Senior Account Executive with Project Management focus

Overview

McGuffin has an exciting opportunity for an experienced Senior Account Executive with a hybrid passion for project management and client interaction. In this role you’ll join our team dedicated to producing a print magazine and digital experience for one of our healthcare clients. You’ll jump in to help plan, organize and manage how our creative, editorial and production team executes and completes each issue and supports ongoing development of web/story content.

This role is the primary liaison to our client and our team, and the hub for all communication. The role includes managing the execution of day-to-day activities, ensuring everyone is clear on assignments, workloads are manageable, processes understood, schedules are logical and followed, and hours billed correctly. You’ll be a solver-of-problems, deeply curious, inquisitive and diplomatic.

The print magazine and digital content will be your primary focus, but as time allows, you will be supporting additional projects for this client. Additional projects that you may manage can include internal/employee facing campaigns, presentations, branded imagery/illustrations, video and more.

About McGuffin

McGuffin Creative Group is a full-service marketing and advertising agency with a smart approach to solving complex communications challenges. We help financial, insurance and healthcare organizations empower people to make better decisions around the pivotal moments in their lives. McGuffin is headquartered in Chicago, IL. 

Benefits & Perks 

For full-time employees, McGuffin offers:

• Healthcare insurance (medical, vision and dental, short and long-term-disability, term life insurance)
• Parental leave after one year of service: 12 weeks fully paid for birthing parents, 6 weeks fully paid for non-birthing or adoptive parents
• 401(k) program after one year of service with company match
• Monthly communications allowance (cell phone and wifi)
• A one-time home office allowance — to be applied toward a desk, chair, beanbag, lava lamp, etc
• Year-round, every other Friday off by working these extended hours. Operating hours are M-F 7:30am – 5:30 CT.

Remote Work 

McGuffin operates 100% remotely, meaning this is a fully remote position. You should be comfortable working from home and must be available M-F during business hours Central Time. Occasionally, this position may require travel to client’s locations, photoshoot locations and McGuffin staff events in Chicago (two per year). 

McGuffin will provide all necessary technology for a remote work set-up — bring your own wifi.

Responsibilities

Client & Team Relationship Management

• Build strong working relationships with internal and client team members to become a trusted resource and advisor
• Think strategically and present McGuffin’s point-of-view to client
• Review and understand all content provided by client (for each issue and for the web) to help facilitate informed conversations
• Manage external & internal communication/documentation with team, client, and vendors; ensure all are informed of status and next steps; includes regular use of emails, Zoom calls, and Basecamp
• Support internal teams, discuss issues and conflicts, identify and address potential concerns, ensure accuracy of team resources, schedule and budget; seek solutions
• Collaboration with McGuffin’s web development team including digital project manager and creative director during web development

Photography Coordination (primarily remote)

• Work with client and McGuffin team to coordinate photoshoots for each issue, communicating with photographers, scheduling subjects and shoot dates, and planning photoshoot logistics 
• Support the creative team in building out an imagery plan to provide visual direction for each photoshoot, and include any key directions required for a successful shoot
• Working with McGuffin CD/AD, prepare comprehensive shot list for client photography team and update as needed
• Schedule and attend photo plan review meetings with McGuffin team and photography resources prior to shoots
• Lead status meetings with McGuffin and photography team to provide all needed information including photo plans, schedules, and timing.
• Download and organize all contact sheets and imagery provided by client and or photographers; request any needed high resolution files and keep McGuffin team informed of all received assets
• Serve as a liaison to the editor (client), providing all imagery to be used and identifying subjects to help with cutline development, etc.  
• Coordinate and attend any required in-person scouting events (in person; when possible)
• Coordinate and attend any required photo shoots that McGuffin art directs in person (in person; when possible)
• Assist in securing props, as needed

Design & Production

• Establish and track project budget and scope
• Create easy-to-follow electronic and printable schedules/timelines for each magazine issue (including more frequent web content), work with team to get alignment, and share with client for approval
• Schedule intake and review meetings with all client stakeholders per schedule
• Collect client input/feedback to distill down and share with McGuffin team via Basecamp; review all changes to ensure accuracy before sending back to client
• Maintain up-to-date server organization/asset management during creative development; receive and organize all content provided by editor and client creative team members (photographers, creative directors)
• Schedule and attend internal meetings related to creative development (creative briefing, creative reviews, full team reviews, etc.)
• Provide McGuffin requested specs to client print buying team
• Coordinate McGuffin on-site press checks