Account Planning Director

Publicis Groupe UK; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A global media agency is seeking a Planning Account Director in London to lead strategy for high-profile clients in retail, FMCG, and hospitality sectors. This role requires significant media planning experience and strong leadership skills. The successful candidate will be responsible for developing insight-led campaigns, managing client relationships, and mentoring the planning team. The role offers hybrid working and excellent benefits, including reflective days and family-friendly policies.

Benefits

Work Your World opportunity

Reflection Days

HELP@HAND Benefits

Family Friendly Policies

Flexible Working and Birthday Day Off

Local Discounts

Qualifications

• Significant media planning experience, ideally across retail, FMCG, and hospitality.
• Strong leadership skills to inspire teams and guide client conversations.
• Confident communication, translating insight into actionable plans.

Responsibilities

• Lead the planning process across multiple client accounts.
• Partner closely with strategy and creative teams for impactful campaigns.
• Act as a senior point of contact for clients and build high-level relationships.
• Manage and mentor a planning team to deliver exceptional work.
• Oversee campaign delivery from brief to post-campaign evaluation.

Skills

Media planning experience

Leadership skills

Confident communication

Large-scale campaign delivery

Adaptability in fast-paced environments

Job description

BRAND: Spark Foundry
Job Function: Client Management
Location: London, United Kingdom
Experience Level: Specialist
Workplace Type: Hybrid

Company description

Spark Foundry make up part of a thriving global media network and are part of the Publicis Groupe, one of the world's leading communications groups. We are globally connected with over 8,000 employees in 110 offices across 70 countries.

Who We Are in the UK?

Spark Foundry, the Acceleration Agency.

We help brands to identify, learn and respond to opportunities faster than the competition.

Every client has an area of their business they need to accelerate, from short-term goals to long-term transformation.

We've proven our approach during the most difficult year on record. Now we're using it to provide a launchpad for their future.

Come be an accelerator with us.

How we accelerate

• Planning: an approach that works in practice rather than theory, arming planners with the ability to create cutting edge campaigns
• Intelligence: a suite of tools that give definitive answers to big questions, and uncovers actionable insights about real people>
• Trading: a model built on flexibility and trusted relationships, underpinned with bold guarantees
• Relationships: a culture of asking challenging questions to better understand the brief - we are not a 'yes' agency
• People: a strong history of recruiting talent from diverse backgrounds and accelerating their careers

Our Commitment

We are diverse though our experience, people and the clients we look after - and we celebrate that diversity. Our people hold us accountable to our beliefs and via regular surveys and our grass roots D&I team, The Collective, and internal next generation board, Firestarters, we hold regular events and work continually towards generating ideas, initiatives and educating our people to ensure we are a diverse and inclusive agency.

As part of our dedication to create an inclusive and diverse workforce, Spark Foundry is committed to equal access to opportunity for people without regard to race, age, sex, disability, neurodiversity, sexual orientation, gender identity or religion.

Overview

We're looking for a Planning Account Director to lead strategy for a portfolio of high-profile UK clients spanning retail, FMCG, and hospitality. This is a rare opportunity to work on campaigns that reach millions, shaping brand perception, driving engagement, and influencing real customer behaviour. You'll be at the heart of a client-agency partnership that values insight, creativity, and strategic thinking-working on briefs ranging from large-scale brand campaigns to targeted, behaviour-driven activity.

What you'll be doing

• Leading the planning process across multiple client accounts, ensuring campaigns are insight-led and audience-first
• Partnering closely with strategy, creative, and activation teams to deliver impactful multi-channel campaigns
• Acting as a senior point of contact for clients, building trusted, high-level relationships
• Managing and mentoring a talented planning team, keeping them motivated and delivering exceptional work
• Overseeing the smooth delivery of campaigns from brief through to post-campaign evaluation and optimisation

What we're looking for

• Significant media planning experience, ideally across retail, FMCG, and hospitality/travel sectors
• Strong leadership skills, able to inspire teams and confidently guide client conversations
• A confident communicator, translating insight and strategy into actionable, results-driven plans
• Experience delivering large-scale, multi-channel campaigns across digital, social, and traditional channels
• Collaborative, adaptable, and comfortable working in fast-paced, high-profile environments

Why this role

This is a unique chance to lead planning for a diverse portfolio of high-profile UK clients, where your work will have a tangible impact on brand success and customer behaviour. You'll be part of a collaborative, talented team with the freedom to innovate and deliver campaigns that truly get noticed.

Additional information

Spark has fantastic benefits on offer to all of our employees. In addition to the classics, Pension, Life Assurance, Private Medical and Income Protection Planswe also offer;

• WORK YOUR WORLD opportunity to work anywhere in the world, where there is a Publicis office, for up to 6 weeks a year.
• REFLECTION DAYS - Two additional days of paid leave to step away from your usual day-to-day work and create time to focus on your well-being and self-care.
• HELP@HAND BENEFITS 24/7 helpline to support you on a personal and professional level. Access to remote GPs, mental health support and CBT. Wellbeing content and lifestyle coaching.
• FAMILY FRIENDLY POLICIES We provide 26 weeks of full pay for the following family milestones: Maternity. Adoption, Surrogacy and Shared Parental Leave.
• FLEXIBLE WORKING, BANK HOLIDAY SWAP & BIRTHDAY DAY OFF You are entitled to an additional day off for your birthday, from your first day of employment.
• GREAT LOCAL DISCOUNTS This includes membership discounts with Soho Friends, local restaurants and retailers in Westfield White City and Television Centre.

Full details of our benefits will be shared when you join us!

Publicis Groupe operates a hybrid working pattern with full time employees being office-based three days during the working week.

We are supportive of all candidates and are committed to providing a fair assessment process. If you have any circumstances (such as neurodiversity, physical or mental impairments or a medical condition) that may affect your assessment, please inform your Talent Acquisition Partner. We will discuss possible adjustments to ensure fairness. Rest assured, disclosing this information will not impact your treatment in our process.

Please make sure you check out the Publicis Career Page which showcases our Inclusive Benefits and our EAG's (Employee Action Groups).