Activation Director - Performance

Activation Director - Performance

As part of Publicis Groupe, we unleash the power of creativity, data, and media to deliver personalized experiences at scale. We have one of the most robust data sets in the industry and world-class marketplace connections and buying scale. You can’t escape it.

Our moment is as complex as it’s ever been. An era of blink-and-you’ll-miss-it that’s always whizzing, scrolling, streaming by. And it’s not slowing down.

Yet instead of staying connected — moving people with real human insight — marketers feel even more disconnected. Frantically optimizing with only the next few minutes in mind. Trying to solve this ever-evolving puzzle with a short-term focus.

Instead of pioneering an ever-expanding universe . . .

. . . And all the creative solutions that await us.

At Starcom, it’s never scared us when the kaleidoscope of marketing added another shiny mirror. We’ve seen this as an opportunity since Leo Burnett first reached his hands to the stars. To move the brands we support every day by truly knowing the real people who support them. Responsibly unlocking possibilities across new channels, new technologies, new data opportunities, and beyond.

It’s our opportunity to pioneer the next new world for your business. And to prove that media . . . is always the message. We know the next ten years will look a lot different. So will the ten after that. That’s where our expertise comes in to explore and decipher it all alongside you. Our people help you navigate what’s next, moving your business forward to the future by moving your customers forward today.

These days it’s no longer what you shout from the mountaintops. It takes true insight to move people at the human level — in a powerful, lasting way.

Because how you move people moves your business for good

Overview

About the role

The Activation Director leads the activation craft for the agency and client teams, ensuring the best possible ROI and outcomes from clients’ media investment through high quality execution, optimisation, governance and commercial delivery. This role holds end to end accountability for workflow, quality control, and delivery excellence across activation disciplines (including Search & Social and Programmatic), ensuring campaigns meet or exceed agreed benchmarks/KPIs and contractual obligations. The Activation Director partners closely with agency leadership, planning disciplines and product partners (e.g., PMX) to deliver leading solutions, provide thought leadership, and drive innovation, efficiency and capability uplift across the agency.

Your scope will include:

• Provide senior thought leadership and activation expertise, guiding clients through new opportunities in the evolving media landscape.
• Develop and deliver formal presentations on market landscape trends, insights and activation innovations.
• Build exceptionally strong relationships with senior clients and establish effective operating rhythms and ways of working.
• Act as a primary escalation point for client and media related issues, ensuring timely resolution while maintaining strong relationships
• Identify opportunities to leverage broader agency capabilities (e.g., tech/analytics/experience) to solve client challenges and deepen partnership
• Lead and inspire the activation team, setting standards for delivery excellence, operational discipline and craft reputation across the agency.
• Manage, coach and nurture the Activation team, supporting skill development, accountability and career growth.
• Develop best in class playbooks, operating standards, and market-leading first-party tools that improve activation quality and efficiency.
• Provide market overview summaries and bring industry-leading thinking into activation recommendations and operational practices.
• Lead strategic initiatives that refine benchmarking processes (rate/value and performance) using internal and external tools to maximise client outcomes.
• Identify and integrate new activation capabilities and products (including Internal Propriety product integration where relevant) to improve effectiveness and efficiency.
• Be accountable for delivery of client contractual and commercial KPIs, including audit requirements and documented learnings/recommendations.
• Lead (or oversee) negotiation frameworks, investment strategies and annual media deal inputs where relevant to activation outcomes and value delivery.
• Oversee the process for media audit reporting and contract KPI tracking, maintaining strong stakeholder relationships with auditors/procurement as required.
• Lead monthly forecasting alignment with client leadership (e.g., CSD) to ensure delivery against commitments and commercial performance.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with media vendors/platform partners and ensure clear briefing/feedback practices

What you’ll bring:

Deep expertise in activation disciplines, including Search & Social and/or Programmatic trading & background in Activation

Strong understanding of the Australian media landscape and how market dynamics influence activation outcomes

Ability to translate performance data and market trends into actionable activation strategy and client recommendations.

Proven ability to lead, inspire and develop high performing teams through coaching, training, growth planning and career conversations.

Strong stakeholder influence and ability to manage upwards and across leadership teams.

Commercial and financial acumen including forecasting, invoicing accuracy, governance, audit requirements and KPI delivery.

High competence in operational workflow oversight, quality control and process improvement across activation delivery.