About R/GA And The Role
In our 40-year history, we’ve changed a lot—from a culture-defining film title studio (Superman, Alien, Ghostbusters); to an interactive advertising agency; to an award-winning product and marketing agency with design, technology, communications, ventures and IP practices. We like change, and like to navigate our clients through it too.
Our approach to work is always human first. This unwavering focus helps us create meaningful and memorable experiences that live across digital platforms and often blur the line between the digital and real worlds. We believe disruptive thinking happens when you collide experts in design, technology and culture.
Our Business Leadership team serves as the first line of contact with our clients. They identify client needs and work strategically to provide thoughtful solutions with measurable results. We set the bar high at R/GA. We don’t just strive to solve our clients’ problems; we challenge ourselves to transform their entire category.
The Group Director, Business Leadership role will oversee 1-2 critical accounts within our CRM & Relationship Design practice, managing cross-functional teams and maintaining direct client relationships at the Senior Director and Executive Director levels.
CRM & Relationship Design is R/GA’s approach to growing brands through customer marketing — designing personal, data-driven relationships powered by AI, creativity, and technology. We shape every touchpoint across the customer lifecycle to create emotional and behavioral loyalty, drive business outcomes, and build long-term customer value. Relationship Design blends creative systems, CX strategy, data-driven personalization, and journey orchestration into a scalable, end-to-end approach.
The type of work you might oversee in this practice includes:
- CRM Strategy & Execution – Developing programs that deliver timely, relevant messages across owned channels
- Lifecycle Marketing – Guiding customers through each stage of their journey with personalized experiences
- Loyalty & Membership – Building systems that reward, retain, and deepen brand relationships
- Segmentation & Insights – Uncovering what motivates customers to design more effective experiences
- Customer Engagement Programs – Turning one-time interactions into sustained brand advocacy
About You
You excel at fostering deep client relationships and building high-performing, cohesive teams. An expert at navigating complex client dynamics, you bring out the best in your team and collaborate seamlessly with craft leaders to deliver exceptional work, drive organic growth, and define what best-in-class customer marketing looks like.
You continuously seek opportunities to differentiate R/GA’s offerings and expand our impact across clients and industries.
Here’s what you should know if you want to be a Group Director, Business Leadership at R/GA:
On Any Given Day, You Might
- Function as the key strategic partner to senior clients (Directors, Senior Directors, Executive Directors) across the customer marketing org, and collaborate with analytics, tech and product leads.
- Manage large-scale E2E CRM projects across multiple lines of business and the entire customer lifecycle.
- Lead strategic workshops and planning sessions (internally and externally) to ensure continued progress towards marketing objectives and ambitions.
- Lead the R/GA team from the front, managing a diverse set of skills and talents (across time zones and cultures) to deliver on client initiatives and helping to nurture growth across the team.
- Manage 1-2 direct reports within the Business Leadership team.
- Oversee account growth and financial health, including client satisfaction, team stability, contribution margin, and organic growth.
- Deliver high-impact presentations to senior stakeholders (internally and externally).
- Collaborate with the New Business team and global leadership to actively pursue growth with existing and new clients, leveraging R/GA’s global network and portfolio of services to positively impact our clients’ business.
- Ensure strategic consistency and excellence across deliverables through thoughtful leadership and mentorship.
- Stay current on trends in data, technology, and AI to evolve client strategies and practice capabilities.
- Over time, you’d represent the practice externally through thought leadership, speaking engagements, or authored content that reflects R/GA’s point of view on CRM, personalization, loyalty, and customer experience.
The ideal person
- Possesses exceptional client service skills, demonstrating the ability to partner with and influence senior clients effectively.
- Leads the development of strategic marketing and customer engagement plans.
- Exhibits flawless presentation skills, from the conception of a story or pitch to delivery in boardrooms.
- Collaborates effectively with strategists, creatives, and technologists, seamlessly integrating and drawing from diverse skill sets.
- Is entrepreneurial and proactive in growing client relationships and uncovering new opportunities.
- Independently leads and makes decisions that balance the needs of the client with internal goals and teams.
- Is a self-starter who will roll up their sleeves and identify when to operate at a macro and micro level to drive the work and relationship forwards.
- Thinks holistically about customer engagement, connecting communications and digital experiences (e.g., mobile apps, websites, agentic AI) to deliver cohesive, end-to-end journeys.
You bring
- 12-15+ years of experience in managing large client engagements, preferably with an agency background.
- Proven track record in team leadership and global management, with the ability to inspire teams remotely across regions and time zones.
- Expertise in customer marketing and owned channels, demonstrating a consistent ability to create meaningful relationships between brands and customers.
- Experience in developing CRM comms, including email journeys, landing pages, direct mail campaigns, and videos, to nurture customers through the lifecycle.
- Experience in the financial industry is preferred.
- The ability to commute to NYC or San Francisco, with the ability to travel 3-4 times/year.
The hiring range for this position is $ 190,000 to $225,000. Where an employee or prospective employee is paid within this range will depend on, among other factors, actual ranges for current/former employees in the subject position; budgetary considerations; tenure and standing with the company (applicable to current employees); as well as the employee’s/applicant’s applicable skills, pertinent experience, and qualifications.
