senior brand manager – beauty and aesthetics

Creativity needs room to breathe. At Agency Habitat, we’ll give you the space. There’s no one right way to live, work, create or sell, which is why we believe in a different kind of work environment. One that is inclusive and inviting to folks from all walks of life, no matter the intersecting identities you encompass. All we ask is that you bring new experiences to the table, share your talents and insights openly and learn as much as you can from the people you meet every day. We know that collaboration, open communication, accountability and a humble spirit drive us forward in our Habitat, and we’re looking to grow with you. We need team players who want to contribute to the greater success of our clients and community. We work hard. We play hard. We do life together with our clients and teammates, and we do it all through brand, content and media. Sound like the place for you? Keep reading.

Job summary:

As part of the Agency Habitat team, our Senior Brand Manager – Beauty and Aesthetics you’re not just managing accounts, you’re leading them. You’re the powerhouse at the intersection of client services and project management, guiding high-value relationships with strategy, care, polish and precision. We’re looking for a beauty savant who’s fluent in the art and science of marketing, someone who blends creative vision and analytical rigor with instinct and industry insight. You’ll be the force behind some of the most exciting brands in skincare, cosmetics, aesthetics, and wellness, shaping what’s next for beauty today, and reimagining the standards of beauty for tomorrow.

You’ll ensure the agency delivers:

• Smart, proactive marketing strategy
• Bold creative that drives results
• Flawless execution that builds trust

To thrive in this role, you’ll bring:

• Strategic mindset with a knack for turning insights into action
• Strong presentation and communication skills
• Calm, decisive leadership in fast-paced environments
• Passion for beauty, wellness, and aesthetics
• Collaborative spirit and mentoring approach
• Experience managing budgets, timelines, and cross-functional teams
• A passion for skincare, cosmetics, beauty, aesthetics, and wellness — both as an industry and a cultural force

Key responsibilities:

Account Management:

• Serve as an account lead both internally and externally on assigned accounts, reporting to Executive Brand Director and supporting associate team members when necessary
• Educate clients on agency philosophy and processes, and set the tone of the partnership
• Grow and develop existing account by helping clients understand the role the agency can play in helping meet business objectives
• Collaborate with internal media, creative and research staff to develop marketing strategies
• Serve as liaison with other agency partners regarding information-sharing, document-sharing, scheduling meetings and maintaining communications among agency team members
• Schedule/coordinate meetings, set meeting objectives, identify key participants, develop agendas and provide necessary documents and meeting notes
• Develop proposals, work with Project Managers to develop pricing and presents project plans/cost estimates to clients for approval or modification
• Develop creative briefs that serve as foundations for campaign development
• Negotiate with clients regarding details of campaigns and projects; lead ongoing client status calls reporting project progress and associated budget implications
• Effectively present, sell and defend all agency work/proposals to clients; supports other client service team members in these functions
• Quickly and accurately anticipate project changes and pivot project plan appropriately to keep it moving toward completion, all while communicating internally and externally
• Actively manage day-to-day progress for client projects in agency management software, communicating team updates as needed to ensure holistic knowledge of project status and next steps, including timeline, budget and risk management
• Secure all client approvals and work with Project Manager to maintain careful records
• Review and approve all work before it moves into final production to ensure it meets strategic objectives and client expectations
• Oversee execution of approved programs

Reporting:

• Inform team leads of opportunities, challenges, capacity and upcoming work
• Utilize project management system to forecast team workload, traffic and project influxes
• Regularly communicate clients’ short and long-term goals to team leads

Strategic Planning:

• Keep apprised of clients’ brands, products, services, marketing developments and industry holistically
• Ensure team members are provided with appropriate research materials to perform effectively
• Regularly communicate with clients to understand their long-term goals and make recommendations for/against certain strategies/tactics as appropriate
• Analyze client input, together with background knowledge, research, field feedback, etc., to produce full marketing/communications plans that meet and exceed the client’s marketing and business goals and objectives, with support from the team lead
• Work in a proactive manner with team leads to provide client marketing plans with the greatest added value
• Demonstrate a proven ability to think upstream and downstream — from high-level brand frameworks to tactical campaign rollout
• Brief creative, media and interactive staff to ensure account strategy is understood prior to project initiation

Relationships:

• Maintain agency/client relationship; arrange and chair meetings with clients virtually and in person
• Work to build networks within client organizations and beyond with potential to lead to further opportunities, new business growth or efficiencies in process
• Act as host/hostess for visiting clients – rolling out the “red carpet”
• Mentor associate brand managers and project coordinators who show aptitude for a brand management path

Financials:

• Develop scopes of work detailing tactical descriptions and assign estimate numbers
• Manage account retainers, scopes of work and project estimates
• Review financial reports, including:
  • Quote vs. actuals
  • Quarterly projections
• Route and gain approval on estimates and scopes of work through team/agency leadership
• Working with accounting team to reconcile and invoice accounts

Business Development:

• Constantly monitor existing accounts for growth opportunities and work with senior team leads to capitalize on opportunities that may arise
• Contribute to pitching, winning and onboarding new accounts

Perform other tasks as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Education: Masters in Business Administration, Strategic Communication, Brand Strategy, Integrated Marketing or similar field preferred. Bachelors in Marketing, Advertising, Communications, Business Administration or related disciplines required. Bachelors in Psychology or Sociology plus relevant work experience could also be a wonderful fit for this role.
• Work experience:5+ years of experience in brand, campaign, and/or digital strategy or account service within the beauty/aesthetics industry, with a deep familiarity with both B2B and B2C marketing principles, as well as how they diverge and connect required.
• Work requirements: May work some odd hours. Overtime may be necessary for this role. Must be available and willing to travel consistently.

Relationships:

• Reports to:Executive Brand Director and/or their designees
• External relationships:Clients, Vendors

We offer a friendly and creative work environment that fosters community, companionship and dynamic working relationships. We believe in the power of connection and collaboration, so we work mostly in our state-of-the-art office, but we understand life happens, and we have the flexibility to work from home when needed.  We offer a competitive salary with potential bonus opportunities based on company and individual performance, plus benefits, 401(k), ample paid time off, a festive holiday schedule, three coffee makers, an arcade and full bar. Are you ready to join our team? OK then, take the phrase, “that’s not my job” out of your vocabulary and apply below