Lead Applied AI Strategist

Publicis Groupe; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension

Life Assurance

Private Medical cover

Reflection Days

Shared Parental Leave

Job summary

Publicis Groupe is seeking a leader to set the vision and standards for AI agent and skill development on the Marcel platform. You will audit complex processes, architect scalable workflows, and manage a team delivering cross-functional, consulting-style projects to scale AI adoption across data, media, and marketing.

The role requires strong cloud experience, marketing tech design, and excellent collaboration skills, with a hybrid work model and emphasis on stakeholder engagement across

Qualifications

• Experience with cloud environments and marketing technology solution design projects.
• Creative problem solver with strong intuition and structured thinking.
• Strong interpersonal and collaboration skills; highly resourceful team player.
• Experience working with co-located and virtual teams.
• Extensive experience in marketing and media agencies or adjacent organisations.

Responsibilities

• Shape vertical-specific AI workflows and translate business needs into platform capabilities.
• Assess adaptation of cross-vertical capabilities or bespoke client flows.
• Collaborate with Product, Strategy, Engineering, Data Science to scope proposals.
• Present use cases with live demos to secure stakeholder buy-in.
• Align on commercial models and timelines to meet client expectations.
• Influence platform roadmaps with vertical context and client needs.
• Surface client challenges to guide future enhancements and scale use cases.
• Develop solution overviews and learning materials for internal teams.

Skills

Cloud environments

Marketing tech design

Cross-functional collaboration

Storytelling & demos

Time management

Job description

Company description

Publicis Mediaharnesses the power of modern media through leading agency brandsDysrupt, Infinite Roar, Publicis Collective, Publicis Health Media, Spark Foundry, StarcomandZenith, as well as global acceleratorPMX; immersive experience group PMCI and access to integrated platform-based technologies and offerings fromCJ, EpsilonandInfluential.

A key business solution of Publicis Groupe, Publicis Media’s digital-first, data-driven global solutions deliver client value anddrive growth in a platform-poweredworld. It is present in over 100 countries with over 23,000 employees worldwide.

Overview

We are looking for a leader who sets the vision and standards for AI agent and skill development on the MRCL (Marcel) platform, leveraging deep expertise in media data and AI-native building to audit complex business processes and architect them into scalable, measurable workflows. Manages and develops a team while designing vertical-specific platform and service solutions and leading cross-functional, consulting-style projects to scale adoption of AI offerings across data, media, and marketing.

Responsibilities

• Vertical Solution Design: Shape vertical-specific solutions by translating key business needs into AI workflows using platform functionality, DSAI models, partners, and net-new builds.
• Path-to-Solution Evaluation: Assess whether to adapt existing cross-vertical capabilities or design bespoke client or vertical flows to solve client problems.
• Cross-Functional Scoping: Drive collaboration with Product, Strategy, Engineering, Data Science, and Delivery to scope, price, and structure proposals.
• Storytelling & Demos: Present use cases that map client challenges to platform capabilities, using storytelling and live demos to earn stakeholder buy-in.
• Commercial Alignment: Align on commercial models and timelines that meet client expectations while advancing CoreAI program goals.
• Roadmap Influence: Bring vertical context into platform roadmaps by translating client and market needs into clear product input.
• Feedback Loop Management: Surface common client challenges and friction points from delivery to guide future enhancements and prioritize scalable use cases.
• Internal Enablement: Develop and present solution overviews, narratives, and learning materials to enable internal teams and support new business pursuits.

Qualifications

Ideal Candidate Profile

• Experience with cloud environments and marketing technology solution design projects.
• Creative problem solver with strong intuition and structured thinking.
• Strong interpersonal and collaboration skills; highly resourceful team player.
• Excellent creative thinker using both data and intuition for decision-making.
• Experience working with co-located and virtual teams.
• Impeccable time management and strong judgment on high-priority, confidential initiatives.

Qualifications (Required)

• Extensive experience in marketing and media agencies or adjacent organizations (ad-/mar-tech, consultancies, client-side marketing).
• Proficiency in analyzing workflows and processes and making strategic recommendations aligned with business objectives.

Additional information

Publicis Media 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:

Please check out Publicis Career Page which showcases our Inclusive Benefits and our EAG’s (Employee Action Groups).

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

At Publicis Media, 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.