The Role

Koto is seeking a thoughtful and driven Senior Client Manager to join our growing Client Services team in New York. You’ll partner with clients, support our creative teams, and ensure our projects run efficiently, thoughtfully, and with care. You’re someone who thrives in the details, leads with empathy, and understands what it takes to deliver world-class creative work for ambitious companies.

This role is ideal for someone ready to deepen their ownership, expand their impact, and help deliver meaningful work across a diverse and exciting range of brands.

Your Responsibilities

1. Own the day-to-day

Lead the day-to-day management of multiple branding and design projects — keeping timelines, budgets, and team members on track and to brief.

2. Be a trusted partner

Build close relationships with clients and internal teams to ensure a seamless experience throughout each engagement. You advocate for both parties, anticipate needs, communicate clearly, and maintain momentum — even when things become complex.

3. Support the new

Play an active role in new business — preparing proposals, timelines, project plans, and presentation materials to help us put our best foot forward with prospective clients.

4. Keep things smooth

Uphold best practices in project management and client service, and support internal team coordination across disciplines to keep work running smoothly.

5. Think ahead

Build project plans and resourcing schedules that are efficient, realistic, and always a step ahead of what’s next. Confidently articulate project status, next steps, and deliverables to both clients and internal teams — in writing, in meetings, and in presentations.

6. Report with clarity

Monitor project budgets, track resourcing, and report financial and project health data to our Managing Director and Finance team using our internal tools.

7. Handle the tricky bits

Confidently navigate scope changes, negotiate feedback, and flag legal or financial issues when they arise — without losing sight of the relationship.

8. Speak our language

Have a strong understanding of branding and creative processes and their fundamentals, contributing to conversations with a thoughtful, informed perspective.

9. Be present

We’re an in-person studio with flexibility. Your presence contributes to the team's energy through collaboration, connection, and culture-building in our New York space.

About You

• 5-6 years of experience managing brand and/or creative projects — ideally within an agency or design studio setting.
• Proven ability to manage complex projects with multiple stakeholders and deliverables.
• Calm, solutions-oriented approach, especially when navigating shifting timelines or feedback
• Exceptional communication and organizational skills — written, verbal, presentation.
• A collaborative, low-ego approach and a genuine interest in creative work.

Our Responsibilities

1. We will ensure you have meaningful and regular access to your manager to support your personal development and career trajectory.

2. We will actively reward performance with promotions, pay increases and a discretionary annual bonus of up to 10% of salary to all employees.

3. We ensure Koto is an equal environment for all its employees.

4. We will support you in taking family leave and offer significant paid maternity and paternity leave.

5. We will actively encourage you to take 25 days' vacation annually, in addition to US bank holidays and a studio closure over the December Holidays.

6. We will contribute an additional up to 4% to anyone wanting to contribute to our 401 (k) plan.

7. We deploy a monthly ‘employee wellness’ benefits package via Juno of $100 per month.

8. We offer access to YCN and fund relevant training opportunities to any employee looking to develop themselves and their career.

9. We reward five years of service with $5,000 and five days' vacation. We reward ten years of service with $10,000 and four weeks' holiday.

10. We will allow you to work from any of the four Koto studios globally, for a set period, with appropriate planning and application.

Our Culture

• At Koto, we encourage our team to be ‘rationally optimistic’ about the potential of our work, our clients, their businesses, and the power of brand.
• We pursue the best briefs, aim to inspire meaningful work, and for those interested, provide an opportunity to make the work of their lives. We are actively cultivating leadership, culture, and spaces to encourage this.
• We work in person with an optional WFH day on Friday, and an additional two weeks of remote work a year. We believe this produces the best work, mentoring opportunities, collective learning, and culture.
• We encourage autonomy in each member of our team, allowing them to manage their own time, hour,s and personal commitments appropriately to complete work.