Senior Account Director

About the Role

The Senior Account Director at The ARC Factory is a pivotal leadership role responsible for managing high-profile client engagements and advancing impressive earned media strategies within the fashion, lifestyle, beauty, and outdoor industries. This position demands bridging compelling brand narratives with performance-driven public relations across various channels such as broadcast, print, digital, influencer marketing, event activation, and internal team leadership. The role aims to consistently boost brand value and deliver quantifiable campaign outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as the chief strategic consultant for senior clients in fashion, beauty, lifestyle, and outdoor sectors.
• Maintain and cultivate an expansive network of top editors, stylists, producers, and notable influencers.
• Lead critical client meetings, strategic planning sessions, and seasonal business evaluations.
• Identify and capitalize on opportunities to broaden the agency’s involvement using integrated PR, social media, and experiential marketing campaigns.
• Design and oversee multi-channel PR strategies aligned with product launches, seasonal collections, brand repositioning, and cultural trends.
• Manage high-profile product placements, press days, media showrooms, fashion weeks, and immersive brand experiences.
• Keep abreast of cultural and consumer shifts in lifestyle and outdoor markets to secure timely media coverage.
• Oversee agency financials including P&L responsibilities, client retainers, project budgets, and revenue forecasting.
• Lead pricing, scoping, and negotiation processes for new business pitches and contract renewals.
• Ensure efficient resource deployment across managed accounts.
• Guide, mentor, and inspire account teams comprising Account Managers, Coordinators, and Interns.
• Promote a dynamic, creative environment encouraging trend identification and rigorous media outreach.
• Provide ongoing feedback, conduct performance reviews, and support career development pathways.

Qualifications and Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Public Relations, Marketing, Journalism, or related discipline preferred.
• 6 to 8+ years of PR experience focused on fashion, beauty, lifestyle, and/or outdoor sectors within an agency setting.
• Established connections with key print, digital, and broadcast media, alongside influencers and content creators.
• Strong understanding of the contemporary media landscape including earned media metrics and PR's interface with social commerce.
• Excellent communication skills—both verbal and written—with ability to confidently present during competitive pitches.
• High emotional intelligence capable of managing client crises and high-pressure situations.

Preferred Experience

• Track record of winning competitive agency pitches and fostering organic growth in relevant portfolios.
• Cross-functional expertise spanning upfront media, digital, print, talent and influencer marketing, and event production.
• Familiarity with media monitoring and reporting software such as Streem and Telum.