Specialist, Digital Strategy & Activation

Publicis Media; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 61,000 - 84,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Exposure to diverse client portfolio

Training and development opportunities

Access to Publicis Groupe benefits

Job summary

Apex, Publicis Groupe’s futures marketplace, is seeking a Specialist within the Digital Strategy & Activation Team in Chicago. The role focuses on developing teams, negotiating with media partners, and managing mid-level accounts to drive client campaigns.

You will contribute to campaign activation, pricing, and performance optimization, leveraging Salesforce and Excel to deliver accurate results across a diverse client portfolio.

Qualifications

• 2-5 years of relevant professional experience.
• Basic understanding of media investment and the media landscape.
• Experience in Agency Planning/Investment, Media Sales, Consulting, and/or Media Client‑Side environments.
• Working knowledge of Salesforce and Microsoft Office Suite, with advanced proficiency in Excel preferred.
• Strong media financial acumen required.
• Business financial acumen preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop teams and talent, defining roles and workflows.
• Train and develop Senior Associates and Associates.
• Deliver value proposition through meetings with media partners and vendors.
• Negotiate deal structures and support RFP processes for mid-level accounts.
• Execute campaign management, delivery, and client-facing media plans with accuracy.

Skills

Media investment understanding

Agency planning

Salesforce

Excel

Financial acumen

Office suite proficiency

Tools

Salesforce

Microsoft Office

Job description

Company Description

Apex is Publicis Groupe’s futures marketplace, leveraging Publicis capital to create risk‑free, value‑based investment opportunities for clients. Our industry expertise, understanding of consumer and market trends, and strategic partnerships enable Apex to deliver innovative, omnichannel solutions for clients that drive a range of marketing and business goals. Apex solutions help shape the industry, drive outcomes, and keep Publicis clients ahead of trend.

Company Description

Apex is Publicis Groupe’s futures marketplace, leveraging Publicis capital to create risk‑free, value‑based investment opportunities for clients. Our industry expertise, understanding of consumer and market trends, and strategic partnerships enable Apex to deliver innovative, omnichannel solutions for clients that drive a range of marketing and business goals. Apex solutions help shape the industry, drive outcomes, and keep Publicis clients ahead of trend.

Overview

ABOUT APEX

Benefits

We’re not your typical agency. In fact, we aren’t an agency at all. Rather, we are a distinct and next generation trading entity within Publicis Groupe. Furthermore, we’re experts and innovators in media, making investments today for tomorrow’s success. Our goals are rooted in providing unique and incremental benefits to Publicis Groupe clients:

• Work across all Publicis Groupe agencies and gain exposure to the full media landscape and a diverse client portfolio.
• Develop expertise in both Investment and Business Operations, a unique combination of skills not often found within agencies.
• Gain hands-on experience with digital platforms regardless of channel, with ongoing training and development opportunities.
• Help lead the industry by identifying future-facing opportunities, investment areas, and emerging marketing trends.

About The Team

The Specialist role reports to a Supervisor and is part of the Digital Strategy & Activation Team. This team works collectively to maintain a deep understanding of the evolving media landscape, make strategic investments with media partners, negotiate mutually beneficial agreements, and plan and execute media buys that drive client business and marketing objectives.

Responsibilities

ABOUT THE ROLE

• Developing Teams & Talent
• Understand team roles, responsibilities, and workflows.
• Contribute to the training and development of Senior Associates, Associates, and billing/reconciliation team members.
• Support performance goals and development plans for Senior Associates and Associates.
• Delivering on Our Value Proposition
• Participate in meetings with media partners and vendors.
• Maintain a strong understanding of partner portfolio offerings and identify applicable client opportunities.
• Participate in negotiations for assigned clients and campaigns.
• Understand deal structures and support the negotiation and RFP process for select mid-level accounts.
• Develop campaigns utilizing preferred partner relationships.
• Execute campaign management, delivery, and client-facing media plan packaging for select mid-level accounts with a high degree of accuracy and independence.
• Monitor campaign performance, identify performance issues, and lead optimization discussions with partners as appropriate.
• Support campaign pricing strategies that drive client performance and overall business health.
• Assist in managing campaign delivery and performance for assigned accounts.
• Managing Business & Operations
• Manage campaign activation, including template creation and buy entry.
• Lead RFP and post-sale processes for select mid-level accounts.
• Serve as a first-level quality assurance resource for Associates.
• Execute operational processes with minimal oversight and strong attention to detail.
• Participate in discrepancy resolution for assigned clients and campaigns.
• Establish expectations through clear communication with clients and vendors.
• Understand billing processes and nuances that impact planning and campaign execution.
• Own components of the RFI process, invoice reconciliation in Prisma, and approvals on the Unbilled Report for assigned accounts.
• Contribute data input and maintenance across various systems and tools.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date account information in Salesforce.
• Demonstrate proficiency across key business systems, including Microsoft Office Suite, Salesforce, Prisma/OX, and related platforms.

Qualifications

TECHNICAL SKILL REQUIREMENTS

• 2-5 years of relevant professional experience.
• Basic understanding of media investment and the media landscape.
• Experience in Agency Planning/Investment, Media Sales, Consulting, and/or Media Client‑Side environments.
• Working knowledge of Salesforce and Microsoft Office Suite, with advanced proficiency in Excel preferred.
• Strong media financial acumen required.
• Business financial acumen preferred.

Soft Skill Requirements

Technical expertise is only part of what makes someone successful at APEX.

• Builds strong relationships founded on trust, respect, and collaboration.
• Demonstrates a strong work ethic and commitment to exceeding expectations.
• Embraces change and adapts effectively in a dynamic environment.
• Operates with transparency and integrity.
• Leads with positivity, inclusivity, and a team-first mindset.
• Inspires and supports those around them through strong communication and collaboration.

Additional Information

Our Publicis Groupe motto "Viva La Différence" means we’re better together, and we believe that our differences make us stronger. It means we honor and celebrate all identities, across all facets of intersectionality, and it underpins all that we do as an organization. We are focused on fostering belonging and creating equitable & inclusive experiences for all talent.

Publicis Groupe provides robust and inclusive benefit programs and policies to support the evolving and diverse needs of our talent and enable every person to grow and thrive. Our benefits package includes medical coverage, dental, vision, disability, 401K, as well as parental and family care leave, family forming assistance, tuition reimbursement, and flexible time off.

If you require accommodation or assistance with the application or onboarding process specifically, please contact [e-mail].

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Compensation Range: USD $60,800.00 - USD $84,000.00/Annually. This is the pay range the Company believes it will pay for this position at the time of this posting. Consistent with applicable law, compensation will be determined based on the skills, qualifications, and experience of the applicant along with the requirements of the position, and the Company reserves the right to modify this pay range at any time. Temporary roles may be eligible to participate in our freelancer/temporary employee medical plan through a third-party benefits administration system once certain criteria have been met. For regular roles, the Company will offer medical coverage, dental, vision, disability, 401k, and paid time off. The Company anticipates the application deadline for this job posting will be 10/24/2026.