5+ years of experience in managing branding and creative projects, preferably in an agency or design studio
Strong understanding of brand strategy, creative development, and design processes
Proficient in managing complex projects with multiple stakeholders
Commercially minded with experience in managing project scope and profitability
Excellent communication skills with a focus on relationship building
Proactive, organized, and solutions-oriented mindset
Responsibilities
Lead day-to-day management of multiple branding and design projects from kickoff to delivery
Develop trusted partnerships with clients, understanding their businesses and managing expectations
Collaborate with creative and strategy teams to ensure exceptional work and protect creative integrity
Create detailed project plans, timelines, and resource schedules to keep teams aligned
Manage project budgets and financial reporting, ensuring commercial health of projects
Support new business opportunities by developing proposals and project approaches
Navigate challenges and difficult conversations with composure and sound judgment
Benefits
Opportunity to shape client relationships and contribute to studio growth
Collaborative work environment with a focus on creative excellence
Chance to work on diverse branding and design projects
Supportive leadership that values proactive problem-solving
Access to professional development opportunities
Full Job Description
The Role
Koto is looking for a thoughtful, proactive, and commercially minded Senior Client Manager to join our growing Client Services team in New York. You'll be a trusted partner to our clients and creative teams, leading projects from kickoff through delivery and ensuring exceptional work is delivered with care, clarity, and purpose.
You understand the balance between creative ambition and commercial realities, bringing structure to complex projects, building meaningful relationships, and creating the conditions for our teams to do their best work. You're confident taking ownership, anticipating challenges, and keeping everyone moving in the right direction.
This is an opportunity to play an important role in shaping client relationships, delivering ambitious creative work, and contributing to the continued growth of our New York studio. Your Responsibilities
Own projects from start to finish. You lead the day-to-day management of multiple branding and design projects, owning timelines, budgets, deliverables, and stakeholder communication. You ensure projects are delivered on time, within scope, and to the highest creative standards.
Build meaningful client relationships. You develop trusted partnerships with clients, understanding their businesses, ambitions, and challenges. You act as a confident point of contact, managing expectations, anticipating needs, and balancing client priorities with the needs of our creative teams.
Champion great creative work. You understand the branding and design process and know how to create the right conditions for exceptional work. You collaborate closely with our creative and strategy teams, helping navigate feedback, protect creative integrity, and ensure the work delivers against the brief.
Plan ahead and keep things moving. You develop thoughtful project plans, timelines, and resourcing schedules, anticipating challenges before they become problems. You bring clarity to complex projects, keep teams aligned, and ensure everyone understands priorities, responsibilities, and next steps.
Own the commercial details. You manage project budgets, monitor profitability, track resourcing, and maintain accurate financial reporting. You confidently navigate scope changes, identify commercial risks, and work closely with studio leadership and Finance to keep projects commercially healthy.
Contribute to new business. You support new business opportunities by developing proposals, scopes of work, budgets, timelines, and project approaches. You bring a thoughtful perspective to how we structure engagements and help create a compelling experience for prospective clients.
Navigate challenges with confidence. You approach difficult conversations, shifting priorities, and unexpected challenges with composure and sound judgment. Whether managing feedback, negotiating scope, or resolving project issues, you bring solutions while protecting relationships and the quality of our work.
About You
You have 5+ years of experience managing branding and creative projects, ideally within an agency or design studio.
You have a strong understanding of brand strategy, creative development, and design processes, with a genuine passion for great creative work.
You're commercially minded and comfortable managing scope, resourcing, and project profitability.
You're a natural relationship builder and excellent communicator, navigating client conversations and challenges with confidence, empathy, and sound judgment.
You're proactive, organized, and solutions-oriented, bringing a collaborative, low-ego approach and a genuine desire to help those around you succeed.
