WHO: | LAUNCH! (a division of CIM) |
Roles: | Director of Client Services |
Location: | Etobicoke (191 The West Mall, Suite 500) |
The Company
LAUNCH! is the brand marketing division of CIM, Ltd. (Consumer Impact Marketing), a privately held sales & merchandising and communications organization. LAUNCH! has been honoured as one of the “Top 50 Hottest Agencies†in 2004 and “Top 100 Fastest Growing Agencies†in 2005 and 2006.
CIM has extensive experience in experiential marketing (events & promotions), sales & merchandising and information management and has full-service offices in Toronto and Montreal, as well as satellite offices across Canada and in New York City. CIM has become the fastest-growing – and largest – sales & merchandising & communications company in the country and has been honored as one of Canada's “50 Best Managed Companies†for the past seven years.
The 'astronauts' piloting LAUNCH! think of themselves as a new breed of brand marketers. They recognize the changing nature of building and promoting brands as one of the greatest opportunities of our time for marketing professionals who are truly passionate about their industry. They understand that truly powerful brands do not 'interact' with their market's culture; they become a part of it.
The Conceptual Ideation people at LAUNCH! believe in results – brand-building, sales-driving, measurable ROI—and their Clients really, really seem to like that.
LAUNCH! specializes in linking brands and consumers, but also in leveraging brand-retailer relationships in new and innovative ways in an effort to bridge the traditional sales-marketing divide. Over the past 10 years, putting consumer interaction to work has become an integral part of the marketing mix and CIM / LAUNCH! has long been a market leader in this area. To continue to stay out in front of the pack, LAUNCH! is dedicated to concocting ever more inventive new efforts to help make their Clients' brands relevant, valued and welcome in the lives of consumers. LAUNCH! designs both campaigns and the hands-on execution of the program elements in-market to ensure they are delivering the measurable business results today's Clients demand.
LAUNCH! has the leadership, track record, people, experience and technology, but most importantly, a passion for creating breakthrough communication programs to help achieve their Clients' marketing goals effectively and consistently.
The LAUNCH! Portfolio includes work for:
20th Century Fox, Colgate Palmolive, Dairy Farmers of Canada, Dentyne (Cadbury) Diageo, Effem / Mars, G4 Tech TV, Esso, Frito Lay, Kraft, KFC / Taco Bell Microsoft, Moosehead, Much Music, Natrel (Agropur) OHHA (Ontario Harness Horse Association), OLG, Paramount, Pepsi-Cola Canada, QTG, Revlon, Reckitt Benckiser, RIM (Blackberry) Scott's Canada, Sobeys, Telus, Warnaco, Xbox (Microsoft).
Director Of Client Services
As a highly strategic, energetic leader with experience in strategic planning and client management in the MARCOM industry, the Director of Client Service will work directly with the senior members of the organization to build a formidable team and solid strategic & creative reputation. The ideal candidate will be someone who has an obsession with unlocking consumer insights in order to build brands, in addition to having a track record of leadership excellence.
The ideal candidate must have a solid reputation, be well connected within the industry and have a proven track record in building strong client relations. A good pitch rate and a fierce entrepreneurial streak, along with the ability to embrace change, will also be invaluable qualities, but most importantly the winning candidate will be someone who 'gets' where the industry is going and has a grasp of what 'Marketing 3.0' (not '2.0'!), is going to be all about. Aristotle said: “Those who know, do. Those who understand, teach.†The new LAUNCH! Director of Client Service will be responsible for coaching the team and leading the vision for the company's Clients.
The Director of Client Service will lead a team of five in-house client service staff.
Specific responsibilities will include:
- To lead brand strategy development for the complete Client portfolio.
- Financial management – responsible for the total divisional fiscal plan – Revenue / Profit / Client Care and Personnel management.
- To oversee the planning, execution and delivery of Client programs / campaigns within designated portfolios – ensuring compliance with Client Objectives, achieving excellence and cementing client relationships at a senior level.
- Working closely together with the core senior team (creative / production / operations) to provide on-going leadership and direction to the various programs / campaigns.
- Business development – three fronts:
- Core focus: Identifying new business opportunities within existing clients.
- Responding to inquiries / RFP's from new clients in close collaboration with the New Business Development Team. (Note: Important to note that there is a dedicated new business team focused against business development)
- Pro-active pursuit of defined new opportunities in support of the Executive team
- To lead the team – To recruit, train, manage, develop and mentor LAUNCH! Client Service personnel through the application of PDP, progression and succession planning
- To identify, manage and/or support LAUNCH! divisional and corporate initiatives as a member of the Senior Management team and in conjunction with Launch!' Annual Operating Plans* Account Management – “match contacting†key strategic clients with Executive Team and aligning key personnel coverage matrix
Ideally the Candidate will have:
- Minimum of 5 years experience in a client service director role (with proven track record developing brand strategies) with a leading communications / marketing firm.
- Minimum of 5 years experience managing direct reports.
- Extensive Industry knowledge – particularly consumer packaged goods
- University/college degree in business/marketing/communications related field.
- Excellent oral and written communications skills.
- Excellent financial planning and management skills.
- Ability to excel in a fast-paced team environment.
- Superb problem-solving skills in coming up with fresh and practical solutions.
- Sense of urgency, commitment to quality and the ability to consistently think at a strategic level.
- Highly developed and competent planning and organizational skills (time management, budgeting, etc.)
Core Competencies
- Thriving on challenges and solving those
- Results oriented.
- Passionate.
- Flexibility and a talent for coming up with unexpected strategic & creative solutions.
- Ability to articulate a 'vision' of how any given solution flows out from the initial challenge.
- Ability to inspire and evangelize both internal staff and outside Clients.
- Ability to delegate effectively – leverage the strength of the team
- strong values/ethics/integrity
If you are someone who has an incurable, uncontrollable urge to embrace change, challenge the status quo and the talent to move others, what are you waiting for? Apply to [email protected].