Prospecting 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, 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

The Prospecting Director ensures Publicis Media never pitches to strangers by building and nurturing relationships with major UK marketers. Reporting to the CGO/COO, you’ll architect the end‑to‑end prospecting journey, from cold outreach through to warm engagement and “pitching to a friend.” You’ll create entry points and personalised touchpoints, working in lockstep with the Marketing Director to align on proposition and messaging.

Your remit covers strategy, bespoke outreach, top‑to‑top meeting logistics, ongoing communications planning, and senior‑executive networking events. You’ll be the driver of our pipeline’s earliest stages, ensuring that every new opportunity starts from a foundation of trust and relevance.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a detailed prospecting plan in collaboration with the CGO, mapping priority sectors, target accounts and engagement journeys.
• Craft and deploy tailored outreach campaigns (email, social, phone) to key prospects, leveraging market insights and client needs.
• Work with the Marketing Director to ensure prospect communications reinforce our go‑to‑market narrative.
• Maintain an engagement tracker with prospect status, touchpoints and next steps; ensure CRM data accuracy.
• Own all logistics, content and follow‑up for senior‑level meetings – coordinating briefing materials, agendas and action logs.
• Curate high‑value networking opportunities (dinners, small‑group events) for senior PM execs; manage invites, collateral and post‑event engagement.
• Lead PM presence at industry conferences, briefing collateral needs, on‑site support and lead capture processes.
  Define and track KPIs (response rates, meeting conversion, pipeline value); deliver regular reporting and continuous improvement plans.

Qualifications

What are we looking for?

• Extensive experience in agency‑side business development, sales or marketing roles, with a proven track record in a management or leadership position.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills; able to cultivate trust and credibility at senior levels.
• Strong understanding of client business drivers and media market dynamics.
• Highly organised; adept at juggling multiple engagements and maintaining meticulous records.
• Works seamlessly with Marketing, New Business and Leadership teams.
• Excellent written and verbal skills; confident presenting to C‑suite prospects.
• Self‑starter who takes initiative to identify and pursue new conversations.
• Deep familiarity with the UK media and advertising landscape.

Additional information

Starcom has fantastic benefits on offer to all of our employees. In addition to the classics,Pension,Life Assurance, Private Medical and IncomeProtectionPlanswe 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.
• 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 ourbenefits 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).

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