TBWA\Media Arts Lab (BEIJING) seeks talents

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Creative Department:

Title: Art Director
Office: Beijing
Reports to: International Creative Director

Media Arts Lab is looking for an Art Director, based in Beijing. We want someone with experience working in global brands. A citizen of the world who can bring their creative expertise and culturally unique point of view to the brand.

This Art Director will primarily work on local and regional creative briefs for our client’s products for the Chinese markets. They must be fluent in both Chinese (Mandarin) and English and will need some exposure to American brands and be able to relate and localize global concepts for the regional markets and cultures.

Ideal candidates must have spent time working on one brand and understands the importance of developing tone and brand behavior. They are culturally engaged and aware of historical and modern trends in music, arts, language, and technology.

Good artistic qualities in writing and art direction are key. They should be able to convey strong, simple messages through word and/or picture. They must have experience in TV and print. Digital experience is a plus but not a requirement. The Art Director has a strong sense of design and is able to realize their own ideas on a Mac. This is a roll-up-your-sleeves role; they are a pro at using all the design programs and tools in order to bring their ideas to life.

4-8 years experience required. Experience of working in China on global brand campaigns is essential.

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Account Department:

Title: Senior Account Executive
Office: Beijing

Media Arts Lab is looking for an experienced Senior Account Executive, based in Beijing. We want someone who is smart, has a passion for technology and is able to handle multiple projects under tight timing.

Summarized responsibilities will include:

• Managing creative development process from start to finish: research, brief development and presentation, creative rounds and reviews, and full-production to post and launch.
• Collaborate across all disciplines to ensure that work being developed is on strategy and progressing along timelines.
• Understands the brand and business, sharing the most up-to-date information and details as needed.
• Builds strong relationships with clients: keeps them informed of project status; contributes to a relationship of sharing and partnership.
• Manages junior account team members.
• Manage all aspects of overall project budgets; track client approvals, testing and production estimates, media, and final production costs. Oversee actualization of completed projects.

Requirements for this position include:

• Experience with Print, OOH, Online, and TV Productions.
• 2-4 years working on global brands. Software or tech brands a plus.
• Fluent in mandarin Chinese and conversational in English with desire to enhance language skills.
• Experience working with Planning, creating briefs and executing research.
• Experience working with Media teams in creating media plans that fit brand strategy.
• Experience working with different levels of clients, especially on strategic development and presenting work.
• Experience managing teams of various size and experience.
• Able to manage entire productions from start to finish.
• Able to multi-task, working on several projects at once.
• Able to work independently with little supervision.
• Extremely organized and able to keep on a schedule despite obstacles.
• Great problem solving skills—when faced with an issue, able to evaluate all the possible solutions.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• College degree required.

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Title: Associate Account Director
Office: Beijing
Reports to: Group Account Director

Under the supervision of the Group Account Director, this Associate Account Director will serve as the Manager and expert on the client’s business and help with the development of intelligence and strategy around this pillar. They will manage, and begin to lead, the agency’s day-to-day relationship with key client contacts and a team of Account Managers and Account Executives and work closely with members of all departments.

Responsibilities:

Client Relationship Management

• Earn and keep each clients’ respect and confidence as a trusted advisor bringing value to their business through a strong commitment to success, consistent performance and the ability to develop a wide range of ideas and solutions
• Acquire in-depth knowledge of, and be conversant in, each clients’ business – their key issues, competitive situation and industry trends
• Demonstrate confidence and authority as the day-to-day voice of the agency team
• Effectively balance the dual expectations of your clients and the agency

Staff and Project Leadership

• Outline expectations and communicate effectively with agency team members
• Effectively assign, delegate, coordinate and monitor the work of agency staff assigned to client projects
• Establish rapport and trust with the staff members assigned to your pod – acknowledging the expectations of and on others, identifying team and project needs, remaining open to considering multiple POVs.
• Provide a model for project leadership — prepared and pro-active, thorough and accurate
• Effectively incorporate senior staffers from account management as well as other departments as project objectives or issues warrant

Analytic and Planning Abilities

• Clearly establish objectives and priorities for client initiatives
• Help develop, articulate, and adhere to, agreed upon strategies
• Demonstrate an ability to develop a range of alternatives for client and agency decision-making
• Develop and articulate initial points-of-view relative to strategic, creative and media alternatives
• Make decisions that reflect “layers” of thought – balancing enthusiasm, insight, caution, discretion

Organizational Skills

• Establish clear objectives and effectively plan and organize the work of your team – handling multiple projects efficiently, effectively and productively
• Provide effective and efficient oversight of agency resources to insure projects are delivered as promised in terms of time, budgets and results
• Be able to adapt to workload and working conditions while maintaining a positive attitude and professional demeanor

Written Communication Skills

• Deliver concise, accurate and actionable accounts of meetings and discussions
• Contribute to project and/or annual client planning documents

Adherence to Agency Processes

• Prepare accurate and timely internal communication: creative briefs, job starters, change orders, media plan requests, buy authorizations, timelines and estimates
• Prepare accurate and timely external communication: point-of-view support, conference reports, recaps, timelines, estimates and weekly status reports
• Review weekly status reports before distribution
• Review, approve, present and gain approval of project estimates from client
• Develop and monitor project estimate vs. actual time and cost accruals to eliminate or minimize write-off’s
• Review monthly billing for accuracy and completeness in accordance with the Accounting calendar
• Review monthly budget recaps prior to distribution to Account Director and client

Requirements:

• 5-7 years working on global brands. Software or tech brands a plus.
• Able to manage entire Print, OOH, and Online Productions
• Experience working with Planning, creating briefs and executing research.
• Experience working with Media teams in creating media plans that fit brand strategy.
• Experience working with different levels of clients, especially on strategic development and presenting work.
• Experience managing Account Managers and AEs.
• Able to multi-task, working on several projects at once.
• Able to work independently with little supervision.
• Extremely organized and able to keep on a schedule despite obstacles.
• Great problem solving skills—when faced with an issue, able to evaluate all the possible solutions.
• Passionate about brands.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• College degree required.

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Planning Department:

Title: Associate Planning Director
Office: Beijing
Reports to: Planning Director – International & Director of Planning

Reporting to the Planning Director – International & Director of Planning, the Associate Planning Director will play a vital role in strengthening our rigor around audience + cultural understanding of China.

They will need to be engaged with technology and media, but more importantly analyze the cultural factors that influence how audiences live and behave with technology and media in China now. It is of utmost importance for this person to be culturally curious and savvy; in particular to have a good pulse on China and the factors that make them unique. They will have to provide inspiring and educated POVs that help form strategic decisions in these markets that drive creative development and use of media.

This person should be experienced in research – both quantitative and qualitative – and be able to use those insights to create dynamic installations, decks, podcasts, and movies. They should have a variety of sources at their fingertips and be able focus and lead brand conversations around audience behavior.

Responsibilities:

• Lead audience + cultural understanding of china from an anthropological POV.
• Implement processes to share pertinent information (news, buzz, reactions, etc.) in a way that’s engaging and creative.
• Apply, develop and conduct different primary research techniques to garner and unearth insights that feed market context discussions at a very practical level.
• Convey an informed point of view during strategic discussions about China.
• Liaison with global teams on projects, presentations, and workshops focused on understanding the global context our brand lives in.

Requirements:

• A deep understanding of Chinese audience and culture
• Experience as a Planner, but is more interested in thinking about higher level brand strategy as it relates to cultures, rather than focusing on day-to-day campaign development
• Experience of leading quantitative + qualitative research and analysis with an anthropological POV
• Experience working on a global piece of business
• Clear written and verbal presentation skills and style in English
• Proactive self – starter with the ability to manage people and projects with limited supervision
• Team player and able to function under pressure in a fast-paced environment
• Clear and concise written and verbal presentation skills and style
• Ability to present in a manner that influences and leads others around a great idea
• Passionate about advertising, media and culturally connected
• Willingness to travel at least 30% internationally

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Title: Senior Planner
Office: Beijing
Reports to: International Planning Director

Reporting into the International Planning Director, the Senior Planner will play a vital role in providing day to day mentorship to the Beijing planning team and driving the creative development process with powerful insights.

It is of utmost important for this person to be culturally savvy; in particular to have a good pulse on the Chinese market. This person will be capable of balancing the details of each campaign with the ongoing brand story; she or he, needs to be curious and fascinated by the nuance of great creative execution. And, most importantly this person will express povs and communicate succinctly and persuasively in a very fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities:

Day-to-day Management

• Leads status – more than just providing a status, sets the tone for what teams should be thinking about that week as well as what conversations we need to setup in meeting – also shares any intel that is relevant to the teams.
• Is pod expert – gathers intel daily and disseminates important intel to the team in a timely manner; is the person that people turn to for information on the product
• Builds a schedule for any discussions with account team and schedules necessary review time in between in a timely manner
• Always has something to contribute in meetings – but knows when to talk/share/when not (POV, charts up on wall to help frame conversations, interesting news/research to share)
• Develops POV on issue and reviews with planning director before building support materials
• Builds charts/immersion rooms and other support material and refines with planning director and team
• Prepares for meetings – always has the room/meeting ready to go (charts printed/mounted/projected, any backup information ready and is prepared with talking points)
• Is proactive by checking in with account, creative and media to see where planning can support
• Recognizes there is always a lot going on at mal and manages that by developing work in a timely manner, does not wait

Leadership

• Is seen as the strategic leader on their pod
• Pushes their work and works with others to get their work to its most reduced state
• Always looks for ways to enhance briefs beyond the obvious (strategic filters, character discussions, etc)
• Consistently and strategically frames discussions – not just providing information
• Is constantly thinking about communications opportunities to discuss
• Proactively recommends research in order to have the best information to guide communications
• Regularly brings ideas to the table to discuss with planning director and team
• Proactively writes briefs – does not wait for “the right moment” and suggests briefs or communications angles not requested
• Proactively handles systematic issues
• Understands how to engage team in unique ways rather than always using charts to convey information

Creativity

• Always learning and getting better at storytelling- strategy in the right context/ story, simple, human language

Senior Presence

• Is engaged in all meetings – physically sitting up and paying attention, taking notes, contributing
• Talks when should/shouldn’t – learns to state things that tie back to conversation, not simply opinion

Work Style

• Perpetuates MAL culture- on calls, in meetings- reminding of lessons learned
• Manages work style on various levels: works in a system that can keep pace with MAL while still collaborative
• Manages up: anticipates need to receive feedback – learns to work accordingly -
• Gains feedback from peers in pod, planning director and senior management in that order and with success

Requirements:

• College degree required, Business/Marketing/International concentration preferred
• 5 to 7 years experience in planning at a solid strategic agency
• Chinese native speaker and also fluent enough in English to do business
• Ability to multi-task
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Strong analytical skills
• Have research experience in both quantitative and qualitative
• Resourcefulness and problem-solving abilities
• Proactive attitude a must
• A team player

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Contact us via e-mail at 【 christinaw@mediaartslab.com  】 and please forward:
• Your CV in both English and Chinese.
• Your portfolio (less than 9MB) showcasing examples of your ATL, BTL, or digital work.