The senior account executive has a growing understanding of our clients’ businesses and plays a pivotal role in executing and coordinating projects that drive results. This role sits at the intersection of strategy and execution, supporting senior account leads while also taking ownership of projects and client interactions on select accounts. As part of a full-service agency, the senior account executive contributes to initiatives across the marketing spectrum — including creative campaigns, collateral development, media, digital and web projects — ensuring quality, consistency and alignment with client objectives. They play an integral part in building client relationships, driving account growth, enhancing project efficiency and fostering collaboration, all while honing the skills necessary to advance into an account manager role.

This person could be located in the Kansas City, MO, office; Columbia, MO, office; or remote.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: 

Account Management

• Set clear expectations with clients and internal teams, addressing questions, conflicts or confusion promptly to keep projects moving efficiently.
• Capture and organize key details and next steps from internal discussions, facilitating communication and alignment across teams.
• Develop internal documents and communications that guide projects, including kickoff briefs, meeting notes and updates in our project management tools.
• Collaborate with project managers to establish timelines and monitor progress from start to finish, including reviewing media plans and distributing insertion and materials deadlines, proactively identifying challenges and helping solve independently or through escalation to senior team members.
• Keeps senior account leads and clients informed on project progress, proactively identifying next steps and anticipating new initiatives to ensure work flows efficiently and opportunities are captured. 
• Contribute to agency initiatives and special projects as requested, executing assigned action items and reporting outcomes to supervisors and stakeholders.

Client Relationships and Business Growth 

• Build a deep understanding of clients’ businesses, industries, competitors, and market trends, as well as each client’s organizational structure, key stakeholders, individual needs, motivators and working preferences. Share relevant insights with internal teams.
• Understand how clients bring their products and services to market, and contribute to marketing, communications and advertising strategies that support client objectives.
• Support the development and maintenance of strong client relationships through a client-centric approach and consistent delivery of high-quality outcomes.
• Present proposals, ideas and strategic recommendations to clients under the guidance of senior account leads, building confidence in Woodruff’s capabilities.
• Identify and communicate opportunities for growth or cross-selling, collaborating with senior team members to translate insights into actionable initiatives.

Team Collaboration and Internal Relationships

• Build rapport and trusted relationships with internal teams, collaborating to ensure projects meet Woodruff and client standards.
• Support onboarding of new team members to the client projects, sharing relevant client information, workflows and expectations.
• Understand when and how to involve internal team members in client interactions to maximize impact and efficiency.
• Assist in planning project scope, workflows and resourcing, ensuring timelines, deliverables and budgets are accounted for. 

Financial Management of Accounts

• Support senior account leads in budgeting and planning discussions, helping ensure alignment with client objectives and priorities.
• Assist with preparing scopes of work and scope of value descriptions, providing accurate information to support pricing and financial planning.
• Communicate proactively with internal teams and clients regarding project scope, deliverables, timelines, and pricing.
• Track scopes of work, identify changes and help manage change orders in collaboration with senior account leads, project management and the finance team.
• Review invoices and support billing processes, providing oversight and clarity as needed.

Knowledge and Skills: 

• Highly organized, able to manage complex information and multiple priorities effectively.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills; able to articulate ideas clearly to clients and internal teams.
• Detail-oriented, thorough, and committed to delivering high-quality work.
• Proactive problem-solver, anticipating challenges and taking initiative to find solutions. 
• Collaborative, able to work effectively with diverse personalities, disciplines, and roles.
• Active listener who translates insights into actionable recommendations.
• Resourceful and adaptable, capable of executing with minimal direction under tight timelines.

Leader Behaviors: 

At Woodruff, leadership is defined by how you show up every day, regardless of your title. These behaviors guide how we work with clients, collaborate with colleagues and drive the business forward. They reflect our commitment to living the company’s vision, fulfilling our brand promise and embodying our values. Every team member has the opportunity to lead through their actions, decisions and collaboration. The following behaviors capture what it means to lead at Woodruff:

• Open-minded and active listener
• Continually grows people and business
• Truthful and transparent
• Decisive and accountable
• Forward-thinking
• Proactive and communicates in a positive manner

Education/Experience/Certification(s):

• B.A. or B.S. degree; a degree in a discipline related to advertising, marketing, journalism or communications or comparable experience 
• 3–5 years of agency experience 
• Background in marketing positions and/or demonstrated performance as an account executive. 

Woodruff’s Perks That Support Growth and Flexibility: 

We offer a range of benefits designed to support your work-life balance and empower you to stay creative, curious and courageous:

• Flexible work setup – Choose remote work, or join us in our Kansas City or Columbia, MO offices
• "Freedom Fridays" – No meetings on Friday mornings / Friday afternoons to use as you see fit 
• Diverse, meaningful work – Contribute to projects across a wide range of industries
• Collaborative, growth-focused culture – Work with a supportive team that helps you build new skills
• And more – From wellness support to peer recognition, we value and invest in our people.