Planning Director – Automotive Client

About the role

Starcom is looking for a Planning Director to take a leading role in one of its longest-standing client partnerships. This is a chance for an ambitious media planner and client service lead to own the day-to-day client relationship, shape the strategic media planning product and guide a collaborative team across planning, strategy, investment and activation. The primary focus is a prominent automotive client, across traditional and digital media.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day client relationship, manage priorities and briefs and identify opportunities to strengthen the partnership.
• Lead integrated media planning from brief and communications strategy through to activation, with recommendations that are strategically rigorous and linked to business objectives.
• Bring planning craft across traditional and digital media and help evolve the channel approach as consumer behaviour changes.
• Work with strategy, investment, activation and partner agencies to turn planning thinking into execution.
• Develop media concepts, communications plans and recommendations, and oversee campaign planning and delivery across retail periods, brand and model launches and always-on activity.
• Coach and develop team members through direction, delegation and feedback.
• Manage commercial considerations, including revenue forecasting, scope and opportunities for organic growth.
• Stay curious about emerging media, technology and AI and bring relevant ideas to the client and team.

Required profile

• Manager or Senior Manager level, relationship-led, with strong media planning foundations.
• 4+ years' experience in media planning or client management within a media agency; some automotive client experience is highly regarded but not essential.
• Experience building trusted client relationships, presenting recommendations and handling complex briefs.
• Experience working across integrated teams and with strategy, investment, activation and partner agencies.
• Experience coaching, mentoring or managing others.
• Commercial mindset with exposure to client commercial conversations, forecasting or account growth.

Required skills

• Solid communications planning across digital and traditional media, including TV planning fundamentals.
• Familiarity with planning and audience tools such as AQX, Nielsen, GWI and Roy Morgan.
• Strong Excel and PowerPoint capability.
• Interest in using AI and emerging tools to improve thinking and ways of working.

What we offer

• A Wholeself program covering physical, mindful and financial wellbeing.
• A flexible office environment supported by the Publicis Liberté approach.
• Access to the Global AI Platform Marcel for career mobility and collaboration.
• Learning and development through more than 15,000 programs on the online platform Marcel Classes.
• Career Conversations for open feedback and support.
• Diversity, equality and inclusion initiatives.
• Leave including Birthday Leave, Flexible Public Holidays, an extra 5 days after 2 years, and parental leave of up to 18 weeks.
• The Work Your World program, allowing work from anywhere for up to 6 weeks a year.
• Access to counsellors, psychologists and professionals through Sonder.