AV Account Director

Starcom; Greater London; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension

Life Assurance

Private Medical cover

Reflection Days

Shared Parental Leave

Job summary

Starcom is seeking an AV Associate Director to lead AV planning and investment for major global advertisers from London. You will drive campaigns across TV, BVOD, online video and cinema, building deep client partnerships and shaping innovative, data-driven media solutions.

You will mentor a high-performing AV team and help grow the business with strategic leadership. Applicants should bring strong negotiation skills, a collaborative approach, and a passion for pioneering media ideas, with a

Qualifications

• Experience in AV planning and buying across TV, BVOD, online video and cinema.
• Strong negotiation and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to mentor and develop team members.

Responsibilities

• Lead the planning and buying of AV campaigns across TV, BVOD, online video and cinema.
• Build trusted relationships with senior client stakeholders and translate objectives into media strategies.
• Guide and develop a talented AV team with coaching and clear development paths.
• Ensure excellent campaign delivery, budget management and operational processes.
• Support agency growth through thought leadership and new business opportunities.

Skills

AV planning and buying

Negotiation

Relationship management

Presentation

Attention to detail

Mentoring

Commercial awareness

Data-driven decisions

Creativity

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

AV Associate Director | AV Investment & Planning

We are hiring an AV Associate Director to join one of the UK's leading media investment teams. This is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced AV specialist who thrives on building strong client partnerships, leading high-performing teams and shaping innovative campaigns across TV, BVOD, Online Video and Cinema. You'll play a key role in delivering market-leading AV solutions for a major global advertiser, while helping to drive business growth, commercial excellence and team development.

Responsibilities

What will you be doing?

• Lead the planning and buying of AV campaigns across TV, BVOD, Online Video and Cinema, delivering outstanding outcomes for clients.
• Build trusted relationships with senior client stakeholders, understanding business objectives and translating them into effective media strategies.
• Act as a senior contact for media owners and partners, managing negotiations and resolving escalations when required.
• Guide and develop a talented AV team, providing coaching, support and clear development pathways.
• Foster a positive, inclusive team culture that champions collaboration, learning and best practice.
• Ensure excellence in campaign delivery, financial accuracy, budget management and operational processes.
• Contribute to agency growth through thought leadership, industry engagement and support on new business opportunities.

Qualifications

What are we looking for?

• Strong experience within AV planning and buying, with knowledge across TV, BVOD, Online Video and Cinema.
• Excellent negotiation and relationship management skills.
• Confident presenter who can influence and engage a range of stakeholders.
• Strong attention to detail with the ability to maintain high standards across campaign delivery and financial management.
• Experience leading, mentoring or developing team members in a collaborative environment.
• Commercial awareness and the ability to use data and insights to guide investment decisions.
• Curiosity, creativity and a willingness to embrace new ideas, technologies and ways of working.

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.

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.