Programmatic Account Director - 12 months maternity cover

Company Description

Who We Are in the UK? Spark Foundry, the Acceleration Agency. We help brands to identify, learn and respond to opportunities faster than the competition. Every client has an area of their business they need to accelerate, from short-term goals to long-term transformation. We’ve proven our approach during the most difficult year on record. Now we’re using it to provide a launchpad for their future. Come be an accelerator with us.

How we accelerate:

• Planning: an approach that works in practice rather than theory, arming planners with the ability to create cutting edge campaigns.
• Intelligence: a suite of tools that give definitive answers to big questions, and uncovers actionable insights about real people.
• Trading: a model built on flexibility and trusted relationships, underpinned with bold guarantees.
• Relationships: a culture of asking challenging questions to better understand the brief – we are not a ‘yes’ agency.
• People: a strong history of recruiting talent from diverse backgrounds and accelerating their careers.

Our Commitment

We are diverse through our experience, people and the clients we look after - and we celebrate that diversity. Our people hold us accountable to our beliefs and via regular surveys and our grass roots D&I team, The Collective, and internal next generation board, Firestarters, we hold regular events and work continually towards generating ideas, initiatives and educating our people to ensure we are a diverse and inclusive agency. As part of our dedication to create an inclusive and diverse workforce, Spark Foundry is committed to equal access to opportunity for people without regard to race, age, sex, disability, neurodiversity, sexual orientation, gender identity or religion.

Overview

The Programmatic Account Director is a key leadership role, that will oversee the strategic growth and development of several accounts within the programmatic team. You will be a trusted advisor to senior clients as well as your colleagues within the agency. With your team of channel specialists, and support from across the agency your primary goal will be to develop client strategy and work closely with your Business Director to ensure that you are bridging client business goals with Publicis’ strategic direction. This includes protecting existing revenue and driving growth.

Responsibilities:

• Operational excellence: You will be accountable for you and your team delivering the brilliant basics including QA processes through mandating the use of QA systems to mitigate errors as well as accurate planning and optimisation.
• Media planning excellence: You will be expected to manage and coordinate a team of channel specialists who are creating complex media plans and delivering campaigns across a range of programmatic platforms.
• Revenue tracking: Your contribution in shaping a client’s programmatic strategy through a commercial lens and spearheading innovation will be a critical component of your role.
• Client sophistication: Working with both your Business Director and Head of Programmatic you will surface product innovation from a client need.
• Awards: Identify market leading work that has been delivered by you and your team.
• Commercial strategy: You and your team will offer media solutions in online display, video, YouTube and BVOD media via self‑serve platform trading.
• Team management: Managing a team of specialists across a client portfolio, you will be a leader who creates an environment where all members of the team have an opportunity to fulfil their potential and deliver exceptional work.
• New Business: Effectively represents their area of expertise within new business pitches where required.

Qualifications:

• Prior relevant experience within a digital agency, specifically in programmatic disciplines and/or vendors within the programmatic demand & supply ecosystem.
• Comprehensive understanding of the digital advertising ecosystem (Adservers, DSPs, SSPs) and a broader understanding of the UK media marketplace.
• Extensive experience of managing teams.
• Effective at people management and compliant with following policies and practices in line with the talent team.
• Good knowledge around recruitment, performance management best practice, motivation, development plans, and issue resolutions.
• Ability to offer consultative advice to large‑budget advertisers about their programmatic campaigns.
• Holistically attribution of value relating to the client's business and marketing success measures to report cross‑channel marketing outcomes.
• Strategic experience in identifying & delivering commercial growth – not just in media billings but in new emerging revenue streams.
• Delivers high value client business strategies and translates these into team actions and outputs.
• Champions equal opportunities and supportive ways of working for teammates with equity requirements by working with the Talent team.
• Promotes a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion within the team.

Additional Information

Spark has fantastic benefits on offer to all of our employees. In addition to the classics, Pension, Life Assurance, Private Medical and Income Protection Plans we also offer:

• WORK YOUR WORLD: opportunity to work anywhere in the world, where there is a Publicis office, for up to 6 weeks a year.
• REFLECTION DAYS: Two additional days of paid leave to step away from your usual day‑to‑day work and create time to focus on your well‑being and self‑care.
• HELP@HAND BENEFITS: 24/7 helpline to support you on a personal and professional level.
• FAMILY FRIENDLY POLICIES: We provide 26 weeks of full pay for the following family milestones: Maternity, Adoption, Surrogacy and Shared Parental Leave.
• FLEXIBLE WORKING: You are entitled to an additional day off for your birthday, from your first day of employment.
• GREAT LOCAL DISCOUNTS: This includes membership discounts with Soho Friends, local restaurants and retailers in Westfield White City and Television Centre.

Full details of our benefits will be shared when you join us! Publicis Groupe operates a hybrid working pattern with full time employees being office‑based three days during the working week. We are supportive of all candidates and are committed to providing a fair assessment process. If you have any circumstances (such as neurodiversity, physical or mental impairments or a medical condition) that may affect your assessment, please inform your Talent Acquisition Partner. We will discuss possible adjustments to ensure fairness. Rest assured, disclosing this information will not impact your treatment in our process.

Please make sure you check out the Publicis Career Page which showcases our Inclusive Benefits and our EAG’s (Employee Action Groups).