Operations Director - Global Business Development

Company Description

Publicis Media harnesses the power of modern media through leading agency brands Dysrupt, Infinite Roar, Publicis Collective, Publicis Health Media, Spark Foundry, Starcom and Zenith, as well as global accelerator PMX; immersive experience group PMCI and access to integrated platform-based technologies and offerings from CJ, Epsilon and Influential. A key business solution of Publicis Groupe, Publicis Media’s digital-first, data-driven global solutions deliver client value and drive growth in a platform-powered world. It is present in over 100 countries with over 23,000 employees worldwide.

Overview

The Opportunity

We are looking for an experienced Operations Director to join our Global Business Development team, helping ensure the function operates with consistency, rigour and strong operational discipline across global, regional and market teams. Working within the frameworks established by the Global Business Development Centre of Excellence, you will be a trusted operational partner to the wider Global BD community, translating agreed standards and priorities into effective day-to-day practice. You’ll provide the coordination, guidance and operational expertise that enables teams to navigate critical business development activity effectively. This is a visible, hands-on role for someone who is comfortable operating across a complex international network. You’ll support activity spanning RFIs, opportunity mapping, financial and pursuit due diligence, governance and knowledge-sharing, while connecting teams with the right expertise and resources. You’ll also bring a continuous-improvement mindset, using insight from across the network to identify where processes can work better and supporting the practical application of technology, automation and AI to improve workflows and operational delivery.

Why This Role Stands Out

• International exposure across global, regional and market Business Development teams.
• A central role in critical new business activity, from opportunity qualification and due diligence through to RFI coordination and transition requirements.
• The opportunity to improve how Global Business Development operates, combining hands-on delivery with process improvement, technology and AI.

Responsibilities

Operational Excellence, Governance & Best Practice

• Embed agreed governance, processes and ways of working across global, regional and market teams, helping translate the standards established by the Global BD Centre of Excellence into consistent practice.
• Provide practical operational guidance to teams, helping them navigate processes, governance, compliance requirements and established ways of working.
• Support strong operational governance, ensuring Global BD activity follows agreed business processes, confidentiality and compliance requirements.
• Identify opportunities to simplify and improve processes, using operational experience and feedback from across the network to inform continuous improvement.
• Support the practical adoption of technology, automation and AI to improve workflows, operational outputs and ways of working.

Operational Delivery & Business Support

• Coordinate critical business development activity, ensuring opportunities are supported by accurate information, appropriate due diligence and effective operational coordination.
• Manage the operational coordination of RFIs, bringing together information, stakeholder input and content, and supporting validation and quality assurance.
• Undertake opportunity mapping and pursuit due diligence to support informed decision-making and subsequent RFI, communication, MSA and transition requirements.
• Support financial due diligence and qualification requirements associated with new business opportunities.
• Maintain accurate operational records and reusable knowledge, contributing relevant guidance, templates and resources in partnership with Knowledge Management owners.

Network Management & Collaboration

• Act as a central operational partner to the Global BD community, connecting global, regional and market teams with the guidance, resources and specialist expertise they need.
• Support and utilise the Global BD Buddy network to strengthen connectivity, share effective practice and encourage consistency across markets.
• Provide responsive support to market and team requests, helping colleagues navigate processes and access the appropriate expertise.
• Use insight from across the network to identify recurring challenges and support needs, feeding practical recommendations back into the Centre of Excellence.
• Promote effective use of Global BD resources and support channels across the wider network.

Qualifications

What You’ll Bring

• Strong experience in business development operations, new business operations or a related operational role, with a good understanding of governance, business processes and compliance.
• Experience supporting RFIs and business development activity, with an understanding of the operational requirements involved in progressing opportunities.
• Experience working across a complex, international or multi-stakeholder organisation.
• Experience coordinating activity across global, regional or market teams, with the ability to build effective working relationships across a network.
• Exposure to opportunity qualification, mapping or due diligence would be valuable.

Skills

• Strong operational judgement and attention to detail, particularly when handling commercially sensitive information, governance requirements and multiple stakeholder inputs.
• Strong stakeholder and network-management capability, with the confidence to work effectively across teams, markets and levels of seniority.
• Excellent organisation, research and quality-assurance skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities without compromising accuracy or delivery.
• Clear and practical communication skills, with the ability to make processes and requirements easy for others to understand and apply.
• A continuous-improvement mindset, with an interest in simplifying processes and improving the way teams work.
• A practical understanding of how technology, automation and AI-enabled workflows can improve processes and operational outputs.

How You Work

You combine attention to detail with an understanding of the wider business context. You are comfortable being the person who brings structure, coordination and follow-through to complex activity. You build trust by being reliable, pragmatic and clear, and you know when to solve something yourself and when to bring in the right expertise. You enjoy working across teams and markets, building relationships and helping others operate more effectively. You are curious about how things could work better and bring a practical approach to continuous improvement, technology and change.

Ready to make an impact? Join Global Business Development and help strengthen the operational engine behind new business across our global network.

Additional Information

Publicis Media offers a wide range of benefits to support our employees. Full details are shared when you join, but highlights include core benefits such as Pension, Life Assurance, and Private Medical cover, alongside enhanced policies like Reflection Days and Shared Parental Leave. You’ll also have access to a range of additional initiatives.

Publicis Groupe works primarily from the office or our clients' office four days per week. At Publicis Media, we are proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, and do not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, nationality, religion or belief, disability, age, citizenship, relationship status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other protected characteristic. We are committed to providing a fair, accessible, and inclusive recruitment process. If you have any access needs - for example, related to disability, neurodivergence, or a health condition - please let us know. We’ll work with you to ensure the process works for you. Sharing this information will never impact your application. Guided by our values, we listen with empathy, uplift each other, take responsibility, and embrace change - building a culture where everyone feels seen, respected, and genuinely included.