Vice President Marketing

Salary: $115,000–$140,000 base + performance bonus

Mainland is hiring a Vice President of Accounts to lead a portfolio of franchise and consumer brands, coach account managers, protect client strategy and drive measurable growth across the business.

This is not a passive account leadership role. We are looking for someone who can sit at the intersection of strategy, client trust, team accountability and business results. The right person knows how to lead clients, challenge teams, simplify chaos and ensure we achieve our objectives.

At Mainland, our work is built around a simple idea: great marketing should move the business forward. We help franchise brands clarify their story, build content that answers buyer questions, earn attention through PR, improve their digital footprint and create momentum that supports franchise development, consumer growth and brand credibility.

The VP of Accounts will own the health and performance of a client portfolio. That means knowing what each client intends to accomplish, what we owe them, what is working, what is not, and what must happen next. You will lead account managers, strengthen client relationships, guide strategy, improve retention and ensure our internal teams are aligned around clear definitions of success.

This role requires a leader who is comfortable managing across, down and up. You will work closely with delivery leaders across content, PR and digital to ensure strategy turns into execution. You will coach account managers on how to lead accounts, communicate clearly, run meetings, solve problems and build trust. You will also be expected to identify client risk early, create recovery plans and help expand relationships when we deliver value.

The right candidate has agency experience, strong client instincts, excellent writing and communication skills, and the ability to bring structure to a fast‑moving environment. Franchise experience is a major plus, but not required. What matters most is that you can think strategically, lead people, hold standards and care deeply about the work.

• You will lead a portfolio of client accounts and be responsible for retention, client satisfaction, strategic direction and account performance. You will manage and coach account managers, helping them become stronger leaders, communicators and operators. You will oversee client strategy, quarterly planning, reporting, account health, scope management and proactive communication. You will work with internal content, PR and digital teams to ensure the right work is being done on time and tied to the client’s business goals.
  
  You will identify issues before they become major problems and create plans to protect the relationship. You will also look for opportunities to grow accounts when there is a clear business case.

• We are looking for someone with 7+ years of agency, marketing, communications or account leadership experience, including experience managing client relationships and leading a team. You should be confident running senior‑level client conversations, giving clear feedback, solving hard problems and building systems that improve execution. You should be organized, direct, thoughtful and highly accountable. You should be able to read a client situation quickly, understand what matters and move people toward action.
• You do not need to be the loudest person in the room, but you do need to be a leader. You need to care about standards. You need to be comfortable having hard conversations. You need to believe that details matter. You need to give a shit.

• Need every answer handed to you
• Avoid difficult conversations
• Prefer to manage tasks instead of outcomes
• Struggle with accountability or follow‑through
• Believe client service means saying yes to everything
• Do not enjoy coaching people
• Are not comfortable in a fast‑moving, entrepreneurial environment

Mainland is based in Chicago. Preference will be given to candidates who can work from our Chicago office or be meaningfully present with the team.

The salary range for this role is $115,000–$140,000, plus performance bonus opportunities based on portfolio health, retention, team development and account growth.

Mainland is a growth‑focused marketing, PR and content agency that helps franchise and consumer brands tell sharper stories, create better content, earn attention and build marketing systems that support real business outcomes. We are growing, evolving and building a team of people who want to do great work, hold a high standard and help brands win.