Influencer Account Manager

Job Title:  Influencer Account Manager

Company: WPP Media South Africa

Location: Johannesburg, South Africa

Type: Full-Time

About the Role

The Influencer Account Manager is the operational owner responsible for the flawless end-to-end execution of influencer marketing campaigns. You are the project management expert who brings the campaign strategy to life. You are the primary day-to-day contact for all campaign execution matters, ensuring projects are delivered on time, on budget, and to the highest standard. This position requires exceptional organisational skills, hands-on campaign management, and a focus on executional excellence.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Delivery & Integration

• Translate High-Level Strategy: Act as the key delivery owner for the influencer marketing component of the brand strategy, translating annual business objectives and campaign goals into tangible and effective influencer activation plans.

• Campaign Strategy & Ideation: Lead the development of end-to-end campaign strategy and creative ideation in direct response to client briefs, defining the campaign's core narrative, talent approach, and activation mechanics to meet stated objectives.

• Integrated Campaign Planning: Proactively collaborate with Paid Media, Social, PR, and Creative teams to ensure influencer marketing is seamlessly integrated into the wider marketing mix, aligning talent, messaging, and timing for maximum impact.
• Proactive Opportunity Identification: Use social listening, cultural trend analysis, and deep knowledge of the creator landscape to identify and pitch proactive talent-led opportunities, first-to-market activations, and strategic partnerships that align with the brand's goals.

End-to-End Campaign Execution:

• Manage the complete operational lifecycle of influencer campaigns, from receiving the final brief to final reporting.

• Act as the primary day-to-day contact for clients and internal teams on all matters related to campaign execution, timelines, and deliverables.

• Manage client communications with professionalism and efficiency, ensuring expectations are clearly set and consistently met.

• Manage the entire talent activation process: influencer identification, vetting, outreach, negotiation, and contracting.

• Oversee all campaign logistics, including briefing talent, managing the content creation process, and securing all necessary internal and client approvals.

• Proactively identify and solve executional challenges, acting as the primary point of contact for all talent-related issues to protect campaign timelines.

• Develop comprehensive post-campaign reports, analysing performance against KPIs and delivering them to the client teams timeously.

Financial & Commercial Administration Support:

• Take accountability for the accurate financial management of your assigned campaigns.

• Responsible for building the detailed executional plan and costings (using the 'Calculator') that form the basis of proposals and Statements of Work (SOWs).

• Draft and ensure accuracy of Cost Estimates (CEs) and Insertion Orders (IOs) based on the agreed-upon SOW.

• Manage all campaign budget tracking, including talent payments and third-party costs, to ensure projects remain within budget.

Collaboration & Communication:

• Lead operational status calls with clients to provide updates on campaign progress and milestones.

• Support the internal stakeholders in client meetings by speaking to campaign progress, performance data, and executional details.

• Ensure a seamless flow of information between the account team and any executional support resources.

Required Capabilities:

Experience:

• Minimum 3 years of experience in a hands-on influencer marketing role focused on campaign execution and project management.

• Proven track record of successfully managing multiple influencer campaigns simultaneously from start to finish.

Skills:

• Exceptional Process & Project Management: A highly organised, process-driven mindset with a proven ability to manage complex projects from intake to completion.

• Meticulous Campaign Execution: A deep, hands-on understanding of every step required to execute a successful influencer campaign.

• Pragmatic Problem-Solving: A talent for identifying campaign risks, anticipating bottlenecks, and making decisive, practical decisions to keep projects on track.

• Technical Proficiency: High level of proficiency with influencer marketing platforms (e.g., Creator IQ), workflow management systems, and financial tools. Must be comfortable with the full Microsoft Office suite.

Attributes:

• Accountable & Organised: Demonstrates absolute ownership of the campaign's executional lifecycle.

• Adaptable & Resilient: Thrives under pressure by skilfully managing shifting project demands and internal constraints.

• Detail-Oriented: An unwavering commitment to precision in all campaign-related documentation, communication, and financial tracking.

• Clear Communicator: Excels at providing clear, concise, and regular updates on campaign status to all stakeholders.

Overview of KPI’s (to be evolved as required by the business)

The KPIs for this role are part of a dynamic performance development framework. They will be formally reviewed and updated on an annual basis to ensure alignment with evolving business objectives and your personal career development goals. This entire process is managed collaboratively through goal setting and progress tracking within our dedicated platform