Strategy Director

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, 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 five years in a row, Media Week's Agency of the Year 2025 and one of the Sunday Times Best Places to Work 2025.

Overview

We are hiring a Strategy Director to shape the future of one of the UK’s most exciting retail and FMCG portfolios. This is an opportunity to lead strategic thinking on Aldi, while contributing to brands in the Mars portfolio including Dolmio and Ben's - driving work that genuinely influences business growth. You’ll sit at the heart of client conversations, connecting human behaviour, media and commercial outcomes. If you’re motivated by solving complex challenges and making a measurable impact, this role offers a brilliant platform to do just that.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic direction for Aldi, identifying growth opportunities and shaping communications that deliver real business impact.
• Contribute strategic leadership across Mars Food & Nutrition brands, navigating evolving consumer behaviours and category dynamics.
• Develop clear, compelling narratives that connect audience insight, media strategy and commercial objectives.
• Partner closely with senior stakeholders, acting as a trusted advisor on both short-term priorities and long-term growth.
• Collaborate with planning teams to translate strategy into effective, measurable media plans.
• Strengthen the quality of decision-making by connecting audience understanding with channel and investment choices.
• Support and mentor team members, helping to build confidence, capability and consistently high standards of strategic thinking.

Qualifications

• Strong experience in media strategy, communications planning or integrated planning.
• Proven ability to influence stakeholders and contribute to business decision-making.
• Experience working with complex brands, ideally within retail, FMCG or consumer-focused categories.
• A strong understanding of how media planning translates into commercial outcomes.
• Confidence in navigating both long‑term strategy and day‑to‑day planning challenges.
• Clear, structured thinking with the ability to simplify complex problems.
• A collaborative mindset with a genuine interest in developing others and improving team performance.

Additional Information

Starcom 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.

Equal Opportunities Statement

At Starcom, 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.