Account Manager

Why This Role Exists
Pesty Marketing works only with pest control companies doing $1M+ in annual revenue. We're scaling quickly, and client retention is the biggest constraint on our growth.

Last year, we generated $2M in revenue. This year, we're on track to reach $3M. As we onboard more high-retainer clients, the complexity of delivery, expectations and communication increases, and reactive account management becomes a risk.

This role exists to own client retention and satisfaction at scale. Clients should feel they're working with a top-tier strategy consultant who knows their business and their marketing. Senior Account Managers at Pesty are pod owners responsible for the client relationship and delivery quality. When this role is done well, clients stay longer and leadership is rarely pulled into delivery escalations.

Mission
Keep high-value pest control clients for the long term by solving their marketing problems with a strategy consultant's rigor and owning the relationship.

Outcomes
In 12 months, an A Player in this role consistently delivers:

90%+ annual client retention across your book

Churn risk identified and acted on 60 to 90 days before a client would leave

Client NPS of 80+ across your book, with a 90%+ survey response rate

A strategic recommendation presented to every client at each Executive Business Review (EBR)

Strong performers in this role can grow into Account Director, and from there into VP of Client Services.

Consistent failure to retain clients or manage risk is considered underperformance in this role.

What You'll Own
You report to the Account Director.

Client ownership and retention

Own a portfolio of high-retainer clients (starting small and growing over time)

Serve as the single strategic owner of the client relationship

Raise churn risk early, and elevate high-risk save conversations to the Account Director or leadership

Lead expectation resets, and say "no" when necessary to protect results, margins and team focus

Pod leadership

Lead a dedicated pod (SEO, PPC, UX, content) as the central point of accountability

Set priorities and direction based on client goals and business reality, without micromanaging specialists

Ensure work shipped matches what was sold

Scope and pricing

Hold scope boundaries with clients

Flag scope and pricing changes to the Account Director, who makes the call

Mentoring

Mentor Account Managers, and be their first stop when they face a hard client situation

Execution and communication

Run each client's EBR and present a strategic recommendation: work out the real problem behind their results, and make a clear case for what to do about it

Translate performance data into clear narratives and next steps

Keep clients informed, calm and confident, even when results fluctuate

Experience & Capabilities
Required

Typically 6+ years in account management, client services or agency leadership roles, or equivalent experience

Experience in a startup or fast-growth environment

Proven experience retaining high-value client relationships

Deep working knowledge of local SEO. You won't do the SEO work yourself, but you'll be the only SEO voice in client meetings, so you must be able to explain how local rankings work (Google Business Profile, reviews, proximity), know Google's rules for business listings and reviews, read Search Console and Business Profile data in terms of leads and calls, and form a first view on why rankings or traffic dropped before the client asks

Working knowledge of PPC and LSA: cost per lead, budget tradeoffs and how paid fits with organic

Working knowledge of content strategy: making sure content matches the services a client offers and explaining why it matters for SEO

Awareness of CRO: enough to spot a website problem that costs leads and raise it

Experience managing a $1M+ book of business, or equivalent client responsibility

Fluent English, with excellent written and verbal communication skills

Ability to operate independently with minimal oversight

Available during U.S. Central business hours

How you've learned marketing
We strongly prefer candidates who:

Have read books on marketing, especially on the fundamentals of direct marketing

Can name marketers they've learned a lot from, and explain what they learned

Have hands-on marketing experience, including spending real money (ideally their own) on marketing initiatives

Can hold an in-depth conversation about at least one area of marketing they know well, ideally direct marketing

Certificates and courses are better than nothing, but on their own they aren't enough.

Nice to have

Experience in performance marketing or growth agencies

Familiarity with pest control or other home-services businesses

Experience in pod-based or autonomous team structures

Core competencies (non-negotiable)
An A Player in this role consistently demonstrates:

Concierge: builds trust quickly, communicates clearly and calmly under pressure, and handles difficult conversations directly

Project Management: follows through on commitments and manages multiple client priorities without chaos

Marketing Intelligence: understands marketing metrics, separates signal from noise in performance data, and guides clients like a consultant

Problem Solving & Curiosity: breaks down ambiguous client problems, forms a view and tests it with data, and teaches themselves new channels and tools without being asked

Startup Environment Fit: comfortable with rapid change and works independently without rigid structure

Coachability: seeks feedback and changes behavior after coaching

How we assess this
Our interview process includes a case study: you'll get information about a client and present a strategic recommendation, as you would in the role.

Who This Role Is Not For
This role is for sharp thinkers who enjoy learning, solving problems and having hard conversations, and who take pride in retaining clients. It does not fit:

Order-takers who wait for direction

Account managers who avoid conflict

People who want to "do strategy" without owning results

People who pass client requests along instead of working out the real problem

People who stopped learning once they knew the basics

Compensation & Benefits

Base pay

Performance-based retention bonus, paid quarterly. Eligibility starts after six months.

Fully remote

Unlimited PTO (2-week minimum encouraged)

Professional development support

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