WHY YOU WANT TO WORK AT SPARK FOUNDRY

Let’s be honest –in this industry, sometimes we complicate things that should be simple. Here is the bottom line:we want YOU to join us if you are truly passionate about guiding marketers on how to best connect their brands with people. It doesn’t get much simpler than that.At Spark Foundry, we have a unique approach and provide the support tohelp you do this. In fact, our approach is built on creating the space for ideas that lead to smart work, and Spark Foundry is built to celebrate and develop YOUR ideas.

WHO WE ARE

Throughout our rich history, we’ve taken pride in our ongoing legacy of and commitment to constant evolution. It’s in our DNA to evolve.By melding the spirit of a startup and the soul of a powerhouse across our business, we aim to bring modern heat to brands –the kind of heat that arises at the intersection of startup and powerhouse; of data and content; of art and science; of old and new.Energy and innovation fuels our startup spirit, while the unrivaled marketplace clout, exclusive partnerships, and global practice capabilities we have at our disposal as a full-service Publicis Media agency deliver our powerhouse soul for our clients.We hope you’ll take a few moments to learn more about us, and to begin thinking about how we might put “the power of plus” to work for you.To learn more, visit www.sparkfoundryww.com

Role & Clients:

This is an experienced Account Executive role working within the Display Investment Team. The Senior Account Executive will report in to an Account Manager and may have to nurture and support junior Account Executives in the planning, execution, and reporting of Display campaigns (Print and Digital).

As Senior Account Executive the core workflows will be

• Key responsibility for the planning and buying of client campaigns: receipt and interrogation of brief; engaging the market; composing plans and negotiating pricing; creating rationales and presenting proposals and results.
• Regular contact for Clients and Planning teams and source of information for campaign status, performance reporting, ad hoc questions and queries about Display Investment
• Supplier management – understanding of the key suppliers and interrogating of product offerings. Building relationships with key suppliers, delivering feedback, identifying opportunities, and ensuring the agency and clients reputation is maintained.

This exciting opportunity will enable the successful candidate to work across a variety of Spark Foundry’s clients across FMCG and Entertainment categories.

Team/Department Profile: PMX Investment

This vacancy is an opportunity to join the Display Investment team, which is responsible for planning and buying both Digital and Print Media. The team is comprised of 30+ individuals with diverse skills and expertise across the media and technology landscape. Display Investment works in close collaboration with Communications Planners, and other Activation Teams to help design integrated solutions to our clients’ communications challenges. Members of the team are aligned to key client brands, and expected to build strong direct relationships through impeccable servicing, high quality product, and transformational proactive ideas.

The Investment Team represent the Agency, and their Clients, in the Media and Technology Marketplace. Individuals are expected to have a detailed knowledge of market dynamics, and also the ability to build strong relationships with suppliers and third parties. The team are not only skilled in traditional planning and negotiation, but responsible for designing programmatic solutions for our clients. Working alongside dedicated programmatic traders, the Display team are responsible for evaluating new inventory sources/ data suppliers/ technology partners on behalf of their clients.

With a broad client base that spans categories such as Retail, Automotive, Travel, Finance and Entertainment, the Display Investment Team are skilled in answering a wide variety of briefs. The team is responsible for both Brand and Performance activations, flagship launches and tactical campaigns, and are able to deliver at a regional, national, and global level. This gives the successful candidate huge opportunity to learn and develop within the team, as well contribute their own knowledge, expertise, and point of view.

Responsibilities:

• Responsibility for planning, executing and managing multiple campaigns across Print and Digital (availability checks, inventory forecasting/ copy contacts and deadlines/ trafficking sheets)
• Understanding of traditional planning tools, and also use of programmatic and data planning platforms for inventory selection, forecasting and generating insights.
• Negotiation of campaign pricing and values, and tracking campaign delivery against specific client price/ quality/ audit targets.
• Adherence to best practice planning and buying process, and delivery of quality output - strong rationales informed by data, rigorously thought out plans, accurate and insightful reporting.
• Design of reporting frameworks and templates, oversee completion of reports and be responsible for presenting insights and recommendations to clients and planning.
• Management of campaign optimisations (supplier conversations, set-up of 3rd party ad serving reports, discrepancy management).
• Presenting campaign results to clients.
• Maintain multiple internal relationships across different teams.
• Build relationships with Media Owners, Technology partners and other 3rd parties
• Use analytical skills to evaluate different supplier propositions.
• The set-up, testing and troubleshooting of Programmatic deals.
• Developing knowledge and understanding of multiple digital media buying platforms
• Build an understanding of media market dynamics, and the ability to confidently articulate a point of view within your team and the wider department
• Coach junior AEs, Assistant, Interns and Apprentices in Display Investment
• Working with specialist Operations team in ensuring best possible financial governance of campaigns (from booking to reconciliation).
• Proactivity in delivering insight, ideas, and innovation to clients, in the pursuit of both business results and award winning campaigns
• To stay abreast of industry trends and transfer that knowledge to both internal team members and clients.
• To participate in internal and external meetings regarding current projects, future possibilities, briefs and brainstorms.
• Understanding of department commercials and how these impact planning and buying.
• Understanding of both brand, and results orientated performance campaign planning.

Core Competencies/ Attributes:

We are looking for someone who is curious, self-motivated, and eager to learn. They should also be open to getting ‘stuck-in’ with the nuts-and-bolts of the account so they can learn best practices and understand the processes involved with Display Activation.

The successful candidate will:

• Be comfortable working within Excel and be able to analyze and manipulate data.
• Be adept at interpreting data and identifying themes and inconsistencies
• Have excellent Maths and Numeracy skills
• Have strong communication and presentation skills
• Be able operate as part of a team
• Impeccable time-keeping
• Be a fast and eager learner
• Be able to adhere to processes and best practices
• Self-driven, results-oriented, solutions-focused with a positive outlook
• Completing all tasks accurately and in a timely manner
• Strong communicator, promptly responding to e-mails and requests.
• Consistently over-delivering on client objectives Excellent project management skills to prioritise tasks on these busy accounts;
• Ability to meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Highly organized and capable of working independently
• Demonstrated critical thinking and problem solving abilities
• Will be educated to degree level
• Previous digital marketing experience is preferred, but not required