Client Director

The Role

You’re a seasoned Client Services professional who thrives at the intersection of relationships, process, and creative excellence. With a knack for building trust and a meticulous eye for detail, you guide clients and teams through every stage of the branding journey. You balance the big picture with the small details, always to deliver work that is not only exceptional but impactful.

In Koto’s LA studio, you’ll manage diverse projects and help shape some of the most ambitious and culturally relevant brands. You’ll partner closely with creative and strategy teams, ensuring our clients experience the very best of Koto — from kick-off to launch and beyond.

Your Responsibilities

1. Lead & Deliver Exceptional Work
   Manage multiple branding projects, balancing scope, budget, and timelines without compromising quality. You move effortlessly between fast-paced startups and more complex, established organizations.

2. Shape the Client Experience
   Build strong, long-term relationships with clients, serving as their go-to partner. You advocate for both the client and the creative team, navigating challenges with clarity, empathy, and confidence.

3. Drive Commercial Success
   Collaborate with the MD and other members of the team on new business — from identifying opportunities and crafting proposals to representing Koto in pitches. You know how to present the Koto experience in a way that inspires confidence and excitement.

4. Champion Best Practice & Process
   Ensure smooth workflows and clear communication across teams. You keep resourcing on track, anticipate needs, and support junior team members to grow in their client relationships.

5. Navigate with Confidence
   Negotiate contracts, fees, extensions, and feedback with ease. You bring clients back on side when tensions rise and ensure financial reporting is accurate, timely, and valuable.

6. Mentor & Empower Others
   Nurture and mentor junior team members, guiding their decision-making behind the scenes to empower them to own their client relationships and grow as professionals.

7. Contribute to Studio Culture
   Bring curiosity and passion for branding and design to every conversation. Be an active, in-person presence in the LA studio and embrace opportunities to collaborate with our global teams.

Our Responsibilities

1. We will ensure you have meaningful and regular access to your manager to support your personal development and career trajectory.

2. We will actively reward performance with promotions, pay increases, and a discretionary annual bonus of up to 10% of salary to all employees.

3. We ensure Koto is an equal environment for all its employees.

4. We will support you in taking family leave and offer significant paid maternity and paternity.

5. We will actively encourage you to take 25 vacation days yearly, in addition to US national holidays (on average 10), and a studio closure between Christmas and New Year.

6. We offer a 401 (k) that you can contribute to, and Koto matches up to 4%.

7. We deploy a monthly ‘employee wellness’ benefits package via Juno of $105 per month.

8. We offer access to YCN and fund relevant training opportunities to any employee looking to develop themselves and their career.

9. We reward five years of service with $5,000 and five days' holiday. We reward ten years of service with $10,000 and four weeks' holiday.

10. We will allow you to work from any of the five Koto studios globally, with appropriate planning and application.

Our Culture

• At Koto, we encourage our team to be ‘rationally optimistic’ about the potential of our work, our clients, their businesses, and the power of brand.

• We pursue the best briefs, aiming to inspire meaningful work, and for those interested, provide an opportunity to create a life's work. We are actively cultivating leadership, culture, and spaces to encourage this.

• We work in person with an optional WFH day on Friday, and an additional two weeks of remote work a year. We believe this produces the best work, mentoring opportunities, collective learning, and culture.

• We encourage autonomy in each member of our team, allowing them to manage their own time, hours, and personal commitments appropriately to complete work