Strategy Director

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, 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 five years in a row, Media Week's Agency of the Year 2025 and one of the Sunday Times Best Places to Work 2025.

What will you be doing?

• Lead the development of cross-channel media strategies, turning complex client challenges into clear, compelling recommendations grounded in insight and evidence.
• Turn research, audience understanding, media planning tools and campaign data into actionable insights that strengthen strategic decisions.
• Take ownership of strategic briefs and projects, bringing together account, specialist and international teams around a clear direction.
• Connect brand and performance thinking, building integrated approaches across upper and lower-funnel media to improve effectiveness.
• Use campaign performance and previous learnings to refine planning principles, implementation guidelines and future recommendations.
• Build strong partnerships with clients and creative agency teams, helping connect media and creative thinking throughout the planning process.
• Support and develop talent, managing and coaching a Strategy Manager while sharing knowledge and raising the quality of strategic thinking across the wider team.

What are we looking for?

• Strong experience in media strategy and cross-channel planning, ideally including work across international markets or multi-market clients.
• The ability to turn data and insight into a simple, persuasive strategic story, using media planning tools and PowerPoint effectively.
• A strong understanding of audiences and human behaviour, with the curiosity to explore what influences people and translate that into effective media thinking.
• Confidence communicating strategic recommendations and presenting clearly to clients, colleagues and agency partners.
• A passion for data-led, multi-channel planning, with familiarity with approaches such as Marketing Mix Modelling or other predictive and analytical methodologies.
• Experience building trusted stakeholder relationships and contributing to media pitches and collaborative client work.
• A collaborative approach to coaching and developing others, alongside the flexibility to manage multiple priorities and work effectively as client and business needs evolve. Fluency in English and willingness to travel internationally are required; additional languages are welcomed.

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, including:

📖 Please check out the Publicis Career Page which showcases our Inclusive Benefits and our EAG’s (Employee Action Groups).

Publicis Groupe works primarily from the office or our clients' office four days per week.

At 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.