Business Director

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

We are hiring a Business Director to lead a newly won account for a leading global consumer healthcare brand. This is a pivotal role overseeing UK planning and coordinating activity across Greece, Portugal and Spain, alongside established local-market teams. You’ll be the senior client partner, helping navigate global requests, align market priorities and establish a connected approach across multiple brands. We’re open to an experienced Business Director or an Account Director who can demonstrate readiness to step into broader account leadership.

 

Responsibilities

What you'll be doing:

• Lead the account across planning, client servicing and market coordination, setting a clear direction for the team.
• Build trusted relationships with senior clients based in Spain, helping them navigate global requests and local-market requirements.
• Establish clear planning principles that connect the central hub, UK team and established teams across Western Europe.
• Oversee UK planning and coordinate implementation across Greece, Portugal, Spain and the UK.
• Lead integrated responses across AV, out-of-home, social, search and programmatic, drawing on activation and data specialists.
• Guide the account through its transition and mobilisation, creating effective governance, responsibilities and working relationships.
• Take responsibility for account health, team development, resourcing and opportunities for sustainable growth.

 

Qualifications

Skills we're looking for:

• Strong media planning and account leadership experience within an agency or comparable environment.
• A detailed understanding of the UK media landscape and how to apply planning principles across integrated channel strategies.
• Experience leading direct client relationships and providing clear guidance when priorities or stakeholder needs compete.
• The ability to coordinate international or multi-market activity while respecting local expertise and market differences.
• Experience bringing planning, activation, data and specialist teams together around shared outcomes.
• A considered and inclusive leadership style, with the ability to support team development and establish clear accountability.
• Consumer healthcare or pharmaceutical experience would be valuable, but candidates with strong transferable media leadership experience are encouraged to apply.

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:

 

📖 Please check out the 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 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.

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