Why we’re hiring a project/account manager
UPDATE: In the end we decided not to hire for this role, but to promote from within. You can read all about what we did and why.
From its inception as a two-designer agency in 2006, Moskito Design has always prided itself on building strong, direct relationships with our clients. For us that has always meant cutting out the middlemen, the handlers, the high priests, or anyone who would stand in the way of the designer and the client.
This philosophy has helped us to nip problems in the bud and stop communication breakdowns before they happen and make sure our clients, whether small business owners or regional-level marketing managers, are always in touch with who’s actually doing the work they need done. And it’s a philosophy that’s helped us build the 31-strong team that we are today.
But now, it’s time for change. Even before we’d read their book we’d always been fans of Basecamp founders David Heinemeier Hansson and Jason Fried’s dictum hire when it hurts. What they mean is don’t rush to hire, don’t take on new people―or create new roles―until it absolutely doesn’t make sense not to. We’re at that point now. And that’s why we’re looking for a project/account manager.
We know that the two roles―project manager and account manager―aren’t usually inhabited by the same person. But then again, we’ve grown from a startup micro-agency and up to now our senior Art Directors have been covering both these roles. By industry standards we’re still small but growing, established but evolving, and for us hybridization is the norm.
What we’re looking for in a project/account manager is someone who is:
A stellar communicator
Ultimately, there’s nothing more important. With the client you’ll advocate for the team and their work. With the team you’ll make sure expectations and objectives are crystal clear―whether in English or Italian. And you’ll communicate early, efficiently and often to make sure every voice is heard and no detail escapes.
At home in a web agency
You don’t need to be a superstar graphic designer, developer, programmer or digital copywriter by trade, but understanding these roles and how they work together in an agency to meet objectives is essential for success at this job. You’ll need this understanding to communicate the requirements and possibilities of process and project, create and manage realistic timelines and evaluate the success of every project.
Uber-organized―with time and to-dos
One thing our clients say has always set us apart as a design agency is rigorous adherence to deadlines, even in a very fast-paced and constantly changing environment. In order to set and juggle multiple deadlines on large projects, you’ll know how to break down tasks, prioritize and follow them. You’ll champion briskly efficient meetings only when necessary and only with the most essential people. And you’ll have to keep an eye on the big picture when the designers and even clients are wrapped up in the details.
A creative problem solver
You’re someone who tackles problems head-first. You learn fast and provide solutions. You’ll be able to rely on previous experience while also using your knowhow to dig up the answers you’re looking for as our clients’ benchmarks, tools, technologies, strategies and needs are subject to change.
In a nutshell, as a web agency-fluent communicator, organizer and problem solver, you’re the person who’ll make it easier for the designers, developers and writers to constantly deliver great work.
To be honest, because this position―as a separate and distinct job taking over from what our Art Directors and Principals have always done―is new for us, we’re taking the time to really find the right person.
If you can demonstrate you’re the person we’re looking for―or know somebody who would be―check our site’s Work With Us page for more details or to apply.
