- Location
- Chicago, IL, US
- Type
- Full-time
- Department
- Marketing
- Seniority
- VP
- Education
- Master
- Closing date
- Today
- Source
- iCIMS
Description
Company Description
Starcom is the world's first standalone media agency, a storied innovator that continues to lead the way for many of the world's best brands.
Starcom has long been the professional birthplace and proving ground for marketing leaders – CEOs, CMOs, sales leaders, and technology pioneers – and we continue to drive the industry with peerless talent and relentless innovation.
From the start, we've known that achieving growth for our clients requires understanding and connecting with real people where they live and work, in ways they value.
In an AI era, we remain ""Guided By Humanity,"" a phrase that describes our foundational belief that human expertise must remain in the driver's seat, supported by the best processes and technology.
With our proprietary capabilities and Publicis Media's industry-leading resources and clout, we create ideas that move people and drive transformative business outcomes for brands.
Overview
We are seeking a dynamic and driven leader to join the Starcom Growth team as a Vice President, Growth. The ideal candidate will possess a strong sense of accountability and a genuine hunger to win, maintaining a relentless focus on moving the team and the agency forward. They will demonstrate a robust business acumen, capable of shaping opportunities and converting them into growth, and will be action-oriented, leading efforts to create bold, differentiated, and flawlessly delivered pitch experiences.
The candidate should be energized by fast-paced work, bringing fresh thinking and a bias for action that keeps momentum strong from first touch to final presentation. Collaboration is crucial, and the candidate must work seamlessly with executive leadership and cross-functional teams, prioritize team objectives over personal goals, and build trust through openness and honesty.
Interpersonal savvy is essential for nurturing and building relationships at the most senior levels, both internally and externally. The candidate should continuously seek self-development, act as a role model to leaders across the agency, and contribute positively to Starcom’s culture.
Leadership skills are a must, with the ability to align large, cross-functional teams around a common vision, set clear expectations, and develop the next generation of Growth talent. A strategic thinker, the candidate will anticipate future possibilities and use logic and creativity to translate them into breakthrough ideas that differentiate from traditional models.
In this role our Starcom Growth Vice President will be responsible and expected to be the master of the growth agenda.
Our Vice President should focus their time and attention on shaping and delivering Starcom’s most important new business pitches, acting as a true co-creator and editor of the work at every stage of the pitch lifecycle. This person will set the standards, pace, and ways of working for the Growth team, own the end-to-end pitch delivery plan, and ensure every pitch component reflects the quality and ambition of our thinking. The Vice President is expected to partner closely with Starcom’s executive leadership and pitch sponsors, navigate and problem-solve conflicts, and have a strong personal brand that aligns and enhances agency culture. In addition to this, the Vice President will lead and develop the Growth team, creating the structure and support that allows them to do their best work.
If you are passionate about driving business success, eager to build and lead a team, and possess the agility to generate impactful ideas and execute them flawlessly, we would love to hear from you.
Responsibilities
- Shape and elevate pitch narratives into compelling, bold, and memorable stories from first touch to final presentation
- Add strategic value at every stage of the pitch, acting as a co-creator and editor of all pitch content
- Synthesize Starcom and Publicis Groupe capabilities, products, and market advantages into differentiated pitch solutions
- Lead large, cross-functional pitch teams and partner closely with executive leadership
- Challenge the status quo with pitch experiences that are distinctive, impactful, and executable
- Identify patterns across wins and losses to refine pitch strategy, positioning, and growth priorities
- Cultivate relationships and trust across the organization
- Commit to self-development and invest in the growth of the team
Role-Specific Duties
- Leads Starcom’s highest-priority pitches
- Acts as the day-to-day leader of the Growth team, setting standards, pace, and ways of working across pitches
- Owns the end-to-end pitch delivery plan, including timelines, checkpoints, deliverables, and design execution
- Ensures excellence across all pitch components, including chemistry, data and technology capabilities, presentations, match tests, transition planning, agency model, and commercial proposals
- Orchestrates workstreams and manages executive feedback to drive continuous improvement
- Builds and curates pitch decks by sourcing best-in-class work and guiding teams toward sharp, strategic outputs
- Ensures pitch environments, materials, and theatre reflect the quality and ambition of our thinking
- Responsible for the hiring, career advancement, and management of the Growth team
- Responsible for team Career Conversations and Wrap-Ups. Informs performance to executive leadership
- Is Executive Leadership-facing and a visible champion for growth across the agency
Qualifications
- Proven track record in delivering results and moving initiatives forward. 12+ years’ media agency experience requested, with deep expertise in business development or pitching
- Exceptional storytelling, strategic writing, editing, and communication skills
- Strategic mindset with the ability to anticipate future possibilities and translate them into breakthrough ideas
- Strong cross-functional leadership skills with the ability to align teams around a common vision
- Highly organized self-starter who thinks proactively and “around corners”
- Relentlessly detail-oriented while never losing sight of the bigger picture
- Competitive spirit with a genuine hunger to win and a bias for action
- Ability to become a financial driver for the agency (create revenue for Starcom)
- Is a strong alignment to Starcom and Publicis Culture and Values, and contributes beyond expectations to further grow and develop it
Additional Information
Starcom is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our employment decisions are made without regard to actual or perceived race, color, ethnicity, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, disability, medical condition as defined by applicable state law, genetic information, marital status, military service and veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws and ordinances.
The Power of One starts with our people! To do powerful things, we offer powerful resources. Our best-in-class wellness and benefits offerings include:
- Paid Family Care for parents and caregivers for 12 weeks or more
- Monetary assistance and support for Adoption, Surrogacy and Fertility
- Monetary assistance and support for pet adoption
- Employee Assistance Programs and Health/Wellness/Comfort reimbursements to help you invest in your future and work/life balance
- Tuition Assistance
- Paid time off that includes Flexible Time off Vacation, Annual Sick Days, Volunteer Days, Holiday and Identity days, and more
- Matching Gifts programs
- Flexible working arrangements
- 'Work Your World’ Program encouraging employees to work from anywhere Publicis Groupe has an office for up to 6 weeks a year (based upon eligibility)
- Business Resource Groups that support multiple affinities and alliances
The benefits offerings listed are available to U.S. based employees, are reviewed on an annual basis, and are governed by the terms of the applicable plan documents.
If you require accommodation or assistance with the application or onboarding process specifically, please contact [email protected].
All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.