Associate Business Director - Media

Publicis Groupe Holdings B.V; Dubai; On-site; AED 240,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global marketing agency is seeking an Associate Business Director to lead transformative digital strategies for key brands in Dubai. This role involves managing cross-functional teams and driving digital growth, while ensuring alignment with business objectives. The ideal candidate will have 8–12 years of digital marketing experience along with strong stakeholder management and leadership skills. If you thrive in a collaborative environment and are eager to make a significant impact, this is your opportunity.

Qualifications

• 8–12 years of experience in digital marketing, media, or ecommerce.
• Proven track record working on large brands or portfolios.
• Experience managing agencies and cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Own the digital growth agenda for assigned brands/categories.
• Lead the development of integrated digital strategies.
• Maximize the effectiveness of digital investment across media.

Skills

Digital marketing expertise

Stakeholder management

Leadership skills

Analytical mindset

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, or related field

Job description

Company description

Digitas is the region’s first true Marketing Transformation agency, driven by the belief that “Your brand is the experience, and the experience is your brand.”

We use the power of customer data to guide decisions across media, communications, martech, and experience. Our integrated services cover everything from performance marketing and SEO to media ops and market research.

If you’re passionate about reshaping how brands connect, Digitas is where you belong

Overview

The Associate Business Director – Digital is responsible for leading the digital ecosystem to drive brand growth, business performance, and consumer engagement. The role partners closely with brand, media, ecommerce, data, and agency teams to translate business objectives into best‑in‑class digital strategies, while accelerating digital maturity across platforms, capabilities, operating models, and culture.

This role combines strategic leadership, hands‑on digital expertise, people management, and commercial accountability, acting as a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders and a key driver of digital transformation and ROI improvement.

Responsibilities

Technical & Product

Digital Strategy & Business Leadership

Own the digital growth agenda for assigned brands/categories, ensuring digital plays a clear, measurable role in delivering business objectives.

Key responsibilities:

• Lead the development of integrated digital strategies aligned with brand, media, ecommerce, and commercial priorities.
• Translate business objectives into full‑funnel digital plans across awareness, consideration, conversion, and loyalty.
• Clearly define the role of each digital channel and platform within the broader marketing mix.
• Act as a strategic thought partner to senior stakeholders, shaping decisions through clear narratives and commercially grounded recommendations.
• Drive digital planning that balances short‑term performance delivery with long‑term brand building.
• Ensure digital strategies are scalable, repeatable, and adaptable across markets and platforms.

Media, Performance and Ecommerce

Maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of digital investment across media and commerce.

Key responsibilities:

• Oversee digital media strategy across paid, owned, and earned channels (search, social, programmatic, video, retail media).
• Ensure performance marketing excellence with strong focus on ROI, efficiency, and scale.
• Partner with ecommerce and sales teams to accelerate online growth through shopper media, marketplaces, and D2C initiatives.
• Lead structured test‑and‑learn agendas across audiences, formats, creatives, and platforms to continuously improve effectiveness.

JBP & Commercial Value Management

Maximize the strategic and commercial value of Joint Business Partnerships.

Key responsibilities:

• Own and manage digital JBPs with key platform and media partners.
• Communicate JBP impact clearly to senior stakeholders, linking investment to outcomes.
• Track spend commitments and ensure contractual obligations are met.
• Package, document, and report JBP value delivery.

Innovation & Use‑Case Driven Transformation

Drive meaningful innovation that delivers measurable business impact, by systematically testing, learning, and scaling new platforms, formats, technologies, and ways of working.

Key responsibilities:

• Identify emerging platforms, formats, technologies, and capabilities relevant to the business.
• Translate innovation opportunities into clear business‑led use cases.
• Own and lead a structured test‑and‑learn agenda across digital media, content, audiences, and commerce.
• Ensure innovation initiatives are integrated into broader digital strategies, not treated as standalone pilots.

Data, Measurement & Effectiveness

Continuously improve digital ROI through disciplined measurement, learning, and optimization.

Key Responsibilities

• Champion a data‑driven mindset, embedding analytics into planning, execution, and optimization.
• Define and own clear KPIs and measurement frameworks across brand, performance, and commerce objectives.
• Partner with data, analytics, and media partners to improve attribution, learning agendas, and marketing effectiveness.
• Regularly assess digital ROI performance, identifying levers to improve returns (what's working, not working and how can we do things better).

Stakeholder and Agency Management

Lead and inspire agency partners, ensuring high standards of strategic thinking, executional excellence, and collaboration.

Manage senior internal stakeholders with confidence, clarity, and strong narrative building.

Ensure alignment across marketing, media, ecommerce, CRM, and technology teams.

Team Leadership & Capability Building

Lead, mentor, and develop high‑performing digital teams.

Build future‑ready digital capabilities across performance, content, social, and commerce.

Foster a culture of ownership, curiosity, and continuous improvement.

Innovative & Analytical Mindset

Strong expertise across digital media, performance marketing, social, and ecommerce

Proven experience leading integrated digital strategies at scale

Deep understanding of full‑funnel marketing and consumer journeys

Strong commercial mindset with ability to link digital investment to business outcomes

Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills

Leadership experience with the ability to inspire and develop teams

Comfort operating in complex, matrixed organizations

Qualifications

8–12 years of experience in digital marketing, media, or ecommerce (client‑side and/or agency)

Proven track record working on large brands or portfolios

Experience managing agencies and cross‑functional teams

Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, or a related field (MBA a plus)