Account Director

Starcom; Greater London; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension

Life Assurance

Private Medical cover

Reflection Days

Shared Parental Leave

Job summary

Starcom in London is seeking an Account Director – Media Planning to lead strategic planning across a portfolio of well-known consumer brands. You will guide clients and colleagues, ensuring planning excellence is at the heart of all outputs with a data-driven, insight-led approach.

You will build trusted relationships, translate audience and market insights into recommendations, and shape cross-channel media strategies across TV, audio, OOH, social, and digital.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a media agency communications planning role at Account Director level or ready to step into the position.
• Strong understanding of above-the-line media planning including TV, audio, OOH and social.
• Ability to explain planning decisions clearly using data, audience insight and commercial rationale.
• Experience building strong client relationships and managing stakeholders with confidence.
• Demonstrated experience creating planning frameworks, playbooks or best-practice guidance.
• Experience managing and developing team members and coaching others.
• FMCG experience would be beneficial, though transferable consumer brand planning is welcome.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of integrated media and communications strategies across brands.
• Serve as senior day-to-day client contact and provide strategic guidance.
• Translate insights into clear planning recommendations with evidence.
• Drive planning excellence with frameworks, playbooks and best practices.
• Collaborate with activation and specialist teams to deliver multi-channel media solutions.
• Support and develop team members with direction and feedback.
• Partner with leadership to identify growth opportunities and improve planning quality.

Skills

Media planning

Client relationships

Stakeholder management

Leadership

Team development

FMCG experience

Job description

Company Description

With a history that dates back over 80 years,

Company Description

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.

Overview

Account Director – Media Planning

We are hiring an Account Director – Media Planning to join Starcom and lead the strategic planning direction across a portfolio of well-known consumer brands. This is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced media planner who enjoys combining client leadership with strong communications strategy, helping brands connect with audiences through thoughtful, insight-led media planning. You\'ll play a key role in guiding both clients and colleagues, ensuring planning excellence is at the heart of everything delivered.

What You\'ll Be Doing

• Lead the development of integrated media and communications strategies across a portfolio of brand-focused clients.
• Act as the senior day-to-day client contact, building trusted relationships and providing confident strategic guidance.
• Translate audience, market and media insights into clear planning recommendations backed by evidence and measurable rationale.
• Drive planning excellence through robust frameworks, playbooks, planning principles and best-practice approaches.
• Work closely with activation and specialist teams to deliver connected media solutions across channels including TV, audio, out-of-home, social and digital media.
• Support and develop team members, providing clear direction, coaching and feedback to help them succeed.
• Partner with senior leadership to identify opportunities for growth and continuously improve the quality of planning output.

Skills We\'re Looking For

• Proven experience in a media agency communications planning role, operating at Account Director level or ready to step into the position.
• Strong understanding of above-the-line media planning, including channels such as TV, audio, out-of-home and social media.
• Ability to explain planning decisions clearly, using data, audience insight and commercial rationale to support recommendations.
• Experience building strong client relationships and managing stakeholders with confidence and credibility.
• Demonstrated experience creating planning frameworks, playbooks or best-practice guidance that improves consistency and effectiveness.
• Experience managing and developing team members, providing direction whilst creating an environment where people can grow.
• FMCG experience would be beneficial, although we welcome applications from candidates with transferable consumer brand planning experience.

Why Starcom?

At Starcom, we believe in creating experiences that move people and grow businesses. You\'ll join a collaborative, supportive team environment where strategic thinking, curiosity and craft are valued equally. Working across a portfolio of established consumer brands, you\'ll have the opportunity to shape communications strategy, influence client growth and develop your leadership skills within one of the industry\'s leading media agencies.

Qualifications

What are we looking for?

Additional Information

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:

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

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.