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 across 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

This role is a 12 month fixed-term contract, to start ASAP

Starcom is looking for a Business Director to lead one of our most high-profile UK beauty accounts, a globally recognised luxury brand with strong heritage and a clear, modern identity.

The role

As Business Director, you’ll lead the account across both strategic direction and client partnership, working closely with senior stakeholders and internal specialist teams to deliver work that is considered, effective and consistently high quality.

You’ll be responsible for bringing together planning, investment, data and digital to ensure everything delivered is joined-up and aligned to the brand’s ambition.

What you’ll be doing

• Leading the client relationship, acting as a trusted partner and strategic advisor
• Setting and shaping the media strategy across all channels
• Overseeing the development of integrated campaigns, from brief through to execution
• Ensuring strong collaboration across planning, investment and specialist teams
• Driving innovation and new thinking, particularly across digital and partnerships
• Maintaining a high standard of output across the team and wider account
• Leading and developing a team, creating a positive and high-performing environment
• Identifying opportunities to grow and evolve the account

What we’re looking for

• Strong experience in media planning and client leadership within an agency environment
• Proven ability to manage and influence senior stakeholders
• Experience working on brand‑led, premium or luxury accounts
• A strong understanding of integrated media planning across AV and digital
• A confident, clear communicator with a considered approach
• Strong leadership skills and experience developing teams
• Commercial awareness and the ability to balance quality with delivery

Why this role

• Lead a flagship luxury beauty account with real scale and visibility
• Work on campaigns that prioritise quality, craft and cultural relevance
• Partner with senior clients who value strong thinking and collaboration
• Be part of a team that combines strategic rigour with a modern, progressive mindset
• Access the scale, tools and opportunities of Publicis Groupe

Additional information

Starcom offers fantastic benefits to all our employees; full details are shared when you join. This includes the classics like Pension, Life Assurance, Private Medical, as well as Reflection Days, Shared Parental Leave, and spans other initiatives like:

Please check out the Publicis Career Page which showcases our Inclusive Benefits and our EAG’s (Employee Action Groups).

A 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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