VML

Associate Account Director

VML$75K — $180K *
Manufacturing & Automotive
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 7+ years of experience in account management, client partnership, or client-facing delivery at a digital advertising agency.
  • Proven experience with Tier 1 automotive accounts or large automotive websites is preferred.
  • Strong understanding of web production lifecycles and UX/UI principles.
  • Experience working with analytics teams and interpreting performance metrics.
  • Demonstrated stakeholder management skills, with ability to navigate complex relationships and align priorities.

Responsibilities

  • Serve as the primary client partner for Ford.com workstreams, ensuring alignment of client priorities and delivery expectations.
  • Manage the annual vehicle Model Year Changeovers, coordinating with various teams for content migration and updates.
  • Oversee launches for brand campaigns and high-impact digital experiences, ensuring timely execution and stakeholder alignment.
  • Develop personalized digital experiences based on audience insights and tailored content journey planning.
  • Coordinate and execute A/B testing initiatives, analyzing results and providing optimization recommendations.

Benefits

  • Hybrid work environment with an average of four days in-office per week.
  • Competitive benefits package with various options available.
  • Encouragement of creativity and collaboration through team-focused work.
  • Accommodations and flexibility available upon discussion during the interview.
Full Job Description
VML is in search of an Associate Account Director, Web to lead client partnership and agency operations across critical Ford.com workstreams.

In this role, you will serve as a day-to-day client partner and agency lead for Ford.com workstreams, driving web experiences that support vehicle launches, model year changeovers, brand campaigns, sales events, personalization, testing, and ongoing site optimization.

What you'll do:
  • Serve as the client partner and agency operational lead for critical Ford.com workstreams, aligning client priorities, internal responsibilities, timelines, risks, delivery expectations, campaign timing, brand standards, and production requirements across integrated agency partners.
  • Own and deliver Ford Vehicle Model Year Changeovers (MYCOs), partnering with delivery, creative, content, UX, data, and technology teams to manage the annual migration of vehicle content, asset development, and build-and-price configurator updates across multiple Ford vehicles.
  • Own and deliver Ford.com launches for brand campaigns, sales events, vehicle reveals, and high-impact digital experiences, coordinating client approvals, stakeholder inputs, content readiness, development timelines, launch requirements, and post-launch follow-up.
  • Create personalized digital experiences by partnering with strategy, UX, creative, data, content, and development teams to define audience needs, tailor site content, deliver relevant user journeys across Ford.com, and connect personalization efforts to measurable engagement and conversion goals.
  • Execute A/B tests by coordinating test strategy, audience segmentation, creative and content variations, implementation requirements, performance tracking, and results analysis, then translate findings into optimization recommendations.

Who you are:
  • Direct experience with Model Year Changeovers (MYCOs), complex digital retail configurators, large-scale site updates, or vehicle launch programs is a significant plus.
  • Leadership style: A calm, structured, and solutions-oriented leader who thrives under pressure, manages tight deadlines and moving targets, and helps teams stay aligned through ambiguity.
  • Comfortable working in integrated agency relationships, including collaborating across account, strategy, creative, UX, content, data, technology, media, client teams, and other client agency partners to keep workstreams aligned.
  • Able to manage multiple projects at once, prioritize high-value tasks, identify tradeoffs, escalate risks early, and keep teams focused on the work that matters most.
  • Familiarity with interactive campaign planning and macro strategy development, including how digital experiences support broader brand, launch, and sales event objectives.
  • General understanding of AI and how it can support daily duties, improve team workflows, strengthen operational efficiency, and enhance campaign or program delivery.
  • Deliver clear, concise, and accurate messages verbally and in writing, tailoring communication for clients, internal teams, and cross-functional partners.

What you'll need:
  • 7+ years of experience in account management, client partnership, or client-facing delivery at a digital advertising, marketing, or digital product agency.
  • Industry focus: Proven experience working on a Tier 1 automotive account, vehicle launch program, digital retail experience, or large automotive website is highly preferred.
  • Digital expertise: Deep understanding of web production lifecycles, content management systems (CMS), digital asset management (DAM), UX/UI principles, quality assurance, accessibility considerations, and agile delivery methodologies.
  • Data-driven mindset: Experience partnering with analytics teams to interpret web performance metrics in Adobe Analytics, evaluate conversion rate optimization (CRO) opportunities, and translate A/B testing results into actionable recommendations.
  • Strong stakeholder management skills, including the ability to align senior clients, agency partners, and internal teams around scope, timelines, dependencies, risks, and decision points.


The base salary range for this position at the time of this posting is indicated below. Individual compensation varies based on job-related factors, including location, business needs, level of responsibility, experience, and qualifications. We offer a competitive benefits package, click WPP Benefits for more details.

$75,000-$180,000 USD

We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we've adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office an average of four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.

VML is a WPP agency (NYSE: WPP). For more information, please visit www.vml.com, and follow along on Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.

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About VML

VML is a global marketing and advertising agency. The company was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. VML provides a wide range of services including brand strategy, creative design, social media, and e-commerce. The company has worked with several high-profile clients including Ford, PepsiCo, and Wendy's. VML has won numerous awards for its innovative marketing campaigns and has been recognized as one of the top advertising agencies in the world.
Learn more about VML
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3,000 employees
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