Account Director

The Account Director leads and grows strategic client relationships within Miller Zell’s Retail vertical. This role serves as the advisor to senior client stakeholders, shaping programs that enhance customer experience, improve store performance, and drive measurable business outcomes.

The Account Director owns client strategy, account growth, and client retention. This role partners closely with internal program leaders responsible for execution to ensure seamless delivery of client initiatives. This is a consultative, commercially driven role focused on building long-term partnerships and solving client business challenges—not executing day-to-day delivery.

This role is expected to proactively challenge client thinking, bring new ideas forward, and reinforce Miller Zell’s position as a thought leader—not simply respond to stated needs.

How the Role Works

• The Account Director owns the client relationship, strategy, and growth.
• A Senior Project Manager and/or Sr. Project Manager owns execution and delivery.
• Success depends on a strong partnership across these roles and the ability to align internal teams around a clear client vision.

Essential Job Functions

Client Leadership & Strategic Advisory

• Build and maintain relationships with senior client stakeholders across marketing, merchandising, brand, real estate, store operations, store development, and visual merchandising.
• Navigate complex client organizations, building relationships across multiple levels and functions.
• Develop a deep understanding of each client’s business, priorities, and competitive landscape.
• Serve as a trusted advisor on:
  • In-store customer experience
  • Brand expression
  • Fixture strategy
  • Environmental graphics
  • In-store signage
  • Wayfinding
  • Overall store flow
• Create intuitive retail environments that enable customers to discover and purchase products.
• Offer a clear, informed point of view to clients, representing both the client’s interests and Miller Zell’s expertise.
• Reinforce Miller Zell’s position as a strategic partner and thought leader through proactive ideas and insights.

Account Growth & Commercial Ownership

• Own revenue growth, influence margin performance, and ensure overall account health.
• Identify and develop new opportunities across programs, services, and initiatives.
• Lead proposal development, scope definition, and contract negotiations.
• Build multi-year roadmaps that align Miller Zell capabilities with client objectives.
• Ensure Miller Zell is positioned as a strategic partner rather than a transactional vendor.

Retail Experience Leadership & Collaboration

• Demonstrate comfort and fluency in branded environments, retail store design, store operations, and retail customer experience strategy.
• Critically evaluate designs, strategies, plans, drawings, and recommendations from internal teams, providing clear and constructive feedback on behalf of the client.
• Ensure solutions align with brand standards, customer behavior, and operational realities.
• Collaborate with design, strategy, engineering, and project management teams to elevate the quality and effectiveness of all deliverables.

Financial & Analytical Rigor

• Evaluate opportunities through a financial lens, including ROI, scalability, and profitability.
• Partner with internal teams to develop business cases, success metrics, and performance reporting.
• Translate data and insights into clear recommendations that drive client decisions.
• Leverage advanced Excel and PowerPoint skills to analyze, structure, and present complex information clearly.

Internal Leadership & Collaboration

• Partner closely with Senior Project Managers to ensure successful execution.
• Build strong relationships across shared services, including:
  • Design
  • Engineering
  • Production & Print
  • Logistics & Installation
  • IT
  • Marketing
• Align internal teams around client priorities and ensure clarity, speed, and accountability.

Position Requirements / Qualifications

• 8–12+ years of experience in account management, consulting, or client leadership (marketing agency, creative agency, retail, or similar environment preferred).
• Background in retail marketing, shopper experience, or retail environments strongly preferred.
• Understanding of visual merchandising, store layouts, and customer engagement strategies.
• Strong strategic thinking with a data-driven approach to retail experience and revenue growth.
• Proven ability to grow and manage complex client relationships.
• Strong business and financial acumen, including experience with budgets, ROI analysis, and decision-making tradeoffs.
• Experience navigating large, complex organizations and influencing diverse stakeholder groups.
• Comfort operating within design, branding, and customer experience environments.
• Ability to provide clear, confident feedback on creative and design output.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
• Ability to influence without authority and lead through collaboration.
• Excellent communication skills, including executive-level presentations and client interactions.