At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead strategic direction for Aldi and influence growth across Mars brands.
- Company: Join a dynamic team at Starcom, part of Publicis Groupe.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive benefits package including pension, medical cover, and reflection days.
- Other info: Inclusive workplace committed to diverse backgrounds and personal development.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on major brands while developing your strategic skills.
- Qualifications: Experience in media strategy and strong stakeholder influencing skills required.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
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.
What you’ll be doing:
- 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
Skills we’re looking for:
- 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
Benefits: 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. You’ll also have access to a range of additional initiatives.
Equal Opportunity: 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. 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.
Strategy Director employer: Starcom Melbourne
At Starcom, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work culture that fosters collaboration and innovation. As a Strategy Director, you'll not only lead strategic initiatives for renowned brands like Aldi and Mars but also benefit from comprehensive employee support, including enhanced parental leave and reflection days. Our commitment to inclusivity and professional growth ensures that every team member is empowered to thrive in their career while making a meaningful impact in the retail and FMCG sectors.
