Account Director

The company

Upstream is a global leader in mobile marketing automation and digital service innovation, enabling Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and brands to grow revenue, improve customer engagement, and succeed in the digital economy. With over two decades of experience and operations spanning 45+ markets across Africa, Latin America, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, we are a trusted partner to more than 60 MNOs worldwide.

Headquartered in Athens, Greece, and with regional hubs in London, Dubai, Johannesburg, Lagos, São Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro, Upstream combines global expertise with deep local insight. Our end-to-end approach encompasses strategy, creative development, technical deployment, campaign execution, and ongoing optimization, ensuring seamless, scalable, and performance-driven service delivery.

About the role

This role is ideal for a commercial leader who thrives on driving strategic growth, leading high-performing teams, and delivering measurable impact on large-scale mobile marketing projects. It offers the opportunity to take full ownership of a key market while building meaningful international business exposure.

*Please submit your CV in English

Main Responsibilities

• Strategic ownership of the client relationship: serve as the senior point of contact between the client and Upstream, shaping long-term partnership strategies, ensuring executive-level satisfaction, and fostering trust across all stakeholder levels.
• Full commercial ownership of the account: lead account planning, revenue target setting, and P&L accountability; drive contract negotiations and renewals; oversee performance tracking, reconciliations, invoicing, and payments.
• Lead and develop a team of commercial operations professionals, setting clear objectives, coaching for performance, and ensuring high-quality delivery across all clients' workstreams.
• Define and oversee the operational framework across regulatory requirements, supplier contracts, and recruitment channels, ensuring accountability for client deliverables and local market outcomes.
• Drive cross-functional alignment, partnering with internal teams to guarantee that the project plans are executed on time, on budget, and to the highest standard.
• Own the performance narrative: define KPIs, interpret data across the sales funnel, channels, and deliverables, and translate insights into strategic recommendations for clients and internal stakeholders.
• Lead growth initiatives: identify and close upselling opportunities within existing projects and spearhead the expansion of Upstream's services across new client departments and business units.
• Build and manage a local partner and product ecosystem, identifying strategic opportunities that strengthen Upstream's market position in Brazil.
• Continuously monitor the competitive landscape, anticipating market shifts and proactively mitigating risks.

Requirements

Knowledge, Skills, and Experience

• The ideal candidate will be a strategic thinker and natural leader, ambitious and results-oriented, with the following qualifications:
• BSc/MSc, preferably in Business Administration, Engineering, or Marketing.
• 8+ years of work experience in consulting, marketing, telecoms, or technology, with a proven track record in senior account or commercial roles.
• Demonstrated experience managing and developing teams.
• Excellent command of the English language (spoken and written).
• Exceptional client-facing, negotiation, and executive communication skills.
• Strong quantitative, analytical, and strategic problem-solving capabilities.
• Proven ability to lead through complexity and deliver results in a demanding, fast-paced environment that requires fresh thinking and innovation.
• Deep understanding of the mobile, web, and digital advertising industry.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to influence at all levels.
• High attention to detail combined with a big-picture strategic mindset.
• Decisively results-driven, with a history of owning and exceeding revenue targets.
• Tech-savvy and comfortable operating at the intersection of technology, marketing, and consumer behavior.
• International perspective and cultural awareness.
• Experience with mobile operators and their core business will be considered a strong plus.

Other Key Considerations

• Solid experience in budget management, P&L ownership, and cost control at a portfolio level.
• Strong background in business development, strategic account management, or senior B2B client leadership.
• Marketing mindset with the ability to translate creative thinking into commercial outcomes.
• Fluency or professional working proficiency in Spanish is considered a strong plus.

Benefits

We offer a competitive base salary and benefits, directly dependent on the candidate’s qualifications and skills. The real excitement comes from working closely with a dynamic, smart, agile, and highly motivated team in a competitive and fast-paced environment.

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The Company does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, pregnancy, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital, or any other legally protected status.