Work with Us: Fractional Senior Account Director (Show Jumping)

Position Type	Part-Time / Fractional (approx. 20 hours/week) with potential for Full-Time, Salaried Position with Benefits
Engagement	2026 Season — April through December
Clients	Highlands Horse Show & Sonoma Horse Park
Reports To	GSS Agency Leadership (Shona Rotondo)
Location	Remote with onsite requirements (Amenia, NY — Hudson Valley, Sonoma, CA) Giant Steps Charity Classic: July 29 - Aug 2, 2026 SHP Fall Classic I:September 2 - 6, 2026 Silo Ridge: Sept 30 - Oct 4  Highlands Cup: Oct 7 - 11

ABOUT THE ROLE

GSS, The Marketing Agency is seeking a seasoned Senior Account Director to serve as the day-to-day lead on our Highlands Sports account — a premier equestrian show jumping property encompassing the Highlands Cup (CSI5*), Silo Ridge Masters (CSI3*), and Bridlemont Concours in the Hudson Valley.This individual will also support our Sonoma Horse Park / West Palms Events account.

This is a fractional, part-time engagement requiring approximately 20 hours per week, with onsite horse show full-day coverage during 4 weeks of engagement. You will work as an extension of the GSS leadership team, managing client communications, coordinating internal resources, and ensuring seamless execution of the 2026 marketing plan. Agency leadership will provide strategic direction and oversight, but this role owns the day-to-day.

ABOUT THE CLIENTS

Highlands Sports is a world-class equestrian show series headquartered in Amenia, New York. GSS is contracted to deliver the full marketing strategy, social media management, creative development, and onsite event coverage for three distinct event properties across the 2026 season. 

Sonoma Horse Park is a world-class horse show facility 25 miles north of San Francisco in southern Sonoma County, featuring 6 A-Rated shows per year run by West Palm Events. GSS is contracted to deliver their marketing strategy, social media consulting, creative and onsite coverage for their A shows. The Fractional Account Manager would be responsible for assisting the GSS Account Directors with pre-determined weeks of horse show coverage. 

WHAT YOU'LL DO

Account & Project Management

• Serve as the primary daily point of contact between the Highlands client team and GSS internal resources

• Receive, triage, and document all incoming client requests in Monday.com — assigning priority levels, deadlines, and resource ownership

• Maintain a clear and current view of all open tasks, upcoming deliverables, and project status across the engagement

• Facilitate regular client status calls and prepare meeting recaps, action item logs, and follow-ups

• Flag scope creep proactively and support the change request process in accordance with the contract

• Ensure all client-facing materials are delivered within agreed turnaround windows (typically 48–72 business hours)

Social Media Execution

• Collaborate with GSS leadership to interpret and execute the approved marketing and content strategy

• Prepare, schedule, and publish content across Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, X, and Bridlemont Concours IG

• Be eager to storytell through short clips and bring ideas for episodic 

• Review and quality-check content calendars, captions, and post assets before client submission and publication

• Initiate the development of monthly content calendars aligned to the event schedule and content pillar framework

• Monitor content performance and contribute to monthly analytics reporting and KPI tracking

• Paid Media: Work with Exec Team and GSS Paid Advertising Director to execute paid strategy and ensure holistic paid and organic success of the account 

Creative Coordination

• Brief the designer and videographer on asset needs, timelines, and brand standards — ensuring all deliverables align with Highlands' visual identity

• Leverage GSS Standard Creative Request Forms to communicate client deliverables 

• Make basic edits and adjustments in Canva independently, reducing designer bandwidth for straightforward requests

• Coordinate the production of hero cards, social templates, event graphics, sponsor integrations, and other creative assets within the 80-hour creative bank

• Track creative hours usage and raise flags when the bank is approaching capacity

Onsite Event Execution and Support

• Manage or organize pre-event logistics coordination, run-of-show preparation, and team communication ahead of the Silo Ridge Masters and Highlands Cup + Bridlemont Concours event weeks

• Create and Execute Run of Show in Monday.com 

• Serve as a day-to-day coordination point for onsite team communication leading up to and during event weeks

• Provide real-time onsite execution (overseen by Shona Rotondo) and ensure excellent execution of run of show 

WHAT YOU BRING

Required Experience & Qualifications

• Minimum 6+ years of account management experience at a marketing, advertising, public relations, or social media agency

• Deep, firsthand knowledge of the show jumping world — you understand the culture, the calendar, the athletes, and what makes this community tick

• Proven ability to manage multiple workstreams simultaneously without dropping the ball

• Hands-on experience with project management tools — Monday.com preferred

• Comfortable making independent decisions about priority and resource allocation within defined parameters

• Strong written communication skills — you can write a tight client email, a clear brief, and a sharp caption

• Proficiency in Canva for graphic editing and asset resizing and content development 

 Who You Are

• You are deeply organized — your inbox and your project board are never a mystery

• You think like an owner, not an executor. You anticipate what the client needs before they ask

• You know when to move fast and when to bring something to leadership before acting

• You understand the luxury positioning required for an event of this caliber and communicate accordingly

• You're a natural collaborator who can work across a small, fast-moving team without ego

• You respect timelines and hold others to them without burning relationships

YOUR TEAM

You will work within the GSS internal team structure and have direct access to the following resources on the Highlands account:

ROLE	YOUR WORKING RELATIONSHIP
GSS Leadership (Shona Rotondo)	Strategic oversight, client relationship stewardship, and escalation point.
Designer	Brief and direct on all creative asset production. Coordinate timelines and review deliverables before client presentation.
Videographer	Coordinate for onsite event coverage needs, highlight packages, and any video content in the content plan.
Internal GSS Team Members	Available for social publishing support.

ACCOUNT CONTEXT

Familiarity with the contracted scope of this engagement is expected. The 2026 agreement with Highlands Horse Show covers the following service areas:

• Strategy Development — comprehensive marketing strategy document (one-time, prior to execution)

• Onsite Event Coverage — dedicated GSS team for two full event weeks, including real-time content, community management, and run-of-show execution

• Monthly Social Media Retainer — management of up to five platforms (+ Bridlemont Concours IG as a value-add) from May through December

• Creative Development — bank-of-hours engagement (80 hours) covering all event and digital creative assets

• Strategic Account Leadership — senior advisory access for new programs and opportunities as they arise

Out-of-scope requests are handled via a formal change request process. This role is responsible for identifying when requests fall outside the contracted scope and escalating appropriately before work begins.

COMPENSATION / BENEFITS 

Compensation is commensurate with experience and structured on a fractional retainer basis. Rate will be discussed with qualified candidates during the interview process. Day rate for onsite coverage to be addressed separately from Account Management retainer. Potential bonus for successful completion of contract. 

HOW TO APPLY

Qualified candidates should submit the following to inspired@gsstheagency.com with the subject line: Fractional Senior Account Director:

• Resume or professional profile

• Brief note on your background in the equestrian industry and show jumping specifically

• One relevant work sample or campaign example (agency context preferred)