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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!
Overview
We’re looking for a Planning Manager to join our team and work on a flagship FMCG account — a household-name brand portfolio with huge scale, major cultural presence and a reputation for best-in-class marketing. This is an opportunity to work across multiple categories, deliver nationally recognised campaigns, and collaborate with some of the brightest minds across Publicis Media. If you love consumer behaviour, enjoy making media plans work harder, and want ownership on a high-profile, high-impact account, this one’s for you.
What You’ll Be Doing
* Lead day‑to‑day planning for your category, creating smart, insight‑led media plans that support brand and commercial growth.
* Translate client briefs into clear strategic recommendations across AV, digital, OOH, social, audio and integrated partnerships.
* Use data sources (TGI, YouGov, GWI, platform insights) to uncover audience behaviour and shape comms recommendations.
* Act as a trusted adviser to mid‑senior client stakeholders, confidently presenting plans and performance.
* Manage timelines, expectations and deliverables — ensuring smooth workflows and excellent client experience.
* Build strong relationships with clients, helping them navigate options and make informed decisions.
* Work closely with channel specialists, activation teams and the wider planning group to produce cohesive, integrated responses.
* Partner with creative, social, commerce and analytics teams to ensure cross‑discipline alignment.
* Support the Business Director and Account Director with annual planning, strategic responses and cross‑market projects.
* Oversee the execution of campaigns, ensuring quality control and on‑time delivery.
* Monitor performance, extract insights and propose in‑flight optimisations.
* Coordinate post‑campaign reviews and translate learnings into future recommendations.
* Support and mentor a Senior Exec/Exec, helping them grow their planning and client management skills.
* Provide constructive feedback, set clear expectations and be a positive role‑model within the team.
What We’re Looking For
* Experience in media planning at Senior Exec or Manager level within a media agency.
* Strong understanding of cross‑channel planning, especially AV and digital.
* Comfortable using planning tools and data sources to inform decisions.
* Excellent communication and presentation skills — able to articulate the “why” behind your work.
* Organised, proactive, detail‑driven, and comfortable in fast‑paced environments.
* Collaborative, approachable and keen to work as part of an integrated team.
* Passion for FMCG, consumer insight and culturally resonant brand work.
Why This Role Stands Out
* Work on a flagship FMCG client with huge recognition and major national presence.
* Exposure to large‑scale budgets, category‑leading campaigns and diverse audiences.
* Opportunity to influence how one of the world’s most iconic brands shows up across the UK.
* Strong support network — strategy, data, activation and creative teams all working under one roof.
* A genuinely collaborative culture with room to grow, develop and progress quickly.
Benefits
* 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).
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