Account Director

About AV Communications

AV Communications (AVC) is a Toronto-based multicultural marketing agency on a mission to create a more inclusive future through marketing. We help brands connect authentically with Canadas diverse communities through insight-driven strategy creative media and digital. AVC has been recognized as one of Canadas Top Growing Companies by The Globe and Mails Report on Business for four consecutive years.

Role Overview

The Account Director is a senior client leader responsible for building strong client relationships leading integrated agency teams driving strategic and creative excellence and ensuring the commercial health and growth of assigned accounts.

This role requires someone who can operate confidently with senior client stakeholders while also leading the internal team to deliver high-quality work. The Account Director should be able to anticipate client needs identify business opportunities navigate complex challenges and ensure that projects are delivered effectively profitably and in line with agreed scope.

The ideal candidate combines strong client leadership with commercial judgment strategic thinking operational discipline and people leadership.

Key Responsibilities

Client Leadership

Own and develop senior-level relationships across assigned client accounts.

Act as a trusted advisor to clients understanding their business category customers challenges and priorities.

Lead key client meetings presentations strategic discussions and difficult conversations.

Anticipate client needs and potential issues rather than simply responding to requests.

Provide clear recommendations and constructive counsel including challenging clients appropriately when needed.

Maintain strong client satisfaction while protecting the agencys strategic creative operational and commercial interests.

Strategic Leadership

Develop a strong understanding of the clients business objectives and translate them into clear agency priorities and briefs.

Partner with strategy creative media production digital and other disciplines to develop effective solutions.

Ensure the work remains connected to the clients broader business and marketing objectives.

Identify opportunities to strengthen client strategies programs campaigns and customer experiences.

Bring perspective ideas and proactive recommendations to clients rather than relying solely on client-generated briefs.

Account & Project Leadership

Provide overall leadership across multiple projects workstreams and campaigns.

Ensure teams have clear priorities responsibilities timelines and deliverables.

Work closely with project management and discipline leads to identify risks dependencies resourcing needs and potential delivery issues.

Maintain visibility across the account without unnecessarily managing every task.

Ensure issues are escalated early and addressed before they affect client relationships or project outcomes.

Commercial & Financial Management

Take ownership of the commercial health of assigned accounts.

Understand scopes of work estimates budgets resource allocations retainers and project profitability.

Monitor scope burn downstream costs and financial performance in partnership with finance operations and project management.

Identify and address scope creep early.

Lead commercial conversations with clients when requirements timelines or deliverables change.

Support annual planning forecasting account planning and revenue management.

Identify organic growth opportunities within existing client relationships.

Growth & Business Development

Identify opportunities to expand the agencys relationship with existing clients.

Understand emerging client needs and connect them with relevant agency capabilities.

Contribute to proposals pitches presentations and new-business opportunities where appropriate.

Build a strong understanding of the clients broader organization and identify potential new stakeholders or areas of opportunity.

Team Leadership

Lead and develop account team members including Account Managers Senior Account Executives and junior client-service team members.

Set clear expectations around ownership communication quality and client service.

Delegate effectively while maintaining appropriate oversight.

Coach team members to strengthen their client management commercial judgment strategic thinking and problem-solving capabilities.

Provide regular specific and constructive feedback.

Create an environment where team members feel accountable for outcomes rather than simply completing tasks.

Collaborate effectively with senior leaders across strategy creative production operations finance and other disciplines.

What Success Looks Like

Within the first 612 months the Account Director should:

Establish credibility and trusted relationships with senior client stakeholders.

Develop a strong understanding of client businesses priorities and organizational dynamics.

Take clear ownership of assigned accounts and reduce the need for senior leadership intervention.

Improve proactive communication planning and anticipation of client needs.

Ensure account scopes budgets and profitability are actively managed.

Strengthen coordination and accountability across internal teams.

Identify opportunities to improve or expand the agencys relationship with clients.

Develop and elevate the capabilities of the account team.

Demonstrate sound judgment when balancing client needs with agency priorities.

Required Experience & Capabilities

Significant experience in account management client services marketing advertising communications or a related agency environment.

Experience independently managing complex client relationships and multiple simultaneous workstreams.

Demonstrated experience working with senior client stakeholders.

Strong understanding of integrated marketing and the creative development process.

Strong strategic and business judgment.

Demonstrated financial and commercial awareness including experience managing scopes budgets estimates and profitability.

Ability to identify scope creep and lead constructive commercial conversations.

Strong presentation facilitation and written communication skills.

Strong project and organizational judgment with the ability to prioritize effectively in a fast-moving environment.

Demonstrated ability to lead and develop account teams.

Ability to influence cross-functional teams without relying solely on formal authority.

Strong problem-solving skills and comfort navigating ambiguity conflict and changing priorities.

Preferred Experience

Experience in one or more of the following would be valuable:

Integrated advertising or marketing agencies.

Complex or highly regulated client categories.

Financial services.

Food and beverage.

Alcohol or beverage alcohol.

Consumer services.

Multi-market or national client accounts.

Brand strategy campaign development digital social experiential CRM or integrated communications.

Growing existing client relationships and identifying organic revenue opportunities.

Core Competencies

Client leadership

Strategic thinking

Commercial judgment

Account growth

Project and operational leadership

Communication and presentation

Problem solving and decision-making

Scope and financial management

Cross-functional leadership

People leadership and development

Proactivity and anticipation

Executive presence and stakeholder management

Leadership Style

We are looking for someone who can provide calm clear and accountable leadership.

The successful Account Director should be comfortable operating independently making informed decisions escalating appropriately and taking responsibility for both client and agency outcomes.

They should be able to move between strategic conversations with senior clients and detailed operational discussions with internal teams while maintaining perspective on the overall health and direction of the business.

Use of artificial intelligence
AV Communications does not use artificial intelligence to screen assess or select applicants for this position.

Application follow-up
We will let all candidates who are interviewed for this position know the outcome of their application within 45 days of their final interview.

Equal Opportunity Employer

AV Communications is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a team that reflects the diverse communities and audiences we serve and to maintaining a workplace where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.

We welcome applications from all qualified individuals regardless of race ancestry place of origin colour ethnic origin citizenship creed sex (including pregnancy) sexual orientation gender identity gender expression age record of offences marital status family status or disability. All employment decisions are based on qualifications merit and business needs. Canadian work experience is not a requirement for this position.

Accommodation
In accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the recruitment and selection process. If you require an accommodation please contact and we will work with you to meet your needs. All information will be kept confidential.

Required Experience:

Director