Client Strategy Manager Jobs in Naperville, IL (NOW HIRING)

We are seeking a senior, highly proactive strategist to join our Account Management team as Director of Client Strategy.  

The Director of Client Strategy raises the strategic ceiling on Wheelhouse's most important client work, connecting insight across channels, practices, and history into clear, executive-ready strategy and storytelling. In practice, this person operates as a number two to the Director of Account Management: taking high-level strategic workstreams off her plate, owning client health and strategic direction for a defined set of complex accounts, and freeing her to lead the function and develop the team. 

This is a client-facing, visible senior leader, not a behind-the-scenes resource. You will be introduced to clients by name and present in executive-level strategic conversations on behalf of Wheelhouse, especially on our largest and most complex accounts. Internally, you will lead Strategy Group, Wheelhouse's strategic braintrust that collectively reviews account strategies on a weekly basis. 

Initial focus will be on our largest and most strategically important client relationship, expanding over time to serve as the senior strategy voice across several accounts. 

In this role, you will: 

• Own client health and strategic direction for a defined set of complex and flagship accounts, in partnership with the Director of Account Management 
• Synthesize inputs from Digital Advertising, Digital Strategy, Marketing Sciences, and Account Management into coherent strategic stories, clear recommendations, and executive-friendly roadmaps 
• Stay ahead of client needs by proactively identifying risks, opportunities, and strategic shifts before the client raises them 
• Lead Strategy Group, pressure-testing account strategy on a weekly basis and modeling the standard of rigor Wheelhouse expects 
• Coach and give direct, candid feedback to Account Managers, raising the team's strategic capability over time, without formal line authority 
• Act as a trusted thought partner and pressure-release valve for the Director of Account Management and the broader AM team 

• Own client health and strategic direction for a defined set of complex and flagship accounts, in partnership with the Director of Account Management 
• Show up as a named, visible senior strategic leader on assigned accounts, introduced to clients and present at key strategic touchpoints 
• Ensure Wheelhouse's work consistently shows up as clear, compelling, executive-level narrative, not data dumps, at key client touchpoints 
• Serve as a senior point of escalation when an account is at risk, stepping in to pressure-test the plan and help the team reset direction 

• Operate above the day-to-day execution layer, with no responsibility for trafficking, builds, or task management 
• Take inputs from Digital Advertising, Digital Strategy, Marketing Sciences, and Account Management and synthesize them into coherent strategic stories and executive-friendly roadmaps 
• Pressure-test and elevate high-stakes deliverables, including executive decks, QBRs, and onsite presentations, before they reach the client 
• Challenge the team when historical bias or constraints are limiting strategic thinking, and reopen smart options that may have been closed prematurely 

• Lead Strategy Group, Wheelhouse's internal strategic braintrust that collectively reviews account strategies on a weekly basis 
• Set the agenda and bar for these reviews, ensuring discussion produces sharper direction rather than open-ended debate 
• Surface cross-account patterns and carry the best thinking back into individual accounts and the One Wheelhouse approach 

• Act as the Director of Account Management's deputy on quality and standards, coaching AMs in real time and pushing the team where there is friction 
• Enforce the process and quality controls Wheelhouse already has in place, especially during high-pressure stretches 
• Take high-level strategic workstreams off the Director of Account Management's plate so she can focus on leading the function and developing people 
• Connect insight across Digital Advertising, Digital Strategy, Marketing Sciences, Creative, and Content so the full picture of Wheelhouse's work shows up in client strategy 

• 8+ years in a digital, performance, or integrated agency environment, with demonstrated ownership of strategy for large, complex accounts 
• Proven ability to synthesize cross-channel data, performance insights, and client history into executive-level narratives and recommendations 
• Comfortable presenting to and pushing back on C-suite and VP-level client contacts with confidence and care 
• Strong strategic instincts: identifies risks and opportunities early, reframes problems, and resets direction when conditions change 
• Comfortable giving direct, candid feedback and coaching to people who do not report to them 
• Exceptional written and verbal communication; translates complexity into clarity without oversimplifying 
• Experience operating in high-pressure, politically complex client environments 
• A bias toward action: the judgment to know the difference between a moment to push forward, a moment to stop and rethink, and a moment to escalate immediately 
• Healthcare, health tech, medtech, or other regulated industry experience preferred 
• Familiarity with performance media measurement, attribution frameworks, or data-driven strategy preferred 
• Experience partnering closely with account management or client success to elevate the strategic quality of AM-led relationships preferred 

• This is a senior, client-facing role with no direct reports; authority comes from credibility and influence rather than the org chart 
• Initial focus is on Wheelhouse's largest and most strategically complex account, expanding to additional accounts over time 
• Full strategic ownership of assigned accounts is expected within 60 to 90 days