Senior Director, SKEPTIC Client Engagements at Known

New York, New York, United States -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

09 Apr, 26

Salary

200000.0

Posted On

09 Jan, 26

Experience

5 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Client Relationship Management, Project Management, Technical Fluency, Commercial Acumen, Negotiation, Problem-Solving, Leadership, Communication

Industry

Advertising Services

Description

WE HAVE CREATED A WORLD WHERE ART AND SCIENCE ARE BEST FRIENDS Known is a modern marketing company engineered for the unprecedented opportunities and challenges facing marketers today. We are about 200+ people strong, pairing PhD data scientists with award-winning creatives, strategists, engineers and expert research teams to produce some of the most innovative and cutting-edge creative work in culture. We believe that when creative truly collaborates with science, strategy, and technology, amazing things can happen. Ad Age touted that “Known may be the ultimate example of a full-service agency,” and honored us with two prestigious recognitions this year: #3 on The A-List as one of the top agencies in the world, and Ad Age’s Data & Insights Agency of the year for the second year in a row. Without our incredible partnerships with our clients, spanning across the leading brands in finance, technology, entertainment, media, CPG, real estate, and many other categories, honors like this could not be possible, and also have helped us earn additional awards and recognitions over the years like: Emmys, Clios Entertainment and Sports Awards, Effies, Cannes Lions Awards, ProMax Agency of the Year, and Digiday’s Most Innovative Media Agency to name a few. SKEPTIC™, Known’s proprietary AI analytics and optimization platform, powers our full service agency and has received industry-wide recognition for innovation in marketing technology and analytics. In 2025, SKEPTIC was recognized by Fast Company as one of the Next Big Things in Tech. Additionally, Digiday recognized SKEPTIC as Best Marketing Analytics Platform (2023) and the Best AI Platform (2025). Together, these honors underscore SKEPTIC’s evolution into an award-winning platform now being licensed to enterprise marketers. We couldn’t create this award-winning work without seeking out and hiring the best talent. What does it mean to be a Knowner? We are curious innovators, knowledge-hunters who are constantly challenging ourselves to do better and be better for our clients, for our team and for our world at large. Our offices around the U.S. are open and while most of our people work in a hybrid setting, we are a distributed workforce with a number of Knowners working remotely. BUT ENOUGH ABOUT US, LET'S TALK ABOUT YOU About the Role: Our SKEPTIC SaaS business and the related AI Implementation business is growing rapidly. The Senior Director of SKEPTIC Client Engagements will be the primary steward of our most critical client relationships, ensuring the successful delivery of complex software and AI projects and the sustained growth of our accounts. This role is central to the success and reputation of the SKEPTIC business, demanding a blend of technical comprehension, exceptional relationship and project management, and proven business acumen. Furthermore, a key focus is the sustained growth of our accounts. The Senior Director will be tasked with identifying and leading new strategic opportunities within the existing client base. This requires a consultative approach, understanding the client's evolving needs, presenting strategic roadmaps for further SKEPTIC integration, and securing renewals and expansions that significantly increase the lifetime value of the partnership. Success in this area is measured by client satisfaction, account health, and year-over-year revenue growth within the assigned portfolio. Therefore this role must also be tightly integrated into our product and technology teams to directly influence the SKEPTIC roadmap, based on evolving client needs. WHAT YOU’LL DO Skeptic Commercial and Contractual Stewardship: Become a subject matter expert on Skeptic, acting as the frontline enforcer of SKEPTIC product boundaries, ensuring client needs are met without compromising platform scalability or roadmap integrity. Partner with Product to evaluate client requests for roadmap inclusion vs. paid customization. Partner with CTO, Product, and CX to evolve commercial strategy. Take the lead in drafting, negotiating, and managing contracts and SOWs, working with the CTO. Diligently track and report on project burn rates, managing the commercial health of the engagement and ensuring profitability. Client Relationship Management and Communication: Proactively manage high-volume, executive-level client communications, serving as the trusted point of contact for all engagement-related matters. This involves setting clear expectations, managing internal and external stakeholders, and driving a collaborative partnership. Engagement Oversight and Delivery Excellence: Maintain rigorous oversight of all active engagements, coordinating with cross-functional teams (Engineering, Product, Data Science) to guarantee the on-time and high-quality delivery of solutions defined in the Statement of Work (SOW). Owns the transition from implementation to licensed operation, including go-live readiness, acceptance criteria, and post-launch stabilization. Team Readiness and Performance: Ensure the engagement team is consistently well-prepared for all client meetings, reviews, and workshops, having comprehensively mastered the project status, technical details, and strategic implications. Own internal and external cross functional planning with channel/data science, engineering, and product. Negotiation and Scope Management: Expertly field, manage, and deflect minor scope creep and micro-negotiations from the client, clearly communicating the impact of changes and maintaining project focus. Risk Mitigation and Executive Escalation: Identify potential delivery risks, resourcing constraints, or technical roadblocks early, escalating critical issues to the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for timely strategic decisions and intervention as necessary. Account Strategy and Growth: Work closely with the Account Strategy team to identify opportunities for account expansion and ensure the delivered work aligns with the client's long-term business objectives. WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU HAVE Experience Profile: 6-10+ years of progressive experience as an Account Lead, Engagement Manager, or Director of Client Services at a software integrator, technical consulting firm, or a sophisticated MarTech/AdTech organization. This experience must include overseeing and owning end-to-end delivery of significant technical or software-centric engagements. Experience supporting licensed software platforms or SaaS products is strongly preferred. Commercial Acumen: Deep understanding of the financial aspects of professional services, including mastery of contract lifecycle management, SOW development, utilization tracking, forecasting, and managing project profitability. Technical Fluency: A strong comfort level discussing complex software development, data science, or technical platform integration concepts, enabling effective coordination between technical teams and non-technical clients. Leadership and Communication: Exceptional communication, negotiation, and presentation skills (both written and verbal). The ability to command a room, influence executive stakeholders, and lead cross-functional teams through ambiguity. Problem-Solving: Proven ability to anticipate problems, navigate conflict, and deliver solutions under pressure while maintaining composure and client confidence. Education: A Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (e.g., Business, Engineering, Computer Science) is preferred; a Master's degree is a plus. SOME OF OUR PERKS Unlimited paid time off 401k with company matching and no vesting period Annual bonuses Generous medical plan Paid parental leave ONE LAST THING TO ASK YOURSELF All this might sound great, but you’re probably still wondering, “Would I be a good fit for Known?” or “Would Known be a good fit for me?” Our culture is propped up by four values that we aspire to every day: We are one team. We see the good. We never stop learning. There’s always a better way. At Known we are setting out to build something more than just a company. We are building a legacy filled with exceptionally talented people with a kaleidoscope of backgrounds, experiences, and origin stories who feel encouraged and empowered to bring their whole selves to work, and to partner with us in molding and shaping our culture through our values. Known is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against employees or qualified job applicants on the basis of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state or locally protected class. The base salary for this position is $180K-$200K. This range is posted in compliance with state and municipal Pay Transparency laws. In addition to base compensation, this role is eligible to receive additional Known benefits. #LI-RR1

Responsibilities

The Senior Director will manage critical client relationships and ensure the successful delivery of complex software and AI projects. This role also focuses on identifying new strategic opportunities within existing accounts to drive growth.