Overview
Managing Director Jobs in San Francisco, CA at distillery
Title: Managing Director
Company: distillery
Location: San Francisco, CA
About distillery: Ready to make your mark? We are distillery; a global independent creative practice, trusted by world-leading B2B organisations to deliver tangible value through our marketing specialisms. Our purpose is to empower ambitious business leaders and marketers to make a difference. We achieve this through compassion, curiosity, and a commitment to achieve outstanding results every time.
The Role: Our Managing Director, North America is the primary architect of our success, our growth and our excellence across the region. This is a high-impact, hands-on leadership role with full accountability for the region’s people, operations, profitability, and prestige.
You will be responsible for transforming our North American business into an industry-leading business while ensuring our creative delivery remains world-class.
How You Will Make Your Mark
1. People Leadership & Senior Team Development
- High-Performance Culture: Act as the ultimate steward of distillery’s values in North America, building a multidisciplinary team that balances creativity with professional rigour.
- Mentorship & Succession: Directly manage and coach the management team, fostering a culture of accountability and empowering the next generation of distillery leaders.
- Global Collaboration: Partner seamlessly with the CEO and regional Managing Director to ensure North America is both a regional powerhouse and a vital contributor to our global strategy.
2. Commercial Operations & Industry-Leading Profitability
- P&L Mastery: Take full ownership of the North American P&L, moving beyond revenue growth to focus on achieving industry-leading net profit margins.
- Operational Discipline: Implement rigorous financial controls, overseeing budgeting, forecasting, and resource utilisation to ensure every project contributes to the bottom line.
- Commercial Strategy: Design and execute pricing models and commercial frameworks that reflect the premium value of our work while maintaining a lean, efficient operation.
3. Client Partnership & Growth Strategy
- Deep Client Relationships: Leverage your extensive experience to act as a senior strategic advisor for our most significant regional accounts, moving from "vendor" to "indispensable partner."
- Sustainable Expansion: Lead high-stakes business development efforts, focusing on winning long-term, high-margin partnerships rather than transactional projects.
- Market Ambassadorship: Represent distillery as a thought leader in the North American market, elevating our brand presence to attract top-tier global clients and Fortune 500 brands.
4. Delivery Excellence & Operational Rigour
- Gold-Standard Governance: Establish and oversee world-class delivery frameworks, ensuring every project is executed on time, on budget, and to an impeccable standard.
- Process Innovation: Champion the use of AI, automation, and refined workflows to increase delivery speed and quality without inflating costs.
- Risk Mitigation: Provide executive oversight on "pillar" projects, identifying potential delivery risks early and instilling a culture of continuous improvement through post-project analysis.
What You Will Bring to Make Your Mark
- Seasoned Leadership: Significant experience leading a consultancy, agency, or professional services firm at the Managing Director or General Manager level.
- Commercial Edge: A proven track record of managing a P&L and successfully driving a business toward high profitability targets.
- Client Mastery: Deep expertise in managing and growing complex, multi-market client accounts within the North American region.
- Operational Acumen: A sharp eye for delivery processes, resource management, and the "mechanics" of a successful creative business.
- Entrepreneurial Spirit: The ability to operate strategically at the board level while remaining "hands-on" enough to fix operational bottlenecks and lead pitches.
Reports to: CEO Location: San Francisco (Hybrid 2-3 days per week)
Benefits & Culture
- Competitive Salary: Remuneration that recognizes your senior expertise and commercial impact
- Rest & Recharge: 22 days of annual leave plus public holidays
- Global Impact: The opportunity to shape a rapidly growing independent agency with a commitment to humanity and transparency
- D&I: Join a leadership team where 75% of roles are held by women and diversity is woven into our creative DNA
Note: This role requires a minimum of 2-3 days per week in our San Francisco office and will require flexibility to collaborate with our Singapore, London, and Dubai teams across various time zones.
Learn more about distillery: www.wearedistillery.com
