Full-Time

VP – Client Service

Posted on 10/1/2025

MERGE

MERGE

1-10 employees

Full-service marketing and advertising agency

Compensation Overview

$114k - $137k/yr

+ Benefits include Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, 401K, Lifestyle Spending Account, Employer Paid Life & Disability Insurance, Flexible Time off & Holidays plus many other benefits and rewards.

No H1B Sponsorship

Chicago, IL, USA

Hybrid

Category
Consulting (3)
, ,
Requirements
  • 12-14 years of related experience
  • 7-10 years of Client Management experience preferred, including proven strategic thought leadership leading campaign creative and digital business solutions
  • Bachelor’s degree preferred, or equivalent work experience
  • Category expertise and multi-channel experience with platforms and digital expertise - CPG experience a plus
  • Ability to evaluate contemporary marketing and customer experience programs across categories and consumer segments
  • Willingness to roll up your sleeves to be a constant leader in a highly collaborative environment and to develop and execute business-building strategies
  • Superior client management and relationship skills, especially as it relates to expanding business with existing clients
  • Emphasis on building relationships across departments, from marketing to technology to product and sales
  • Superior professional communication and presentation skills
  • Commitment to the client, attention to detail, and strong problem-solving ability
  • Expert understanding of client management principles, relationship development and organization, business acumen, and delegation skills
  • Excellent knowledge of agency capabilities/service offerings, and ability to identify opportunities for growth based on client goals
  • Understand the client's business at the highest level in order to be a champion, and help bring forth "WOW" ideas for the client
  • Function and successfully manage, within a demanding and stressful environment
  • Expert negotiator, whether for contracts or conflict or anything in between
Responsibilities
  • Lead internal teams in support of client engagements and position teams to effectively introduce new omnichannel solutions to changing market conditions
  • act as a senior solution-oriented leader that thrives on developing lasting relationships between the client and agency teams
  • Utilizing deep industry knowledge and experience, you inspire team members to make our strategic and creative recommendations more innovative, smarter and effective—with a deep understanding of platforms (Adobe, Salesforce and more)
  • This position involves consistent consulting and operates at a high level in all aspects of account management
  • Create strong client partnerships including high quality of work, strong business-driving results, service excellence, and proactive ideation
  • Navigate enterprise-level organizations to identify relevant stakeholders to both deepen and widen agency relationships and opportunities
  • Lead organic growth initiatives and opportunities, financial and otherwise on a defined client or client portfolio, while delivering real results for our clients and meeting/exceeding agency revenue goals
  • A trusted partner to marketing peers; aligned with a Director, VP of Marketing and/or CMO / CTO
  • Manage a successful, integrated team through high-level strategic engagement Core strategy; a business builder; market and client expert
  • Manage multiple pieces of business within one client or multiple accounts
  • Informed and personally involved, ensuring sound planning, good service and a solid client/ agency relationship
  • Follow and implement agency policies and procedures across their teams
  • Sign off on clear and thorough SOWs, inspecting for proper margins and profitability targets
  • Oversee team and activities through job completion, serving as point person for necessary escalations
  • Forecast, revenue growth, and margin with an eye to opportunities for increased profitability
  • Exercise independent judgment in methods, techniques, and evaluation criteria for obtaining results
  • Create formal networks involving coordination among groups
  • Display business acumen to apply knowledge beyond current client base or vertical, if needed, by having an immediate impact if moving to a different client or vertical
  • Oversee the financial health of the relationships to hit forecasting numbers
  • Addresses key staffing issues with group leader
  • Help clients anticipate changes in their category and the market at large and make forward-looking adjustments to their marketing strategy, from communications to customer experience to supporting technology
  • Act as a trusted client advisor who consults with them on strategy, ideas, trends, and thought leadership
  • Create and extend relationships with senior clients to facilitate the overall needs of the client and agency
  • Grow and diversify client relationships by identifying additional business needs, from digital marketing and technology platforms to brand strategy to communication to data-driven marketing and experience design
  • Leverage experience to craft strategic and creative solutions, with a strong emphasis on creative campaigns and digitally-driven programs, helping to modernize customer experiences
  • Incorporate senior staff from other departments appropriately, setting them up to capitalize on new opportunities and collaborate effectively
  • Develop and grow a team as a mentor and trusted advisor to account team
  • Maintain working knowledge of MERGE solutions and resources and recognize/act upon opportunities
  • Attend industry events, meetings, conferences, and training as appropriate
  • Other responsibilities as designated
Desired Qualifications
  • None

MERGE is a full-service marketing and advertising agency focused on healthcare, life sciences, financial services, consumer goods, and retail. It offers digital marketing, creative design, brand strategy, media planning, CRM, public relations, communications, web development, and marketing technology to create tailored campaigns that blend storytelling with data and tools across major markets. The company differentiates itself by targeting specific sectors, combining narrative-driven creative with advanced marketing technology and analytics, and delivering a coordinated, measurable, full-service platform. Its goal is to help clients grow their brands and deepen customer relationships through effective, data-backed campaigns that drive solid business results.

Company Size

1-10

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

Chicago, Illinois

Founded

2004

Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Perkuto acquisition enhances analytics and omnichannel performance marketing systems.
  • Expanded to Denver, Los Angeles, and Raleigh, strengthening national footprint.
  • Healthcare trends favor AI personalization, aligning with Predictive Decision Engine.

What critics are saying

  • WPP's VML erodes 20% healthcare revenue via superior AI integrations.
  • Publicis Epsilon poaches 700 CRM specialists from uncompetitive offices.
  • FTC guidelines force Predictive Decision Engine overhaul, halting 15% projects.

What makes MERGE unique

  • Humanity Suite balances AI automation with human-centered creativity across six offerings.
  • Acquired Blazer for strategic consulting and Zee Jay Digital for Adobe Workfront expertise.
  • Appointed Stacey Hawes as Chief Performance and Data Officer to lead data services.

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Benefits

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Life Insurance

401(k) Retirement Plan

401(k) Company Match

Flexible Work Hours

Paid Holidays

Company News

The Associated Press
Apr 7th, 2026
MERGE launches Humanity Suite operating model for AI-empowered marketing agencies

MERGE, a Chicago-based marketing and technology agency, has launched the Humanity Suite, a new operating model comprising six integrated offerings designed for AI-first marketing. The system aims to balance automation with human-centred creativity and empathy. The suite includes three foundation offerings: MarTech Contextual Platform for unified data architecture, Adaptive Creative System for personalised content at scale, and Predictive Decision Engine for proactive customer relationship management. Three impact offerings focus on strategic planning, experience orchestration and AI implementation with ethical oversight. The launch responds to growing demand for personalisation whilst addressing concerns about over-automation. MERGE, which employs over 700 specialists across eight US cities, works with brands including Abbott, American Express and T-Mobile. The suite integrates with platforms like Adobe, Google, Salesforce and Sitecore.

Business Wire
Jun 3rd, 2025
MERGE Expands Integrated Capabilities with Blazer Acquisition to Accelerate Next Growth Phase

MERGE, a leading marketing and technology agency, today announced it has acquired Blazer, a strategic consulting firm, as part of its ongoing growth trajecto...

TechCrunch
Nov 2nd, 2023
Payroll Integrations Grabs $20M To Build Employee Financial Wellness Tools

Employers are increasingly offering perks and benefits to satisfy and retain employees, and it’s widely known that helping with financial wellness is near the top of the list. Rising interest rates and inflation are putting a strain on people, and companies, for example Amazon and Delta, are developing financial wellness programs to aid employees.Payroll Integrations is one of the startups providing ways for employers to support their employees’ financial wellness. The San Diego-based company was founded by Doug Sabella and Andrew Hallengren in 2016.Hallengren was previously a registered investment advisor working in the benefits space and noticed there was lack of automation in the sector. He reached out to his old friend Sabella, who was working at Salesforce at the time, to see where the gaps were. Payroll Integrations came from continued discussions, Sabella told TechCrunch.Over the past seven years, the pair built integrations with the largest payroll companies in the U.S. to provide a direct two-way connection between payroll and benefits automation as an integration platform-as-a-service (iPaaS).Payroll Integrations’ proprietary technology ingests employee census and payroll data from those payroll companies

Business Wire
Oct 5th, 2023
MERGE Acquires Zee Jay Digital to Orchestrate the Content Supply Chain for Superior CX

MERGE, a premium storytelling technology company that promotes health, wealth and happiness, announced today the acquisition of the Adobe Workfront pl

Google
Aug 7th, 2023
MERGE Recognized as an "Independent Agency Finalist of the Year"' and "Best Disease Education Campaign Finalist" by Medical Marketing + Media Awards for 2023

MERGE is being recognized for outstanding work in the categories of Disease Education Campaign and for the second consecutive year as an Independent Agency with Private Equity Backing.

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