Senior Account Director, Social & Influencer

Publicis Groupe Holdings B.V; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 125,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work environment

Parental leave top‑up program

Private health and dental insurance

Life and disability insurance

Wellness resources and AI tools suite

Job summary

North Strategic, part of Publicis Groupe, is seeking a senior leader to shape and grow the Social & Influencer practice in Canada. You’ll lead integrated social strategies, build high‑performing teams, and drive award‑worthy programs for top brands.

You’ll partner with clients to deliver measurable impact, explore creator partnerships, and scale cross‑functional collaboration. The role emphasizes entrepreneurial leadership, evolving platforms, and a focus on growth opportunities for clients and

Qualifications

• 10–12 years in social space and 7+ years on influencer strategies.
• 8–10 years in agency or client service; beauty/skin care experience is a bonus.
• Proactive leader advancing strategies and programs.
• Curiosity and ongoing learning about influencer space and platform evolution.
• Bachelor’s & postgraduate degree in related communications/advertising fields.

Responsibilities

• Oversee fully integrated communications programs including social and influencer work across multiple client accounts.
• Develop strategic brand campaigns in fast-paced environments and sell through big ideas in an integrated model.
• Partner with senior client marketing leaders to drive campaigns and build C-suite relationships.
• Identify growth opportunities within clients and drive new business through pitches.
• Mentor and grow the team while coordinating with North offices and practice groups.
• Plan resources to maximize profitability and team effectiveness.
• Forecast to meet profitability and revenue targets with accurate budgeting.
• Lead national client accounts as the primary client-service manager.

Skills

Social strategy

Influencer programs

Leadership

Team development

Budget management

Client relations

Cross-functional collaboration

Measurement & analytics

Entrepreneurial mindset

Executive presence

Public relations

Education

Bachelor’s & post-graduate degree in Communications/Advertising/Media Studies/Marketing or related field

Tools

AI tools awareness

Job description

Company description

We are North, a strategic communications agency in Canada that makes it personal, moving brands with ideas that travel and influence.

We combine the agility of a boutique agency with the strength of Publicis Groupe’s global network. Our teams work across earned media, influencer, content, experiential, and issues management, bringing sharp thinking and care to every brief.

In a noisy world, we earn attention through bold ideas, rigorous execution, and a relationship‑first approach that helps our people and our clients grow.

Overview

As part of the Senior Leadership Team, you’ll play a key role in shaping and growing North’s Social & Influencer practice. You’ll help secure, grow, and lead meaningful client work, while building a high-performing team that delivers bold, award-worthy programs for some of Canada’s top brands.

We’re looking for a senior agency leader who lives and breathes the creator economy. You’re passionate about the ever‑evolving social and influencer landscape, from emerging platforms and creator trends to paid amplification, measurement, and brand safety. You bring a sharp strategic POV, entrepreneurial energy, and the confidence to help clients see what’s next. Beauty and skin-care experience is a bonus!

In this role, you’ll lead integrated social and influencer strategies that spark conversation, drive results, and create real brand impact. You’ll inspire direct reports and cross‑functional teams to push ideas further, test and learn, and execute with excellence in a fast‑paced, collaborative agency environment.

You’ll also be a trusted senior partner to clients, building strong relationships with key stakeholders, identifying growth opportunities, and delivering work that meets business objectives. From standout creator‑brand partnerships to measurement frameworks that prove success, you’ll bring the strategic clarity and organization needed to keep multiple programs, accounts, and teams moving forward.

If you’re an experienced, entrepreneurial leader with deep social and influencer expertise and a passion for growing teams, clients, and ideas, this is your opportunity to make a meaningful impact at North.

Responsibilities

• Oversee fully integrated communications programs, including social and influencer work, across multiple client accounts.


• Develop strategic brand campaigns in a fast-paced environment and consistently sell through big ideas within an integrated agency model.


• Partner with senior client marketing leaders to drive national and regional campaigns, build trusted C-suite relationships, sell breakthrough strategies, and support executive personal brand-building efforts.


• Develop award-winning creative ideas that drive results and strengthen client brand reputation and influence.


• Lead high-performing teams in a matrixed environment, including direct reports and account teams, while motivating team members to reach their full potential.


• Drive new business by participating in and leading client pitches.


• Guide teams on key deliverables, including media relations, content development, and influencer strategies for programs and projects.


• Identify organic growth opportunities within existing accounts and help expand current client relationships.


• Understand clients’ industries, including key products, categories, technologies, competitors, and broader market issues.


• Mentor, manage, and grow the team while identifying opportunities to integrate with regional North teams and support a best-place-to-work culture.


• Plan and assess project and team resources to maximize profitability and team effectiveness.


• Lead national client accounts as a dedicated client-service manager with minimal supervision.


• Demonstrate strong business management skills, including effective collaboration with leadership, other North offices, and practice groups such as Notch video, social media, and digital media.


• Manage client contracts, including associated terms and conditions.


• Forecast regularly and quarterly to meet profitability and revenue targets, while maintaining accurate project and budget tracking internally and with client leads.


• Partner with senior executives on an ongoing basis to deliver against client KPIs.


• Collaborate with integrated marketing teams, including internal and external agencies, to drive results and 360-degree collaboration.


• Contribute to our inclusive culture by coaching and mentoring team members.

Qualifications

• 10-12 years in the social space, with a minimum of 7+ years on influencer and developing integrated strategies


• 8-10 years of agency or client service experience - beauty and skin care experience a bonus.


• Proactive leader, moving strategies and programs forward with confidence


• Genuine curiosity and commitment to continuously learning about the influencer space, with a view to adapting the practice area to keep it at the forefront as the space evolves (e.g., around emerging platforms and/or talent, existing platform changes, partnership regulation/disclosure, etc.)


• Bachelor’s & post-graduate degree in Communications, Advertising, Media Studies, Marketing or a related field


• Proven track record of building and leading high-performance teams and adding value to company culture in a meaningful way


• Excellent cross‑functional leadership, presentation and communication skills


• Dynamic team player, collaboratively partnering with cross-functional leaders across the agency to develop and innovate the influencer, social and digital practice areas


• Shows strong initiative as an entrepreneurial thinker taking independent actions and calculated risks


• Superior finance, budget and project management, team resourcing and organizational abilities


• Strong proficiency in social platforms (Meta, X, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest and Snapchat, etc.)


• Demonstrated interest in AI. You already see how it can benefit and amplify our client's campaigns.


• Strong interpersonal abilities to effectively manage internal and external relationships, vendors and agency partners


• Agility, speed and flexibility to manage workflow within a changing work environment


• Demonstrated thought leadership on the topics of the day; you're an enthusiastic advocate of public relations as a practice and wish to build the next generation of leaders


• Calm under pressure


• Inter‑agency leadership experience working with creative, digital, sponsorship, research and media buying companies to ensure all campaigns are fully integrated, and agency relationships are nurtured


• Demonstrated experience developing effective measurement frameworks for social programs analyzing data, deriving insights and building creative strategies to meet client objectives


• Refined understanding of community management and paid social campaigns

Additional information

• Meaningful work where you can have a direct impact working on some of the biggest brands out there!


• A culture of entrepreneurship, creativity, growth and collaboration.


• Work with top talent at an award‑winning agency on a serious growth trajectory.


• A focused commitment to career development and personal success – let us help you.


• Access to thousands of on‑demand e-learning opportunities, and a suite of leading AI tools and resources.


• Highly competitive compensation and benefits package including substantial time off policies and mental wellness resources (like really. It’s a big deal).


• Oh, and did we mention the perks?! Hybrid work environment, parental leave top‑up program, regular social events, cell phone & internet allowance, professional development or wellness allowance, Business Resource Groups, Private health and Dental insurance, Life and Disability insurance… Just to name a few… #workperks.


• Work from (almost) anywhere for up to 20 days per year.


• All staff meetings so you’re always in the know.


• This is a hybrid role tied to our Toronto office.

Transparency matters to us. The salary range for this position is CAD$125,000 to CAD$135,000 per year. Actual compensation within this range will be based on a variety of factors, including relevant experience, knowledge, skills, and applicable certifications. This range reflects what we reasonably expect to offer based on current market data.

North Strategic is an equal opportunity employer with a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion. We create and nurture a vibrant work environment that celebrates, values and leverages all aspects of diversity and inclusiveness, attracts world‑class talent and serves as the industry benchmark for best practices.

We encourage applications from all qualified individuals and will provide appropriate accommodation for candidates with disabilities or accessibility needs throughout the recruitment process, upon request.