Publicis Media helps clients drive sustainable business growth by harnessing the modern media landscape to drive one-to-one consumer connections at scale. Publicis Media UK is made up of 2000 people working across market-leading media agencies including Zenith, Starcom and Spark Foundry as well as specialist practices Publicis Media Exchange (PMX), Performics, Publicis Sport & Entertainment, Publicis Media Content and NextTECHnow. Together they combine deep expertise in media investment, strategy, insights and analytics, data and technology, commerce, performance marketing and content. Publicis Media is part of Publicis Groupe and is present in more than 100 countries with over 23,500 employees worldwide.

Our Commitment
Publicis Media is committed to building a culturally diverse workforce and therefore strongly encourages applications from underrepresented groups.  We are committed to equality of opportunity and welcome applications from individuals, regardless of their background.

The Role

The Programmatic Account Director is a key leadership role, that will oversee the strategic growth and development of several accounts within the programmatic team. You will be a trusted advisor to senior clients as well as your colleagues within the agency. With your team of channel specialists, and support from across the agency your primary goal will be to develop client strategy and work closely with your Business Director to ensure that you are bridging client business goals with Publicis’ strategic direction.  This includes protecting existing revenue and driving growth.  

You will be responsible for:

• Operational excellence – You will be accountable for you and your team delivering the brilliant basics including QA processes through mandating the use of QA systems to mitigate errors as well as accurate planning and optimisation. These should be continuously assessed in line with changes in platforms and industry updates to maintain their relevance.  You will ensure absolute financial accuracy and adherence to all processes including team training, query management, complying with SLA’s as set by the business, PO management, finance tracking via relevant dashboards and ensuring supplier invoices are cleared within the required timelines.  This will all be achieved by developing and maintaining best practice guidelines and creating additional material enabling the team to deliver excellence from planning through to optimisation, reporting and financial reconciliation. 

• Media planning excellence - You will be expected to manage and coordinate a team of channel specialists who are creating complex media plans and delivering campaigns across a range of programmatic platforms. You will be expected to champion our best-in-class approach to delivering campaigns, strategy coordination, communication and driving innovation in the way that we plan media. Challenging data partners based on team and client feedback to drive best-in-class results and that uses data to create privacy-first solutions to client business challenges.​
• Revenue tracking - Your contribution in shaping a client’s programmatic strategy through a commercial lens and spearheading innovation will be a critical component of your role. You will work closely with the investment & Performics teams to ensure our efforts within the programmatic channel continuously delivers on our investment strategy and targets for Publicis Media. You will ensure that revenue is tracked accurately and in a timely manner.
• Client sophistication - Working with both your Business Director and Head of Programmatic you will surface product innovation from a client need.  Consider potential product development that will add to our programmatic prowess and has the promise to drive organic growth.  Innovation should also be viewed as driving efficiencies and enabling our teams to deliver complex media plans with the use of automated solutions. Building a test and learn culture amongst your team, delivering on DSP diversification and other transformational approaches.
• Awards – Identify market leading work that has been delivered by you and your team.  Proactively, track upcoming award entry opportunities and draft submissions to play your part in the OneProgrammatic team becoming recognised for award winning work. 
• Commercial strategy – You and your team will offer media solutions in online display, video, YouTube and BVOD media via self-serve platform trading but also supporting other routes to media execution. Elevating and promoting Publicis Media’s in-house solutions will be key to delivering revenue growth for our business with a particular focus on APEX Digital and Guaranteed Outcomes, Epsilon, Performics T&I (Technology and Intelligence) as well as our programmatic inventory solutions such as Publicis Inventory Exchange (PIE).  You will be measured on the adoption of these product and services as part of your success metrics.
• Team management – Managing a team of specialists across a client portfolio, you will be a leader who creates an environment where all members of the team have an opportunity to fulfil their potential and deliver exceptional work.
• New Business - Effectively represents their area of expertise within new business pitches where required.​

We are looking for someone who:

• Has prior relevant experience within a digital agency, specifically in programmatic disciplines and/or vendors within the programmatic demand & supply ecosystem. 

• Comprehensive understanding of the digital advertising ecosystem (Adservers, DSPs, SSPs) and a broader understanding of the UK media marketplace. 

• Extensive experience of managing teams, inclusive of individuals with 4+ years’ experience. Effective at people management and compliant with following policies and practices in line with the talent team. Good knowledge around recruitment, performance management best practice, motivation, development plans, and issue resolutions. 

• Ability to offer consultative advice to large-budget advertisers about their programmatic campaigns. Holistically attribution of value relating to the client's business and marketing success measures to report cross-channel marketing outcomes. ​
• Strategic experience in identifying & delivering commercial growth – not just in media billings but in new emerging revenue streams.  Delivers high value client business strategies and translates these into team actions and outputs.​
• Champions equal opportunities and supportive ways of working for teammates with equity requirements by working with the Talent team. Promotes a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion within the team.​

Publicis Media 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).

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