Senior Account Director

职位描述 Job Description

COLENSO – SENIOR ACCOUNT DIRECTOR (Shanghai)

We are Colenso.

Founded in 1969 to become a beacon for the greatest talent in the world to do the greatest work of their lives. Our mission is to make work no one else in the world can.

Our work and our standards have always made the best in the business feel scared. We are recognised as one of the most globally awarded and respected agencies for creativity and effectiveness, creating ideas for brands from America to Australia and everywhere in between.

We exist to destroy the indifference between good brands and culture. We don’t believe in selling ads, our focus has always been to use creativity to solve brands’ biggest and most complex problems. By playing at the creative end of business we create ideas that have fundamentally changed brands, companies and categories.

Creativity, audacity, honesty and mischief are the values that guide everything we do. We believe no-one is as good as all of us, creativity is born from culture, and it’s better to be audaciously stupid than sensibly safe.

FUNCTION

As a Senior Account Director (SAD) you are a senior client service representative of the agency with responsibility for the work you manage through the agency and the group.  The Senior Account Director leads the strategic and commercial direction of a key account within the Shanghai-based Colenso studio. You will partner closely with Business Management, Strategy, Creative, and Production teams in both Shanghai and Auckland to deliver culturally powerful, commercially effective work for one of the world’s most recognised sports brands across Asia‑Pacific.

We look to our SBDs to be true leaders and a driving force on our client’s business. In conjunction with the CEO, you will set the course for a healthy client/agency relationship based on mutual respect and common objectives, which allow for unique strategic insights and brave creative work.

In this role you will be counted upon to have a firm grasp on the financial aspects of your accounts, understand the detail of the contracts in place and actively work to develop the client’s business and maximise revenue opportunities.

You are expected to be actively involved in the training, development and recruitment of the less experienced members of the team. You will provide leadership and strategic direction for your team on behalf of the agency.

In addition, you will provide perspective and leadership in the development of the highest possible level of professional performance across all agency disciplines. You will always be looking for new opportunities and better ways to deliver to client and agency objectives.

CONTACTS

Internal:

• Reports to the CEO

• Works alongside senior business leaders.

• Partners with Creative Directors, Strategy and Production across Shanghai and New Zealand.

External:

• Acts as senior point of contact for Heads of Marketing, Brand, Creative and Strategy on the client side.

• Regular engagement with senior media, commercial and digital leadership across APAC.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES

1) Business & Strategic Leadership

• Shape and lead the long-term strategic direction of the client’s APAC business.

• Identify cultural, commercial and creative opportunities to build the brand in meaningful and memorable ways.

• Work closely with Strategy to translate client ambitions into clear, inspiring, culturally relevant direction for creative teams.

2) Creative Leadership

• Champion ideas that push culture forward and set new creative standards.

• Influence the quality, ambition and clarity of the creative response.

• Ensure all work aligns with regional cultural dynamics, social narratives and long-term brand ambition.

3) Client Management

• Build and deepen senior relationships with client leadership across APAC.

• Help clients succeed in ways better than they imagined.

• Guide clients through complex decisions with confidence, clarity and empathy.

4) Operational Excellence

• Oversee financial and operational health of the account—scoping, forecasting, resourcing and commercial stewardship.

• Ensure seamless collaboration between Shanghai and Auckland teams, including process alignment, communication and workflow.

5) Team Leadership & Development

• Mentor and develop Account Management talent within the Shanghai studio.

• Model leadership behaviours centred on curiosity, clarity, creativity and cultural awareness.

• Encourage a team environment where creativity thrives and people feel empowered.

DEVELOPMENT

Based in Shanghai, you will work directly with Colenso senior leadership team. You will also be fully integrated into the broader Colenso network, participating in strategic forums, leadership development and cross‑market creative opportunities unavailable anywhere else.

KEY EXPECTATIONS

• Care deeply about creativity, culture and the communities shaping it.

• Be informed on regional trends, not just local ones.

• Lead with clarity—never dictate.

• Simplify complexity without oversimplifying.

• Maintain focus on the quality of the output while respecting the process.

• Seek opportunities for brands to contribute to culture, not simply borrow from it.

• Love creativity more than ads.