Account Operations Manager -… at Direct Travel · Remote

The Account Operations Manager serves as a strategic partner to Account Executives, ensuring seamless management of client relationships, financial oversight, and operational excellence. This role is responsible for maintaining and growing revenue by effectively managing contracts, tracking key performance indicators (KPIs), and ensuring alignment between client needs and internal operations.

With a strong focus on process efficiency and standard operating procedures (SOPs), this role plays a critical part in optimizing the client experience, ensuring smooth program execution, and fostering long-term business success. The Operations Manager exercises discretion and independent judgment which directly impacts customer engagement and retention.

Responsibilities

High Payoff Activities:

• Grow target accounts through leading, guiding, and consulting and ensuring delivery of stellar service. Consistently look for operational efficiencies, recommend solutions and share best practices with other Account Operations Managers. Stays current on client company changes, evolution and new key players with an eye consistently on outstanding service, reinforcing compliance with SOPs. Collaborate with Account Executive, internal department managers and team members to ensure a consistent and seamless experience for client accounts.

Partner with Account Executive(s) to maintain/grow client relationships:

• Partner with Account Executives and others to maintain and improve client deliverables by participating in sales calls, help assess client needs and expectations, provide cost and labor information, review project scopes and SOW’s and help designing the programs when necessary.
• Consistently inform the Account Executive of client status on a bi-weekly basis, including challenges encountered and solutions deployed, as well as structure and leadership changes.
• Identify opportunities for updating MSA rate cards and ensure profitability.
• Help penetrate client account for additional business opportunities.
• Look for opportunities for AE and senior leadership to have meaningful engagement with the client contact(s).
• Ensure accuracy of Salesforce data, input of new business and updates, maintaining the integrity of the data.

Client Relationships

• Maintain healthy relationships with assigned accounts that exceed their business objectives and result in increased revenue while maintaining Creative Group’s brand reputation.
• Stay relevant in the client business and grow the client relationship while keeping the AE informed and engaged at key points.
• Develop a partnership with key client contacts, such that all activities are closely aliens with the customer’s business case and strategy, allowing the full potential of the client’s brand to be realized.
• Identify and escalate key customer service-related needs and manage customer expectations on an ongoing basis.
• Proactively resolve client issues that may put the account at risk.
• Ensure client KPIs and SOPs are communicated internally and understood, and SOPs are adhered to.
• Function as point of escalation with client. Anticipate and resolve client issues.
• Actively seek opportunities to expand business within existing accounts.
• Qualify business opportunities by understanding program scope and assessing client needs and expectations.
• Look for ways to lead, guide, and consult the client, and create efficiencies.
• Lead business review meetings. Track and record best practices on program/account basis to share with clients, gather relevant data from various sources, perform in-depth analysis to identify patterns, trends, and correlations within the data.

Lead and oversee the client experience by engaging effectively with internal teams:

• Coach and develop sourcing, design and program operations teams to deliver a menu of service based on customer journey stage with a strong emphasis on customer needs and pain-points.
• In partnership with Department Managers, accountable for effective program communication and operation within project team.
• Participate in the development and implementation of operational strategies for your account resulting in process improvement; standardize processes as much as possible and adapt these to meet clients’ expectations; monitor compliance to processes and procedures.
• Scope each project to engage the right internal team members and lead the project team through the pre-sale phase of the client journey.
• Work in collaboration with department managers to align the right internal team members.
• Prepare internal Transition Meeting document in partnership with Sourcing and request operational resources including Event Technology Project Manager requests.
• Schedule and lead Transition Meeting (EDSM will schedule and lead if Sourcing is involved) to include recap of client’s KPIs; reference SOP library, client specific templates.
• Design content and lead the introduction of the account overview to the internal team, if applicable. Maintain and update the account overview content.
• Support internal team members by mentoring at a program-level basis to develop skills and ensure client success.
• Manage and resolve project issues and risks.
• Monitor the internal workflow through company channels for quality, consistency, and quality in stakeholder relationships including SharePoint documentation and provide timely and clear feedback directly to team members.
• Take a hands-on approach for limited-service programs, to include project management, financial management and project team leadership.
• Provide oversight and ensure program debriefs are conducted and are focused on identifying actionable insights and strategic client discussions.

Financial:

• Create the SOW budget proforma when there is no sourcing or if services are limited, and route for approval.
• Create the SOW, process it through contract team for signature and ensure receipt of fully executed SOW from client and upload to SharePoint.
• Request and process client invoices; track invoice payments.
• Ensure receipt of client PO and upload to SharePoint.
• Oversee all financial budget proforma and final wrap up.

Client Reporting:

• Ensure we provide cost savings for every program to show our value, when applicable and aggregate that information for business reviews.
• Create and maintain tracking documents for KPIs.
• Prepare content and actively participate in client business reviews to present status of KPIs to client.
• Identify if any new scope of work should be added to the rate card and initiate addendums for client signature and maintain addendums going forward.
• Ensure data integrity in client’s instance of Cvent is kept up to date, when applicable (Gilead, Genentech, and Toyota).
• Proactively plan for the expiration of the MSA in advance and take actions necessary to ensure we always have a valid MSA in place.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Working Conditions:

• Ability and willingness to work extended work days and possible weekends
• Accessibility during core business hours
• Travel expectations – potential of 20% annually
• Frequent use of a computer and other office equipment
• Ability to lift 20 lbs.
• Frequent seating, standing and walking

Preferred Qualifications

• At least 5 years of experience as a Program Manager.
• Operational experience in medical congresses and advisory boards is beneficial and preferred.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Hospitality, Business Administration or a related field, or a combination of education and experience.
• Must be highly proficient in Microsoft Office.
• In-depth knowledge of program operations in both domestic and international locations.
• Model behavior reflective of our organization’s Vision and Values.
• Must possess excellent interpersonal skills to build strong relationships with clients, adapt to different personalities, and work effectively with all levels of the organization.
• Must possess strong organizational skills to be able to manage multiple tasks and ensure programs are executed on time.
• Must possess excellent written and verbal communication skills to communicate effectively both internally and externally.
• Must possess excellent presentation skills to be able to participate in client presentations as needed.
• Must possess excellent analytical and problem-solving skills to participate in the creation of departmental strategic plans, oversee the client’s budgets for accuracy and work to maximize profit for the company, evaluate problems, and develop and implement logical and effective solutions.
• This is not necessarily an exhaustive list of responsibilities, skills, duties, requirements, or efforts associated with the position.