The Account Manager is the primary relationship lead and the "face" of SmartBug for our clients. In this structure, you are liberated from project management and technical execution to focus entirely on client satisfaction, trust, and retention. You serve as the bridge between the client's business goals and our internal delivery teams.
Your mission is to ensure that the client feels valued, heard, and prioritized. You own the "human" element of the partnership, acting as a high-level advocate for the client internally while managing the commercial health and long-term loyalty of the account externally.
Responsibilities
• Primary Relationship Lead: Serve as the main point of contact for all client communication, ensuring a high-touch, concierge-level experience.
• Executive Presence: Build and maintain strong relationships with client stakeholders and C-suite executives, moving beyond a vendor relationship to become a trusted advisor.
• Feedback Mastery: Proactively solicit client feedback, conduct NPS/satisfaction check-ins, and identify potential friction points before they impact the relationship.
• Strategic Alignment: Work closely with strategy team members to ensure the client understands how our strategic roadmap aligns with their business objectives.
• Retention Ownership: Directly responsible for client happiness and account retention, ensuring that every client in your portfolio is a potential reference.
• Client Advocacy: Act as the "Voice of the Client" within SmartBug, ensuring their needs and concerns are prioritized by the delivery teams.
• Conflict Resolution: Lead high-level conversations around client concerns or pivots in business direction, maintaining poise and professional integrity.
• Commercial Oversight: Monitor the financial health of the account, ensuring the partnership remains profitable and within the intended commercial scope.
• Organic Growth: Identify opportunities for account expansion and partner with Sales and Strategy to propose additional services that drive further value for the client.
• Brand Advocacy: Drive the collection of client reviews, case studies, and awards to celebrate the success of the partnership.
Required Skills & Experience
• Experience: 5-7 years in high-level account management or client services within a digital agency environment.
• Emotional Intelligence: High EQ with a proven ability to manage complex human dynamics and build trust with senior-level executives.
• Communication Mastery: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with a focus on "storytelling" the value of the agency's work.
• Commercial Acumen: Understanding of agency economics, including retention metrics, lifetime value (LTV), and account growth.
• HubSpot Literacy: Sufficient knowledge of the HubSpot ecosystem to confidently discuss project status and strategic value with clients.
• Education: Bachelor's degree in Communications, Marketing, Business, or a related field.
Preferred Qualifications
• Experience in a HubSpot Partner agency environment or with HubSpot-centric client engagements
• Familiarity with CRM platforms (particularly HubSpot) sufficient to discuss strategy, reporting, and project status with clients
• Experience with customer success platforms or tools (e.g., Gainsight, ChurnZero, or similar) for tracking account health
• Demonstrated experience managing a portfolio of accounts with $1M+ in combined ARR
• Experience working remotely in a client-facing role, with a track record of maintaining strong relationships in a distributed environment
• Background in digital marketing, inbound strategy, or marketing operations to strengthen client conversations around campaign performance and ROI
• Experience facilitating executive business reviews (EBRs) or quarterly business reviews (QBRs) with senior-level stakeholders
$75,000 - $95,000 a year
