Client Liaison and Traffic Manager

Job Overview

The Client Liaison and Traffic Manager role is a client-facing, operationally critical position at Good News Lab. It sits at the centre of the agency’s workflow and is the primary point of contact between GNL’s clients and its internal team.

At its core, this is an account management role. Roughly 90% of the role is split between client liaison and traffic management – two functions that are deeply intertwined: the Client Liaison and Traffic Manager is the person who takes a client’s brief, translates it into actionable work for the team, and then manages that work from briefing through to delivery. They are the buffer between client expectations and internal production realities, and they must be equally fluent in both worlds.

The remaining 10% of the role involves general administrative support to the Managing Director and Operations Director on an ad-hoc basis. This is a flexible support function, not a fixed task load.

The role involves – but is not limited to – the following:

  • Developing, managing and growing client relationships
  • Receiving and interpreting client briefs, and briefing work into the internal team
  • Managing internal production timelines and external client expectations simultaneously
  • Serving as the primary point of contact for clients on day-to-day account matters
  • Logging, assigning and tracking all active jobs in Asana
  • Chasing deadlines and proactively managing bottlenecks in the workflow
  • Helping proof work before delivery to ensure it meets GNL’s standards and client expectations
  • Liaising with external suppliers and production partners (e.g. printers) as required
  • Providing ad-hoc administrative support to the MD and Operations Director

Core Function 1: Account Management & Client Liaison

Account management is the primary function of this role. The Account Manager is responsible for the day-to-day health and smooth running of GNL’s client accounts – ensuring that clients feel heard, informed and confident that their work is in good hands. This requires consistent communication, good judgement, and the ability to remain calm and solution-oriented under pressure.

Client liaison on matters that require the high-level engagement of the Managing Director or Operations Director should be escalated accordingly. The Account Manager’s role is to handle the day-to-day client communication and to free up senior management to focus on business development and growth.

Brief Intake & Interpretation

When a new brief arrives – whether initiated by the client directly or raised internally by a team member – the Account Manager needs to translate it into actional Asana tasks for the team. They are responsible for receiving the brief, clarifying any ambiguities with the client / team member, and then translating it into a clear, actionable internal brief for the relevant team members. A brief should never enter production in a manner that leaves the team uncertain about what is required, by whom, or by when.

Client Communication & Relationship Management

The Account Manager is responsible for maintaining regular, proactive communication with clients across their accounts. Clients should always know where their work is, what to expect, and when to expect it. A client should never need to ask: β€œWhere to from here?”

Communication should be clear, concise and unambiguous – both for the client’s benefit, and so that there is no room for misalignment between what GNL has committed to delivering and what the client is expecting. The Account Manager must not over-promise, and must be upfront with clients when timelines are at risk.

Check-ins & Status Updates

The Account Manager should set up and conduct regular update touchpoints with clients – whether in person, via video call, email or phone – to keep them informed of the status of their accounts. These check-ins serve two purposes: to update the client on what GNL is working on for them, and to stay ahead of any changes in the client’s needs or priorities that the team needs to know about.

Post-Meeting Briefs & Recaps

Following any client meeting or significant interaction, the Account Manager is responsible for circulating a written recap to both the client and the internal team within 24 hours. This recap should summarise decisions made, deliverables agreed upon, and any next steps with clear ownership. Tools such as Fireflies or similar AI meeting assistants should be used where appropriate to support this.

Managing Difficult Client Situations

The Account Manager will at times be required to manage difficult or sensitive client conversations – including situations where deliverables are delayed, work has not met expectations, or a client is frustrated. In these instances, the Account Manager must remain calm, professional and solution-focused. They should acknowledge the client’s concern, communicate honestly about what has happened and why, and present a clear path forward.

Where a situation requires the involvement of the Operations Director or Managing Director, the Account Manager should escalate promptly – but should never leave a client without an immediate acknowledgement and an indication of when they can expect a fuller response.

Quality Control

Before any work is sent to a client, the Account Manager needs to check it is of a standard that reflects well on GNL and is on brief with what the client requested. This does not mean the Account Manager is the final creative authority, but it does mean they are the last line of defence before delivery. Work that is clearly off-brief, incomplete or below standard should not reach the client.

Build Rapport & Identify Opportunities

Beyond day-to-day account management, the Account Manager should invest in building genuine, lasting relationships with clients. A well-managed account is one where the client trusts GNL implicitly – and that trust is built through consistent communication, reliable delivery and genuine care. The Account Manager should also remain alert to opportunities to grow or deepen the agency’s relationship with a client, and bring any such opportunities to the attention of the Operations Director or MD.

Core Function 2: Traffic Management

Traffic management is the internal operational expression of account management. Once a client brief has been received and interpreted, the Account Manager’s traffic function kicks in: getting the work into the system, assigned to the right people, and moving through production on time.

Job Logging & Asana Management

All work entering the agency – whether received directly from a client or raised internally – must be logged in Asana by the Account Manager. Each job should be correctly assigned, prioritised and given a clear deadline. No job should enter production without being properly captured in the system. The Account Manager is responsible for keeping Asana accurate and current at all times – it is the single source of truth for what the agency is working on and the whole team depends on it.

Deadline Management & Progress Tracking

The Account Manager must actively monitor the progress of all live jobs in Asana. This is not a passive function. It requires regular check-ins with team members, early identification of delays or capacity issues, and timely escalation to the Operations Director where a deadline is genuinely at risk. The goal is that no missed deadline ever comes as a surprise – to the client, or to management.

Internal Team Liaison

The Account Manager serves as the central communications link between clients and GNL’s internal team. They must be comfortable working across creative, strategic and operational functions, and must be able to manage competing priorities diplomatically. Where workload or capacity issues arise, these should be raised with the Operations Director rather than allowed to quietly affect delivery.

Supplier & Production Liaison

As required, the Account Manager will coordinate with external suppliers and production partners – including printers and other service providers – to ensure that files are submitted correctly and on time, proofs are signed off appropriately, and completed jobs are delivered and confirmed. Any issues arising from supplier interactions should be flagged to the Operations Director without delay.

Core Function 3: Administrative Support

The administrative component of this role represents approximately 10% of the overall function and is structured to provide flexible, responsive support to the Managing Director and Operations Director as and when the need arises. It is not a fixed or high-volume task load, but it requires the same level of professionalism and attention to detail as the rest of the role.

Scheduling & Calendar Management

As directed by the MD or Operations Director, the Account Manager may be required to coordinate meeting scheduling and manage calendar entries. This includes aligning availability across internal and external parties and ensuring that relevant information is prepared and shared in advance of meetings.

Filing, Records & Document Management

The Account Manager is responsible for maintaining organised and accurate records across digital filing systems, including client documents, supplier correspondence and job files. All documents should be consistently named, stored and archived in a way that allows any team member to retrieve them quickly.

Office Supplies & Facilities Management

The Account Manager monitors office supply levels and places orders as needed to ensure the agency operates without disruption. They also serve as a first point of contact for general facilities matters, liaising with relevant service providers and keeping the Operations Director informed of any issues.

Vendor Liaison

Beyond production-related supplier contacts, the Account Manager may be required to liaise with general office vendors and service providers on behalf of the Operations Director. All such communications should be handled professionally, with relevant correspondence documented accordingly.

Ad-Hoc Support

From time to time, the MD or Operations Director will require support with tasks that fall outside the categories above. The Account Manager should approach these requests with flexibility and a willing attitude – attending to them promptly and to a high standard.

General Responsibilities

Problem-Solving & Decision-Making

The Account Manager, Traffic & Admin should demonstrate the ability to make sound and considered decisions under pressure: defining the issue, diagnosing the problem, drawing on available resources and professional expertise, and presenting a clear recommendation or solution. This role regularly requires quick thinking – particularly when managing client expectations around delays or unexpected changes. The Account Manager must know when to act independently and when to escalate.

Planning & Organisation

The Account Manager must plan effectively across both client-facing and internal responsibilities. They should utilise Asana and other available tools to stay on top of multiple concurrent priorities, meet or exceed deadlines without compromising quality, and be able to re-prioritise quickly when the demands of the agency change. An organised Account Manager makes the whole agency run better.

Communication

Clear, unambiguous communication is the foundation of this role. The Account Manager must communicate effectively across written, verbal and digital channels – ensuring that clients always know what to expect, that team members always have what they need to do their work, and that management is kept informed of anything that requires their attention. Communication should be proactive, not reactive. Problems should be surfaced early; good news should be shared promptly.

Teamwork & Self-Management

The Account Manager must be able to establish and maintain effective relationships across the agency and with clients. They should be patient, courteous and composed – even in difficult situations – and should demonstrate a genuine willingness to cooperate with colleagues, remain open to feedback, and adapt to the evolving needs of the business. This role sits at the centre of the agency’s operations and the individual filling it has a significant influence on the culture and rhythm of the team.

Extra Effort

The Account Manager should demonstrate initiative – identifying opportunities to improve internal processes, strengthen client relationships or address operational inefficiencies before they become problems. Going above and beyond when the agency or its clients need it is both valued and expected.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Performance in this role will be assessed against the following indicators:

  • Client satisfaction: Positive, consistent feedback from clients on communication quality, responsiveness and the management of their accounts.
  • Brief-to-briefing turnaround: Incoming briefs are interpreted, clarified (where necessary) and briefed into the internal team on the same business day they are received.
  • Asana accuracy: All active jobs are logged, correctly assigned and kept up to date in Asana at all times. The system should reflect the true state of the agency’s workload at any given moment.
  • Deadline adherence: The majority of client deliverables are delivered on time. Where delays are unavoidable, they are communicated to the client proactively and ahead of the deadline – never discovered after the fact.
  • Escalation quality: Issues requiring management involvement are escalated clearly, concisely and with sufficient context for a decision to be made quickly.
  • Client retention & relationship health: Client accounts are stable, well-managed and show no avoidable signs of dissatisfaction or disengagement.
  • Quality control: Work delivered to clients is consistently on brief, complete and of a standard that reflects well on GNL.
  • Supplier & production management: Print files and production jobs are submitted correctly and on time; completion is confirmed and documented.
  • Administrative responsiveness: Ad-hoc requests from the MD and Operations Director are attended to promptly and completed to a high standard.
  • Professional conduct: All client-facing, team-facing and supplier-facing interactions reflect GNL’s values and professional standards consistently.

If this position interests you, here’s what you need to know:

  1. Write a covering letter about why you think you’re a good fit for the position
  2. Email your covering letter along with your updated CV – and at least three contactable references – to hello@goodnewslab.co.za.
  3. Note that calls for submissions closes 6 April 2026.
  4. Salary to be negotiated, but starting monthly salary could be between R14,000 and R17,000 cost-to-company.
  5. Remember: Any successful candidate will enter a mandatory three-month probation period, after which a full time contract will only be offered to candidates who pass their probation successfully.

*Failure to adhere to points 1 & 2 will result in immediate disqualification as a candidate.

This scope of work reflects the multi-faceted nature of the Account Manager, Traffic & Admin role and is intended to serve as a working guide for both the individual and the Operations Director. It is not exhaustive and will be reviewed and updated as the needs of the agency evolve.