Vice President, Client Operations

Overview

Our Client Operations Department manages client-specific operational tasks across virtually every practice area within the agency, including Strategy, Investment, HR, Finance, Invoice Reconciliation, and Agency Administration & Compliance. We centralize and standardize fundamental work required across all pieces of business as well as bring tactical and detail-oriented work streams together to find smarter, faster ways of working. We create a space for those whose strengths include being highly organized problem-solvers.

We help differentiate Collective from our competitors and provide a critical foundation to the agency.

What you’ll do:

The VP, Director, Client Operations will be part of a larger agency Client Operations team, supporting a specific client. This position has tremendous learning potential and provides the opportunity to work on a high-energy, highly visible account.

The Client Operations VP, Director leads all 3 pillars of the larger Client Operations function for the assigned client(s):
Budgets & Compliance, Tools & Systems, and Vendor Management. Your primary focus will be driving operational excellence across client financials, data governance, system management, and vendor invoice reconciliation.

You will oversee and support processes tied to both syndicated and proprietary media planning and buying platforms (e.g., Mediaocean OX, Prisma, Media Tools), ensuring accuracy, consistency, and compliance across workflows.

This role offers meaningful exposure to senior leadership and the opportunity to grow within the media organization through ownership of project management initiatives, process improvements, development and sharing of best practices, and reinforcement of quality assurance standards through structured reporting and compliance work streams.

Daily Tasks

• Strategic Leadership:
  • Collaborate with VP+ level leadership on departmental priorities and talent management.
  • Act as the primary liaison for Client Business Lead to address account-specific needs.
  • Serve as the escalation point/decision maker on Financial and Tools & Systems related needs
  • Ensure client needs are managed/met while maintaining agency driven expectations.
  • Operate with agility and accountability, proactively identifying obstacles and leading solution development in fast-paced, evolving environments.
• Team Management:
  • Oversee and allocate workload for a team of 10+, ensuring timely delivery and accuracy of internal projects and client deliverables.
  • Lead career development initiatives through task-specific training and coaching.
• Financial Compliance:
  • Oversee planning/buying/billing system setups to align with client-specific needs while meeting agency standards.
  • Manage critical financial tasks, including buy authorizations, maintaining ordered vs. approved & planned vs. purchased reports and ensuring accurate client billing and budget documentation.
  • Address internal and client inquiries related to media billing and budgets.
  • Manage internal and external Audits
• Contract Management & Audit Readiness:
  • Ensure adherence to client-specific billing procedures to maintain audit compliance.
  • Support client lead in scope development and execution.
    
    Manage tracking and delivery of contractual obligated operational KPIs
  • Understand MSA expectations and ensure requirements are followed.
  • Manage staff lists efficiently and effectively partnering with HR, Finance, and other Operations teams.
• Platform and Process Optimization:
  • Enforce workflows for billing verification and financial reporting (e.g., diversity reporting, monthly financial updates, forecasting and accruing).
  • Partner with Strategy and Investment teams to address account-specific needs and proactively identify opportunities for efficiency improvements.
  • Solution oriented with focus on efficiency, raising issues where needed
  • Maintain positive relationships with agency contacts, system contacts, and Re Sources
  • Lead team that stewards key processes that involve multiple agency verticals; ensure all teams are trained on the systems accurately to maintain data consistency
  • Expected to periodically check emails to respond to urgent issues after close of business
  • Review work (as…