At SimpsonScarborough, we spend our days building brands that endure, inspire, and elevate the all-important work of colleges and universities in shaping our future. Recognized as a leader in the higher education marketing industry, we are a fully remote team of approximately 70 employees working coast to coast.
We're looking for a Vice President, Accounts to own the health, performance, and strategic direction of our account area. This leader stewards one to two major accounts directly while serving as the area's senior client relationship leader and growth driver — overseeing division-wide pipeline health, coaching the accounts team, and defining what exceptional client partnership looks like at SimpsonScarborough.
The VP, Accounts elevates the agency's institutional access to the president, provost, and cabinet level — opening and holding doors that create the conditions for durable, multi-service partnerships across marketing, enrollment, and advancement. This is a role for someone who gets ahead of issues rather than reacting to them, who treats early intervention as a growth lever, and who brings the executive presence to represent SimpsonScarborough at the highest levels of higher education leadership.
What You'll Do
- Lead high-stakes client conversations — strategic pivots, contract renewals, scope expansions, and executive escalations — with confidence and care.
- Cultivate cabinet-level relationships that make cross-service growth possible, mapping each institution's power structure and building the senior access needed to expand the agency's footprint beyond the marketing office into enrollment and advancement.
- Anticipate client concerns and inflection points before they surface — maintaining a current view of relationship health across the portfolio, flagging at-risk accounts early, and owning escalation resolution at the senior level.
- Personally conduct or oversee business reviews and regular check-ins to assess satisfaction directly and surface concerns before they harden.
- Translate institutional priorities into new scopes of work, tracking expansion goals by client and service area, and partner with Business Development on major renewals, expansions, and new business pursuits.
- Own defined annual revenue targets for the accounts division with clear year-over-year growth expectations, maintaining full pipeline visibility across renewals, expansions, and at-risk accounts.
- Lead, coach, and develop the accounts team — setting high standards for client experience and strategic thinking, and supporting hiring and team structure decisions aligned with the division's growth trajectory.
- Carry direct responsibility for one to two major accounts, modeling the standard of partnership the agency aspires to across the portfolio.
- Contribute an accounts-side perspective to how SimpsonScarborough's products and services are positioned, priced, and brought to market.
What We're Looking For
- 10+ years of senior leadership experience in higher education, agency environments, or both, with a demonstrated track record of operating at the executive level.
- Deep credibility with senior institutional leaders — presidents, provosts, boards of trustees, and cabinet members — and the ability to earn and sustain their trust.
- A proactive, anticipatory approach to client relationships with a track record of turning early intervention into growth.
- Proven experience building peer-level relationships with presidents, provosts, and chiefs of staff, and using that access to expand engagements beyond the marketing office.
- Demonstrated success growing client revenue through strategic relationship management, upsell, and scope expansion.
- Experience leading and developing high-performing account or client service teams in a complex, multi-stakeholder environment.
- Strong fluency in enrollment strategy and the institutional dynamics that drive enrollment-related decisions; advancement experience a plus.
- Experience managing division-level pipeline and revenue forecasting, with the analytical discipline to translate data into action.
- Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the executive presence to command high-stakes conversations.
- High emotional intelligence and the ability to build trust across diverse teams, client organizations, and leadership contexts.
- Experience in agency leadership, with an understanding of how professional services firms grow, scale, and retain clients over time.
- Bachelor's degree and/or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience; advanced degree preferred.
Salary, Benefits & Perks
- Salary starts at $175,000.00 and will be commensurate with experience
- Comprehensive benefits package including nationwide health, dental, and vision coverage, 401(k) with employer contribution, employer-paid life insurance and short-term disability
- Flexible time off (FTO) with additional time-off options, including sick, volunteer & bereavement leave, paid parental leave, a day off on your birthday PLUS two agency-wide closures in the summer and winter
- Monthly lifestyle stipend to supplement your routine wellness costs like streaming subscriptions, gym, or phone/internet costs
Our Commitment to Inclusion
At SimpsonScarborough, we believe diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are central to our core values and critical to our long-term success. This work requires consistency, intentionality, vulnerability, and accountability. Through our efforts, we strive to make meaningful impact in our work, our workplace, and our industry.
SimpsonScarborough is an equal opportunity employer. We have a strict anti-harassment policy and a zero-tolerance non-discrimination policy. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds regardless of nationality, race, religion, gender identity, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Questions?
For all recruitment-related inquiries, please email PeopleAndCulture@simpsonscarborough.com.
CompensationSalary starts at $175,000.00 and will be commensurate with experience
