Associate Account Director

Overview

FWD People is a full-service strategic marketing agency delivering meaningful and measurable results in the health and non-profit sectors. We take pride in being our clients' trusted strategic partner—staying ahead of the curve, and leveraging our expertise and foresight to help them navigate change and seize opportunities. We approach every challenge with a commitment to innovation, excellence, and empathy, and we seek the same qualities in our leaders.

As a fast-growing, senior team, we're excited to welcome more forward-thinking individuals who will help us drive growth, foster positive change within our client's industries, and have fun along the way.

We’re looking for an Associate Account Director who brings confidence, strategic instinct, and operational excellence to some of our most important accounts. You’ll lead day-to-day client relationships, guide multi-workstream programs from insight through execution, and help shape the work with both strategic perspective and operational rigor. You’ll also play a meaningful role in strengthening our processes, mentoring teammates, and contributing to organic and new-business growth.

This role is ideal for someone who is equal parts relationship leader, strategic thinker, and operational anchor. Someone who anticipates needs, speaks the client’s language, brings calm to complexity, and helps teams deliver high-quality work that moves the needle. If you love being the connective tissue between client vision and team execution — and you thrive in fast-paced, senior, collaborative environments — you’ll feel right at home here.

At FWD, we care deeply about our work and the people we work with. We take our no-jerk policy seriously. You’ll thrive here if you bring ownership without ego, curiosity, a sense of humor, and a genuine commitment to building brands — and relationships — that matter.

• Lead client relationships with confidence and clarity. Act as a trusted partner to client teams, building strong relationships through strategic guidance, proactive communication, and clear, timely decision-making.

• Own and orchestrate complex, multi-stream projects. Drive the overall momentum of engagements — from initial strategic framing to day-to-day delivery — ensuring teams are aligned, risks are surfaced early, and work moves forward smoothly and predictably.

• Provide strategic POV and elevate the work. Bring sharp thinking, industry context, and a problem-solving mindset to help shape briefs, refine deliverables, and connect creative and strategic output to client goals.

• Manage financial performance. Monitor scope, staffing, burn, and forecasts with precision. Build smart estimates and partner with Operations to optimize utilization and keep projects financially healthy.

• Guide cross-functional teams. Motivate and coordinate multidisciplinary partners — strategy, creative, medical, digital, and operations — to deliver work that meets the highest standards of clarity, craft, and accuracy.

• Ensure operational excellence. Maintain rigorous project tracking, create timelines that work, manage regulatory workflows, and ensure all submissions and deliverables meet quality, compliance, and brand standards.

• Identify opportunities for organic growth. Spot patterns, anticipate future needs, and surface strategic opportunities that deepen relationships and fuel long-term account growth.

• Contribute to agency growth and new business. Support pitch development, proposal writing, scoping, and positioning — bringing a thoughtful, solutions-oriented lens to new opportunities.

• Mentor and support teammates. Share best practices, model strong account leadership behaviors, and help cultivate a culture of clarity, ownership, and excellence across the Account team.

• 7+ years of account management experience within a creative or strategic marketing agency — including experience supporting animal health, pet care, or adjacent clients.

• A proven ability to lead client relationships. You build trust quickly, speak with strategic authority, and guide clients through decisions with clarity, honesty, and calm.

• Strong strategic and business instincts. You…