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
Our Business Directors are the senior commercial owners of Recess’ client relationships. They are responsible for the financial health, growth, and long-term value of assigned accounts, serving as the executive-level partner for clients and the point of accountability on the agency side.
Business Directors own revenue, margin, and forecasting for their accounts. They lead sales conversations within existing clients, structure and close new scopes of work, and ensure all engagements are scoped, resourced, and delivered in a financially sound way. In close partnership with Account Directors, Production, and Finance, Business Directors translate client needs into commercially viable solutions that balance creative ambition with operational and financial rigor.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Client Leadership & Senior Partnership
- Serve as the senior commercial lead for assigned client accounts.
- Build trusted, executive-level relationships with client stakeholders.
- Lead high-stakes conversations, escalations, and negotiations.
- Position Recess as a long-term strategic partner, not a vendor.
Revenue Growth & Sales (Existing Accounts).
- Own revenue targets and growth within assigned accounts.
- Lead sales conversations for account expansion, renewals, and upsell opportunities.
- Partner with the Head of Growth on net-new opportunities connected to existing clients.
- Structure and close new scopes of work, retainers, and long-term engagements.
- Contribute to pitches, proposals, and commercial strategy.
Commercial Oversight & Margin Ownership
- Own account-level forecasting, revenue tracking, and margin performance.
- Ensure all work is scoped appropriately and priced to meet financial goals.
- Protect hours, fees, and markups across projects.
- Partner with Project Management and Production to manage scope creep and resourcing.
- Collaborate with Finance on billing, forecasting, and revenue recognition.
- Serve as a representative of the Recess brand in a positive, informed, and enthusiastic manner
Cross-Functional Leadership
- Act as the connective tissue between Creative, Strategy, Production, and Account teams.
- Ensure alignment from brief through delivery with a commercial lens.
- Provide clarity on priorities, tradeoffs, and decision-making.
- Help teams navigate ambiguity while maintaining accountability and momentum.
Reporting, Forecasting & Accountability
- Maintain clear visibility into account health, pipeline, and forecasts.
- Deliver concise account recaps and financial summaries to leadership.
- Contribute to the development of repeatable systems for account leadership and commercial management.
- Uphold Recess’ standards for quality, professionalism, and accountability.
QUALIFICATIONS
- 10+ years of experience in client leadership, business development, or agency
- operations.
- Proven experience owning revenue, margin, and forecasting for complex accounts.
- Strong understanding of agency economics, scoping, pricing, and margin management.
- Experience working across creative, strategy, production, and finance teams.
- Confident communicator with executive presence.
- Comfortable leading sales conversations and negotiations.
WHAT YOU BRING
- Commercial mindset with strong financial intuition.
- Calm, solutions-oriented leadership style.
- Ability to balance client advocacy with internal accountability.
- High standards for clarity, quality, and follow-through.
- Strong judgment and decision-making skills.
- Collaborative spirit and respect for creative craft.
BENEFITS
- Salary: $145,000 - 165,000
- Medical, dental & vision insurance
- Life Insurance
- Competitive company Holidays
- Flexible PTO
- WFH Flexibility
- 401K w/ Company match