Excel Sports Management is an industry-leading sports agency representing top-tier talent, blue-chip brands and marquee properties. Our success is rooted in our people, our high character reputation and our commitment to creating a diverse and welcoming workplace. We focus on team chemistry, collaboration, strong relationships, valuable networks, and ambitious ideas to deliver innovative solutions that keep our clients and agency ahead of the curve.
Excel Sports Management is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE).
Position Summary: As a Senior Account Director, you are a business leader across high-value client relationships. You set the vision for partnership growth, influence enterprise-level stakeholders, and shape how the agency shows up strategically within complex organizations. You may support a single enterprise-scale client or oversee 2–3 important accounts. You operate as a trusted advisor to senior and executive client leadership while partnering closely with Operations to ensure delivery excellence supports commercial ambition.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
Client Leadership:
- Serve as the business lead across account(s).
- Demonstrate deep client understanding—grasping the client’s business, industry, organizational dynamics, and objectives to guide partnership direction.
- Shape long-term partnership strategy aligned to enterprise objectives.
- Advise senior client stakeholders with confidence and clarity.
- Navigate complex stakeholder ecosystems and procurement environments.
- Lead relationship strategy across senior stakeholders, strengthening trust, influence, and decision-making velocity.
Growth and Portfolio Expansion
- Own growth targets across assigned accounts.
- Develop and execute multi-year expansion strategies.
- Identify whitespace opportunities across business units, channels, and markets.
- Architect integrated solutions by mobilizing capabilities across the agency to solve complex client challenges.
- Play a central role in new business efforts and high-profile pitches.
Strategic Integration & Agency Leadership
- Align Business and Operational leadership around shared goals and financial outcomes.
- Ensure agency capabilities evolve in response to client and category shifts.
- Influence internal decision-making to prioritize high-impact opportunities.
- Serve as a visible leader within the agency and externally in the marketplace.
- Maintain a strong industry presence and network—leveraging relationships across brands, properties, leagues, talent ecosystems, and partners to unlock differentiated opportunities for clients and the agency.
Financial Oversight
- Maintain visibility into account financial performance.
- Guide revenue forecasting and long-term financial planning.
- Lead negotiation discussions related to scopes, retainers, and renewals.
- Own commercial decision-making across accounts—including agreements, pricing strategy, profitability management, and deal negotiation—in partnership with executive leadership as appropriate.
Talent & Leadership Development
- Mentor Account Managers and Account Coordinators.
- Help identify future business leaders within the organization.
- Model composure, decisiveness, and strategic clarity in high-stakes moments.
Qualifications
- 10–12+ years of experience in agency, sponsorship marketing, or brand marketing leadership.
- Proven experience managing large, complex client relationships
- Demonstrated success growing revenue and expanding scope of business.
- Strong financial and commercial negotiation experience.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
- Exceptional strategic and commercial acumen.
- Senior-level client management experience with executive presence.
- Demonstrated success driving significant revenue growth.
- Ability to balance ambition with disciplined business judgment.
- Skilled at leading through influence rather than direct execution control.
- Deep understanding of integrated marketing ecosystems.
- Outcome orientation, ensuring work ladders to measurable business impact.
- Strong industry and cultural expertise, bringing deep knowledge of sports, music, entertainment, and cultural trends to identify emerging opportunities and right-fit partnerships.
The pay range for this position is $170,000 - $190,000 per year. This position is also eligible for benefits and discretionary bonus.
Please note that the foregoing compensation information is a good-faith assessment associated with this position only and is provided pursuant to the New York City Salary Transparency Law.
Ultimately, the salary may vary based upon, but not limited to, relevant experience, time in role, business sector, and geographic location, among other criteria.
This position is not eligible for sponsorship.
Excel Sports Management provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, leaves of absence, compensation and training.