Account Director

HG Overview

Hamster Garage is a partner management agency based in Chicago. Our expertise spans across the partnerships and affiliates channel, encompassing affiliate marketing, brand partnerships, podcasts, influencer marketing, and more. We work with leading brands that are in a high-growth phase, like Airbnb, Canva, Uber, Brex, Masterclass, etc.

HG is a newer (established mid-2019), lean, and growth‑minded agency working with innovative brands to meet their acquisition needs. We’re growing fast and looking to add team members to grow with the agency, and we need talented marketing professionals to help us leave our mark on the industry.

We are expanding and seeking an Account Director to join our HG team and provide leadership and senior‑level support to our accounts. This role involves deeply understanding our clients' goals, KPIs, and products to develop strategic affiliate partnerships that align with their objectives. The Director is responsible for client relationship management, strategy ideation, collaborating with and developing junior staff, guiding them to achieve goals, overseeing progress, and effectively managing account economics.

The role is based in the Chicago office, although we’re open to remote hires. This is an exciting and critical role in building and scaling user acquisition with a top‑tier agency in a growth stage. The Account Director will have exposure to many different aspects of Partnership Marketing and overall company building in a fast‑paced, collaborative team environment, while also reporting directly to the COO and will have multiple touchpoints with the CEO.

• Delivering creative and well‑thought‑out ideas to achieve client objectives, effectively managing team deliverables, and monitoring performance metrics.
• Continuously analyzing campaign performance metrics (ROI, ROAS, conversion rates, affiliate partner performance) using data‑driven insights to optimize strategies.
• Identifying opportunities to grow client accounts through upselling, campaign optimization, and revenue‑generating initiatives, supporting effective strategy development.
• Leading efforts to maintain operational excellence, streamline processes, and ensure high‑quality deliverables that meet company and client standards.
• Effectively communicating program performance and strategic direction to clients and team members.
• Building and nurturing strong client relationships, understanding their goals, challenges, and opportunities in affiliate marketing.
• Preparing and delivering compelling and engaging client presentations, explaining strategic recommendations and providing insightful analysis on growth initiatives.
• Leading and mentoring a team, providing guidance and support in executing campaigns and achieving goals.
• Acting as an advisor and the highest point of escalation for clients.
• Formulating and testing new tactics, including outside traditional affiliates, to improve performance.
• Preparing and managing budget‑vs‑actual reports for client accounts on a monthly basis and providing narratives for their portfolio of clients to management.
• Owning the performance bonus calculation for client invoicing.
• Providing ad‑hoc support in operational and sales, depending on capacity, including support with performance reviews, automation support, tool discovery to support account management, sales pitches, and other areas required to build the agency.

• Minimum 6 years of experience working with top recognizable brands in affiliate marketing.
• Proficiency in third‑party affiliate tracking platforms such as Impact, CJ, ShareASale, etc.
• Strong project management skills with a track record of successful execution.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills are crucial, as this role involves extensive coordination via email and calls. It is imperative to consistently represent HG in a highly professional manner.
• Experience interacting with various publishers and high‑value clients, showcasing strong communication skills.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Driven by KPIs and results, with a focus on strong analytical skills—working understanding of Microsoft Excel for data…