Paid Social Business Director

UNAVAILABLE; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global communications agency is seeking a skilled individual to drive the paid social strategy effectively. The role involves managing senior client stakeholders and leading a team to ensure high standards in execution and optimization. Candidates should have extensive experience in paid social and team management, fostering a collaborative and high-performing culture. Benefits include flexible working, additional leave days, and comprehensive support services.

Benefits

Pension

Life Assurance

Private Medical

Reflection Days

Birthday Day Off

Local Discounts

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in paid social, strategy, team management, and client service.
• A proactive leader who champions best practice and operational excellence.
• Comfortable navigating complex clients and large projects.

Responsibilities

• Develop paid social strategies, ensuring high standard implementation.
• Lead upfront media planning and strategic responses to global briefs.
• Build strong client relationships and present clear, strategic thinking.

Skills

Paid social strategy

Team management

Client service

Data analysis

Collaborative problem solving

Job description

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, P&O Ferries, 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 three years in a row (2021, 2022 and 2023) and most excitingly, Media Week\'s Agency of the Year 2023!

Job Description

What will you be doing?

Our client is one of the most prestigious brands in the world, and one of the most prestigious clients within Publicis. They are a genuinely unique business: structured as a charitable foundation with no shareholders to answer to, and with products in such high demand that they consistently sell every item every year, many with long waiting lists. All of this means that most of the common objectives of an agency client – sales, revenue, margin – are infrequent considerations. Instead, they seek to “perpetuate the myth”, ensuring that the dominant position they hold within their market, the almost ubiquitous aspiration to ownership and their unique synonymity with excellence are sustained, not just for the sales quarter or the financial year, but for the very long term.

You will drive the paid social strategy and tactical execution across the account. You’re focus will be primarily across Meta, but you’ll have the experience and knowledge across the wider social ecosystem such as TikTok, Snapchat and Pinterest. You will also be responsible for ensuring implementation and optimization goals are managed and delivered efficiently and to a high standard.

You’ll manage senior client stakeholders, guiding them through a changing media and tech landscape while ensuring that paid social delivers clear, measurable brand impact.

The role requires experience in leading a large team of social specialists, fostering a culture of excellence and people. You should be adept in translating the big vision into practical, actionable steps for you team, while also helping to translate tactical tests and pilots back into the overall vision. You will be responsible for a key part of the account so will need to strike the right balance of attention to detail and top level communication.

Responsibilities

Strategy & Media Planning

• Develop paid social strategies, ensuring implementation is actioned to a high standard across the team.
• Lead upfront media planning and strategic responses to global briefs
• Identify, scope and propose relevant new Paid Social opportunities that are aligned to broader business goals
• Collaborate with agency and other internal Client teams to align social with other broader media and owned channels (Search, YouTube)
• Represent paid social confidently and expertly in client meetings and leadership forums
• Lead quarterly reviews and strategic updates
• Hold platform partners to account on client service, performance, and innovation.

Leadership

• Build strong client relationships and present clear, strategic thinking
• Support and guide local market activation teams, aligning with global strategies
• Coach mid-level talent, support their growth through feedback and training.
• Maintain high standards of delivery, process, and performance
• Act as a visible and supportive leader, set the tone for a high-performing and inclusive culture.
• Recognise team wins and create an environment where people feel valued and motivated.
• Act as a role model for behaviour, quality and professionalism.

Data & Insights

• Partner with Reporting + Insights team to develop and track measurement frameworks that align paid social with client KPIs.
• Ensure the team can interpret, action, and communicate insights across social platforms.
• Translate data and insights into clear, actionable media optimisations and recommendations

Operations

• Implement processes that ensure quality team output, including campaign planning and QA.
• Own and reinforce Financial Quality Assurance processes within the team.
• Continuously review team ways of working, improve team efficiencies and team wellbeing.
• Collaborate with internal teams to remove blockers and support cross-functional initiatives.
• Develop media investment frameworks across channels
• Set and run testing agendas to inform media recommendations
• Apply test learnings to optimise performance and guide planning cycles

Qualifications

What are we looking for?

• Extensive experience in paid social, strategy, team management, and client service. Experience working client side on paid social, a bonus
• A proactive leader who champions best practice and operational excellence.
• Comfortable navigating complex clients and large projects
• A strong collaborator who brings people together to solve problems and deliver great work.

Additional Information

Starcom has fantastic benefits on offer to all of our employees. In addition to the classics, Pension, Life Assurance, Private Medical and IncomeProtectionPlans we 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).