orders before scope shifts, forecast lock after the 15th of each month, wraps on time
- Serve as a business thought leader amongst internal leadership peers to ensure Recess is top of mind for all partners at all time.
- Contribute to Recess storytelling through support and guidance on project recap assets to be published across Recess’ website, social media and capabilities decks.
QUALIFICATIONS
- Proven experience as an Account Director or comparable client-lead role in brand/creative/marketing
- Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing/advertising, communications, or related field
- 10+ years leading integrated accounts with measurable growth and retention
- Demonstrable expertise in pricing, budget negotiations, and margin protection
- Strong grasp of business fundamentals and account planning
- Comfortable with performance metrics, forecasting, and portfolio reporting
- Proficient with Keynote, Google/Office suite; fluency in project collaboration tools
- Exceptional communication and relationship skills; earns trust with clarity and follow-through
- Outstanding organizational and leadership ability; can coach and develop a team of 2+
- Exhibits integrity, accountability, and a bias for action; disciplined, decisive, and willing to be constructively disagreeable when standards are at stake
- Commitment to self-development and developing others
BENEFITS
- Salary: $125,000 - 145,000
- Medical, dental & vision insurance
- Life Insurance
- Competitive company Holidays
- Flexible PTO
- WFH Flexibility
- 401K w/ Company match