Account Director Jobs in New Jersey

Client Responsibilities

About the job

Who We Are: Founded in 2010, Violet PR has grown to become one of the top boutique PR firms in the country by helping clients that are making a positive impact on the world. The industries we serve include economic development; real estate, architecture and engineering; and social good.

Whether it’s rebranding a city, drawing attention to a revitalized neighborhood, or promoting a new sustainable development, Violet PR helps clients make a difference. Through a combination of news stories, social media and compelling content, our boutique public relations firm helps clients attract more dollars, supporters and attention.

Violet PR has earned numerous national and regional awards for PR excellence and workplace culture. Violet PR is a Certified Woman Owned Business (WBE), a Certified LGBT Business Enterprise, and has been recognized among the industry’s leading boutique PR agencies.

About the Role:

The Account Director is a senior public relations leader responsible for directing major client relationships, overseeing portfolio performance and developing strong account teams and leaders. This role operates at a strategic level, providing executive counsel to clients while ensuring that account strategies, communications programs and teams consistently deliver exceptional results.

Account Directors are expected to build trusted relationships with senior and C-suite client contacts, understand the business challenges behind communications needs and provide counsel on reputation, positioning and business strategy. They maintain strong media expertise and personally lead high-stakes communications while ensuring their teams have the strategy and skills necessary to consistently deliver strong results.

As senior people leaders, Account Directors are responsible for developing managers into effective leaders, guiding staffing and performance decisions and creating teams that operate with increasing autonomy. This role is best suited for a strategic, confident and commercially minded leader who can strengthen client relationships, develop talent and contribute meaningfully to Violet PR’s growth and success.

Client Responsibilities:

• Direct communications strategy across key client accounts, ensuring programs are aligned with clients’ business priorities and long-term objectives.
• Serve as an executive-level client contact and trusted advisor to senior and C-suite stakeholders.
• Provide strategic counsel on reputation, positioning, business priorities, communications opportunities and potential risks.
• Shape executive narratives, messaging frameworks and strategic communications programs that strengthen clients’ market positions.
• Ensure consistently strong strategic and creative work across every account under the Account Director’s leadership.
• Direct media strategy across key accounts and ensure teams consistently deliver meaningful earned media results, including top-tier coverage.
• Maintain strong relationships with influential reporters and producers and leverage those relationships strategically across client programs.
• Personally lead high-stakes, sensitive or complex communications and media opportunities when senior expertise is required.
• Guide teams on top-tier media strategy and strengthen their ability to secure meaningful coverage without relying on the Account Director to personally execute every pitch.
• Lead client crisis and issues-management efforts when appropriate.
• Oversee portfolio health across assigned accounts, including client satisfaction, retention, growth, scope and profitability.
• Anticipate client needs and identify opportunities to strengthen, expand or evolve communications programs.
• Lead client escalations and difficult conversations, working toward positive resolution while protecting both the client relationship and Violet PR’s interests.
• Oversee account budgets, staffing and scope and ensure resources are aligned appropriately with client needs and agency goals.
• Lead renewal, expansion and scope conversations and build strong business cases for continued or increased client investment.

Team Responsibilities

• Provide senior leadership across account teams, ensuring managers have clear expectations, appropriate resources and accountability for performance.
• Develop Account Managers and Senior Account Managers into confident, effective leaders who can independently lead clients and teams.
• Coach managers on strategic counsel, client leadership, delegation, performance management and decision-making.
• Guide staffing decisions across assigned accounts to ensure appropriate skill levels, utilization and development opportunities.
• Participate actively in performance reviews, development planning and promotion recommendations.
• Sponsor and create opportunities for high-performing employees to grow into larger roles and responsibilities.
• Address underperformance directly and ensure managers appropriately address performance concerns within their own teams.
• Build succession depth by developing team members who can take on meaningful portions of the Account Director’s responsibilities.
• Create teams that operate with increasing autonomy, where responsibilities, priorities and expectations are clear without requiring constant senior direction.
• Foster a collaborative, accountable and positive working environment and model steady leadership during high-pressure situations.

Agency Responsibilities

• Lead and contribute to new business pursuits, including proposal strategy, pricing input and pitch presentations.
• Serve as a senior voice in new business meetings and help translate Violet PR’s capabilities into compelling solutions for prospective clients.
• Build and strengthen relationships that generate referrals, new business opportunities and organic growth.
• Support the successful onboarding of new clients, ensuring appropriate strategy, staffing and expectations are established from the outset.
• Contribute to agency-wide training, operational initiatives and other efforts that strengthen Violet PR beyond assigned accounts.
• Develop tools, systems and processes that improve team effectiveness and expand the agency’s capacity to deliver excellent work.
• Maintain a strong understanding of Violet PR’s financial and business priorities and identify opportunities to improve productivity and profitability.
• Step into agency challenges when leadership is needed, even when the issue falls outside the Account Director’s immediate accounts or direct reports.
• Make decisions based on what is best for Violet PR as a whole, balancing client, employee and agency needs.
• Model Violet PR’s values and help preserve and strengthen the agency’s culture as the company grows.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in public relations, communications, journalism, marketing or a related field preferred.
• Approximately 8–10+ years of public relations or communications experience, preferably in an agency and/or B2B environment.
• Significant experience leading major client relationships and providing strategic counsel to senior and C-suite executives.
• Demonstrated ability to direct communications strategy across multiple complex accounts or programs.
• Strong track record of developing successful media strategies and securing meaningful national and top-tier business media coverage.
• Established relationships with influential journalists, reporters, producers and other relevant media contacts.
• Experience leading sensitive, high-stakes or complex client communications.
• Strong executive presence and ability to lead productive, strategic conversations with senior client stakeholders.
• Excellent writing, editing, presentation and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated experience managing account portfolios, including budgets, scope, staffing, retention and profitability.
• Proven ability to identify and close organic account growth opportunities and contribute meaningfully to new business wins.
• Significant experience managing and developing managers and other senior-level employees.
• Demonstrated ability to make sound staffing, performance and development decisions.
• Strong business judgment and understanding of agency economics, client retention, profitability and growth.
• Ability to navigate complex client, employee and organizational situations with sound judgment and professionalism.
• Experience in economic development, real estate, architecture and engineering, social good or related B2B industries preferred.
• Ability to travel to client sites, conferences and other business events as needed.

Work Arrangement Full-time; hybrid work arrangement with approximately three office days per week, subject to team, client and business needs. Primary office: Montclair, New Jersey.

Compensation & Benefits

• Health Insurance
• 401(k) Retirement
• Paid Vacation & Holidays
• Hybrid Work
• Paid Sick & Safe Leave

Salary: $125-$150K range + Bonus Consideration

Actual compensation depends on qualifications, experience, and internal equity. Benefits and discretionary bonus consideration are subject to applicable eligibility requirements and company policies.

Equal Employment Opportunity & Accommodations

Violet PR is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We provide equal employment opportunities without regard to actual or perceived race, color, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship or immigration status, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital, civil union or domestic partnership status, disability, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable federal, New Jersey, New York State or local law.

Violet PR prohibits unlawful discrimination, harassment and retaliation. We provide reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants and employees in accordance with applicable law.

Applicants needing an accommodation during recruitment may contact careers@violetpr.com.

Pay: $125,000.00 - $150,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee discount
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Montclair, NJ 07042