Account Director in London

Company Description: With a history that dates back over 80 years, Starcom is a global communications planning and media leader. We are an agency still grounded in our founding principle that people are at the centre of all we do. Each day, we apply this belief to harness the transformative power of data and technology to inspire and move people and business forward. With more than 7,000 employees in over 100 offices around the world, we are the flagship Publicis Media agency that uses our ‘Power of One’ business model, with teams that span multiple disciplines across clients such as Aldi, P&G, P&O Ferries, Primark, Samsung, Stellantis, and Visa.

We place a huge focus on our People and have driven flagship D&I and L&D programmes within Publicis Media; our goal is to help every individual reach their fullest potential and we encourage everyone to make “Brave Plays” in how they approach their work and their own career development. As a result, we have an exceptionally energised and committed talent base, all of us proud of our welcoming and supportive culture, as evidenced by our recognition as one of Campaign’s Best Places to Work for three years in a row (2021, 2022 and 2023) and most excitingly, Media Week's Agency of the Year 2023!

Overview: This role calls for a dynamic, brave & passionate planning mind to join and support the Media Planning team in working for a crucial and long-term, flagship financial services client. Our team connects with the brilliant minds across our agency – from data and tech, to partnerships and channel buying specialists to deliver transformational media plans that are super engaging for our audience. You will also join us in working closely with Publicis creative agency, Saatchi & Saatchi, to deliver a “Power of One” solution for the client, where creative and media work hand-in-hand. The client has global sponsorships like the World Cup, Olympics and the Women’s Euros which present exciting opportunities for ATL and Digital campaigns. There are also more travel, tech and purpose-led campaigns to work on, which makes every campaign unique and exciting. This role will have you developing the smartest & bravest media ideas for this key client. Your enthusiasm for this role, and talent for communication, will be the key to your success in the team!

Responsibilities: The Account Director (AD) is responsible for leading the day-to-day operations of client accounts, ensuring high standards are achieved in media planning, client management, and strategic execution. ADs move beyond campaign-level thinking to take a strategic view of the client’s overall business and agency relationship, focusing on delivering industry-leading work and fostering high-performing teams. They play a pivotal role in ensuring high-quality outputs, embedding best practices, team leadership and leading planning discussions with clients and internal teams.

Qualifications: Lead campaign planning and support the Strategy Director and Business Director with annual planning. Adopt a curiosity mindset, explore, questions and form a point of view. Use relevant insights and data sources to identify opportunities for growth. Work in a collaborative manner with specialists to build your knowledge and ensure a 360-degree view of the best output for media planning and actionable insights. Stay ahead of industry trends, using sources like Mintel, WARC, TGI-Telmar, Statista and media owner research. Having completed a Thinkbox TV Masters, Telmar SurveyTime certification is preferred.

Additional Information: Starcom 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. Access to remote GPs, mental health support and CBT. Wellbeing content and lifestyle coaching.
• FAMILY FRIENDLY POLICIES We provide 26 weeks of full pay for the following family milestones: Maternity, Adoption, Surrogacy and Shared Parental Leave.
• FLEXIBLE WORKING, BANK HOLIDAY SWAP & BIRTHDAY DAY OFF 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).