Mother Bear Agency

Compensation

Full Description

Job Title: Account Director, Freelance Location: Remote (Central or Pacific Time Zone / Work from Home) Direct Compensation: $95 - $115/hr DOE Job Summary and Mission Mother Bear Agency is a marketing and PR/communications consultancy for brands with entrepreneurial hearts. We provide strategy and execution to companies with the customer at the center. Our clients range from stealth mode start-ups building brands and launch plans from scratch, to established brands going through expansion or re-positioning. Founded by former marketing and communications executives, we say that we want to be the agency we would have hired in our “past lives.” Our deep in-house leadership experience helps us create strategies that work in the real world. We have built Mother Bear with the intent of providing meaningful, challenging and varied work experiences for our employees. We hire smart people who are excited about solving a variety of problems. Job Summary As we continue to grow, we’re seeking an experienced Freelance Account Director to lead a portfolio of priority clients, build executive-level relationships, and help drive measurable business outcomes. Ideal background: 8–10+ years of progressive client leadership in an agency or consultancy environment, including experience owning revenue targets and mentoring high-performing teams. Responsibilities and Essential Job Functions (including but not limited to): Client & Relationship Leadership • Serve as a senior client lead and a trusted advisor to marketing leaders and the client’s C-suite; proactively translate business goals into integrated marketing roadmaps. • Help prepare executive readouts; align strategies and KPIs to client growth priorities. • Anticipate risks and opportunities early; bring well-reasoned recommendations and secure alignment quickly. Growth, Financial Stewardship & Commercials • Support one or more key accounts; deliver service, protect margin, and ensure profitable delivery. • Identify and shape organic growth opportunities; craft compelling proposals and partner with leadership on pricing, SOWs/MSAs, and renewals. • Manage change orders, scope adherence, and resourcing plans to optimize both client value and agency economics. Strategy & Integrated Delivery • Lead the translation of client needs into clear strategies, briefs, and measurable plans across brand, content, social, media, web, and creative production. • Set the approach and structure for cross-disciplinary teams (strategy, creative, media, social, UX, analytics, production) to deliver against outcomes. • Ensure work quality and effectiveness: connect insights to ideas, and ideas to results; champion test-and-learn and performance measurement. Team Leadership • Mentor account managers/supervisors and project leads; provide clear goals, actionable feedback, and growth paths. • Support a culture of accountability, collaboration, and craft excellence; model confident, concise communication. • Partner with team and SVP on staffing, onboarding, and utilization to keep teams healthy and high-performing. Operational Excellence & Communication • Practice crisp ways of working: kickoff through retrospective, status, issue/risk logs, and decision frameworks. • Lead client and internal meetings with presence and clarity; set agendas, facilitate prep, and ensure timely follow-ups and documentation. • Uphold standards for deliverable quality: structure narratives to educate, persuade, and sell; ensure polish and readiness. What You’ll Do (Day-to-Day & Near-Term) • Build and execute account strategies aligned to client KPIs and budgets. • Guide cross-functional teams to milestone clarity and “no-surprises” delivery. • Surface and shape incremental initiatives. • Provide clear direction on briefs, feedback, and prioritization; remove roadblocks. • Report on performance and financials; adjust resourcing and recommend scope adjustments. • Support team capability through coaching, examples, and constructive reviews. Basic Qualifications for this role: • 8–10+ years in client services at a digital/creative/integrated agency or consultancy, with 3+ years leading cross-functional teams on complex programs. • Experience supporting account growth and margin, including budget management, forecasting, and SOW/contract negotiation. • Demonstrated ability to translate business objectives into integrated marketing strategies and clear, actionable briefs. • Track record managing multiple programs simultaneously (e.g., digital/social strategy, media campaigns, content development, video/production, websites). • Exceptional executive communication: able to simplify complexity, influence decisions, and inspire confidence. • High attention to detail and operational rigor; you set quality bars and ensure work is client-ready. • Familiarity with performance measurement, marketing analytics, and test-and-learn frameworks. Nice to Have: • Experience in a fast-growing independent agency environment. • Experience working with startups.