VP, Business Director (On-Site, NYC)

Who are we?

MATTE is a 360° full-service creative studio at the convergence of hype, storytelling and design. We bring people together to inspire new ways of engaging, to provoke long term progress, and to entertain audiences around the world, while helping forward-thinking brands and institutions nimbly and truly do the same. Our studio capabilities range from strategic ideation and insights, creative development, branding and identity, experiential, web design and development, campaigns and content creation, all the way through full-scale production and execution.

About this role: 

The VP, Business Director is a senior strategic leader within MATTE’s Client Services department, responsible for overseeing a large book of business, leading senior client relationships, and driving profitable growth across accounts. This role defines standards, forecasting practices, and long-term portfolio strategies, ensuring that MATTE delivers consistent, exceptional partnership experiences across every touchpoint. In collaboration with the Head of Client Services, the VP, Business Director sets department best practices, leads renewal strategy, champions client experience agency-wide, and plays a critical role in identifying, shaping, and winning new revenue opportunities.

Responsibilities include:

Client Portfolio Leadership + Growth
• Own revenue + margin performance for a major book of business
• Drive annual account planning, renewal strategy, and multi-year client roadmap creation
• Build and pilot new client offerings, pricing models, and scopes to unlock new revenue streams
• Translate client business goals into MATTE-led growth opportunities (campaign, content, experiential, strategy, etc.)

Client Partnership + Executive Relationship Management
• Serve as a senior strategic partner to senior client stakeholders
• Lead high-stakes conversations around scope, pricing, rights, IP, and long-term visioning
• Negotiate and orchestrate complex statements of work and strategic partnerships
• De-escalate, solve, and proactively manage business-critical issues

• Partner closely with Client Service Directors and account teams to guide account strategy, problem-solving, and client engagement throughout the lifecycle of work
• Lead critical client meetings, workshops, presentations, and business reviews, ensuring alignment between client objectives and agency output
• Provide senior-level guidance on project scopes, timelines, staffing plans, and delivery approaches across campaigns, content, experiential, and integrated programs
• Support teams through complex project challenges, helping navigate stakeholder management, scope evolution, and cross-functional collaboration
• Maintain visibility into account health, delivery quality, team performance, and client satisfaction to ensure long-term partnership success
• Act as a senior escalation point for both clients and internal teams, driving solutions and maintaining momentum on high-priority initiatives

Team Leadership + Mentorship
• Lead and develop Client Service Director, and junior team members
• Create standards and frameworks that scale effective client partnership across the org
• Lead performance conversations, growth plans, and succession planning for the team
• Champion a high-performance culture rooted in clarity, accountability, and collaboration

Agency-Level Influence
• Work closely with Creative + Production leadership to ensure delivery excellence and future-state capability building
• Define the standards for what world-class client experience looks like at MATTE
• Identify business white space and influence strategic decision-making at the executive table
• Ability to connect creative excellence to business outcomes

What you will bring:

• 12+ years of progressive experience within creative agency, brand studio, or integrated marketing environment
• Proven track record leading a large portfolio (multi-million dollar annual revenue) across campaign, content, and experiential work
• Experience managing senior-level client relationships (VP/C-Suite) and driving renewals + long-term growth
• Demonstrated experience owning P&L performance and margin management across a portfolio
• Expert-level ability to structure and negotiate scopes of work, master agreements, and partnership deals
• Experience leading and developing high-performing Account/Client Service teams; proven mentorship and talent development history
• Strong financial acumen and ability to forecast revenue, staffing plans, and quarterly pacing
• Executive presence: comfortable navigating high-stakes conversations and influencing senior leadership
• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills and the ability to dynamically translate client needs across creative, production, and strategy stakeholders
• Preference for agency-side experience, ideally within culture, luxury, or lifestyle-led environments (MATTE’s world)

Compensation: $200,000-$215,000/year based on relevant experience

Benefits include:

• Full Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage
• 401k with a 4% company contribution max match
• Fully covered yearly Citibike membership 
• Commuter benefits
• Talkspace membership 
• Competitive PTO package
• End of Year Recharge
• Sabbatical Program 

Everyone is welcome at MATTE - we’re passionate about building a team that reflects the diversity of our community and creating an environment where our differences are celebrated. MATTE provides equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. In addition, MATTE will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.