Vice President, Food Agriculture + Ingredient at Ketchum in Washington, DC

Our Food, Agriculture and Ingredient team is looking for a Vice President, Account Director to join our growing team. This hire will serve as a key agency contact for several accounts focused on Ingredient and Food marketing to business. This role will help lead and direct program efforts to ensure client satisfaction and bring a value-added approach to client work. We are looking for an individual with strong initiative, energy and professionalism.

About the Job

• Work with the leadership team to identify growth categories in the space. Build a compelling Ketchum offering around key growth categories
• Provide senior counsel and nurture relationships and deliver high value with and to clients. Impact strategic business and marketing decisions from a communications standpoint. Bring a value-added approach to all issues and projects
• Champion change initiatives, demonstrate, encourage and drives entrepreneurial mindset and behavior for continuously evolving offerings to clients
• Exhibit strong communication and presentation skills to effectively articulate ideas to clients, colleagues and others
• Work with client and specialist teams across the network to continue to build a profitable, growing, industry-leading and award-winning business within the agency
• Manage account team financials including budget allocation, client billing, supplier invoicing and purchase orders; ensure team billability and account profitability
• Stay current with new developments in the industry and develop agency POVs that inspire actionable strategies
• Demonstrate strategic understanding and application of social media and digital tools
• Create new business opportunities, marketing or industry exposures for the agency
• Take a leadership role in new business prospecting, proposal development and presentations; work with account teams to build incremental business
• Visibly and actively engender an entrepreneurial, sales-driven culture, focused on generating growth opportunities from clients and prospects, and providing unique growth and development opportunities for current and future Ketchum talent
• Provide visionary leadership and drive the strategy of the group. Demonstrate an ability to partner with, lead and develop talent and build a culture of belonging

Qualifications

• At least 8+ years of experience, ideally in an agency or professional services environment
• Direct experience in building, growing and managing high performing teams
• Ability to travel to various offices for new business pitches, client meetings and other requirements of the role
• Must be knowledgeable about foodservice and/or retail channel marketing and integrated marketing, including media planning and publicity, and demonstrate understanding/application of emerging social media channels/digital marketing