Senior Account Director (9 month contract)

As a senior member of the Client Services team, you will be a key leader responsible for leading and directing specific client(s) and all aspects of Mars United’s business in relation to them. This role thrives at the intersection of strategy, creativity, and execution, requiring deep client partnership experience, commercial acumen, and a collaborative mindset to lead integrated programs across digital and physical retail ecosystems. You will also manage and guide Senior Account Manager(s) and Account Manager(s), fostering their professional development.

Must Have

• Lead and direct specific client accounts, managing all business aspects.
• Collaborate with Creative and Client Service teams to craft strategic proposals.
• Manage client briefs, extract key insights, and relay objectives to internal teams.
• Lead proposal development, set deadlines, and ensure seamless delivery.
• Ensure all activations meet or exceed client expectations.
• Collaborate with internal departments (Creative, Development, Operations) and manage resource allocation.
• Follow campaign execution procedures and documentation with 100% accuracy.
• Lead campaign execution and administration tasks with a hands-on approach.
• Deliver on quarterly new business targets for portfolio and pipeline growth.
• Ensure 100% accuracy in budget reconciliations and flag concerns.
• Ensure accurate campaign invoicing in line with contractual obligations.
• Craft detailed and accurate campaign budgets.
• Secure cost savings by obtaining competitive supplier quotes.
• Seek new business opportunities across the client network.
• Stay updated on all project statuses and communicate confidently.
• Lead the team with structure, organisation, and clarity.
• Lead learning and performance review opportunities, design progression plans, and mentor team members.
• Bachelor’s degree in advertising, marketing, business, or related field.
• Minimum of 8 years of commerce experience at a marketing or advertising agency.

Perks & Benefits

• Comprehensive Wholeself program supporting physical, mindful, and financial wellbeing.
• Creative, lively, and rewarding office environment with Publicis Liberté flexibility.
• Access to Global AI Platform Marcel for career mobility and collaboration.
• Extensive Learning & Development opportunities (15,000+ programs via Marcel Classes).
• Culture of open feedback and support through Career Conversations program.
• Committed Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion strategy.
• Leave benefits including Birthday Leave, Flexible Public Holidays, and additional 5 days after 2 years of service.
• Work Your World program allowing work from anywhere for up to 6 weeks per year.
• Parental leave policy with up to 18 weeks based on tenure, paid primary carer leave, secondary carer swap, and Cub Care leave.
• Access to counsellors, psychologists, and professionals through Sonder.
• Workplace supporting employees with life-threatening illnesses (Working With Cancer Pledge).
• Proud partners of Diversity Council Australia, Pride in Diversity, Family Friendly Workplaces, Supply Nation, and the Australian Disability Network.

Company description

Mars United Commerce Powered by Marilyn is a global commerce company that delivers all the solutions clients need to grow their business today and tomorrow. Founded by the late Marilyn Barnett, we’ve become global leaders in four key commerce disciplines – Strategy & Analytics, Digital Commerce, Content & Experiences, and Retail Consultancy – that together form a United Commerce Ecosystem that provides all the expertise clients need to navigate the commerce marketing landscape. Our 800+ Martians across North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Asia exist to drive growth for our people, our clients, and our communities all across the globe. In late 2024 Mars United Commerce became part of the Publicis Groupe.

Overview

About the Role

As a senior member of the Client Services team, you will be a key leader within the business. You will be responsible for leading and directing specific client(s) and will take responsibility for all aspects of Mars United’s business in relation to the client(s).

Our Senior Account Directors thrive at the intersection of strategy, creativity, and execution. You will bring deep client partnership experience, commercial acumen, and a collaborative mindset to lead integrated programs across digital and physical retail ecosystems. You’ll be part of a team that’s redefining how brands connect with shoppers- powered by data, driven by insight, and united by purpose.

You’ll also take on a leadership role within the client team, managing and guiding Senior Account Manager(s) and Account Manager(s) as needed. You’ll play a key part in fostering their professional development to help them grow and succeed in their roles.

Key Responsibilities

• Representing the business at the highest standard and collaborating with Creative and Client Service teams to craft strategic proposals.
• Managing client briefs, extracting key insights, and relaying objectives to internal teams.
• Leading proposal development, setting deadlines, and driving accountability for seamless delivery.
• Presenting proposals with confidence and bringing creative ideas to life.
• Ensuring all activations are executed to meet or exceed client expectations.
• Collaborating seamlessly with internal departments—including Creative, Development, and Operations—while managing resource allocation effectively.
• Following all campaign execution procedures and documentation with 100% accuracy.
• Leading campaign execution and administration tasks with a hands-on approach.
• Delivering on quarterly new business targets to drive portfolio and pipeline growth.
• Delivering 100% accuracy in budget reconciliations and flagging concerns with recommended actions with senior team members accordingly.
• Ensuring all campaign invoicing is accurate and shared with clients in line with contractual obligations.
• Crafting detailed and accurate campaign budgets.
• Securing cost savings by obtaining competitive supplier quotes and managing reconciliations effectively.
• Seeking new business opportunities across the client network, following up on leads to secure briefs.
• Staying across all project statuses and confidently communicating updates when required.
• Leading the team with structure, organisation, and clarity.
• Leading learning and performance review opportunities, working with senior leaders to design progression plans, and mentoring team members by identifying strengths and development areas.

Skills Required

• Bachelor’s degree in advertising, marketing, business, or related field
• Minimum of 8 years of commerce experience at a marketing or advertising agency inclusive of shopper, experiential, e-commerce and media
• Possesses an entrepreneurial spirit and a ‘self-starter’ mentality with a deep sense of accountability, creativity, resourcefulness, and desire to collaborate and step in for the good of the team and agency
• Passionate about the media and advertising industry with an interest in new technology
• Strong client relationship builder with the ability to influence senior stakeholders and independently manage challenges.
• Commercially astute with a clear understanding of financial drivers and business impact.
• Genuine people connector with a natural ability to build rapport and foster trust across teams and clients.
• Hands-on leadership style, stepping in to support delivery and strengthen team capacity when needed.
• Proactive problem solver who anticipates issues, plans, and delivers effective solutions.
• Calm and composed under pressure, offering stability and support in fast-paced, high-stakes environments.
• Adaptable and resilient, embracing new challenges with a positive mindset and collaborative spirit.
• Highly organised, with the ability to manage complex projects, multiple stakeholders, and competing priorities.
• Strategic thinker with strong briefing and analytical skills, able to define clear outcomes and guide project success.
• Trusted advisor, relied upon to manage issues, escalate appropriately, and drive action.
• Detail-oriented and perceptive, with the ability to identify risks early and course-correct with confidence.
• Committed to excellence, willing to go above and beyond to deliver high-impact results, especially when it counts.

#LI-CL1

Additional information

What we can offer:

Publicis Groupe benefits: Be a part of the Publicis Groupe family, recent winner of the Employer of Choice Awards and one of the world's most progressive and dynamic modern communications businesses. You can learn more about us at www.publicisgroupeanz.com

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Enjoy all the perks that come with our network offering:

• A comprehensive Wholeself program supporting physical, mindful, and financial wellbeing.
• A creative, lively, and rewarding office environment where people love working with each other, supported by our Publicis Liberté flexibility approach — "working your way with us."
• Access to our Global AI Platform Marcel, connecting Publicis Groupe employees with opportunities for career mobility and collaboration across our global network.
• Extensive Learning & Development opportunities including more than 15,000 learning programs via our online learning platform, Marcel Classes.
• A culture of open feedback and support to reach your goals through our Career Conversations program.
• A committed Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion strategy driven through our Viva Women, Égalité, enABLE, EmbRACE, and Écologique committees.
• Leave benefits including Birthday Leave, Flexible Public Holidays, and an additional 5 days of leave after 2 years of service.
• Work Your World program enabling employees the flexibility to work from anywhere in the world for up to 6 weeks per year.
• Parental leave policy with up to 18 weeks based on tenure, paid primary carer leave, secondary carer swap, and Cub Care leave.
• Access to counsellors, psychologists, and professionals through Sonder, an all-in-one digital wellbeing technology platform designed to support psychological, medical & safety needs.
• A workplace that stands together to provide a more open, supportive, and recovery-forward culture for all employees with life-threatening illnesses. Read more about our Working With Cancer Pledge: https://workingwithcancerpledge.com/

• Proud partners of Diversity Council Australia, Pride in Diversity, Family Friendly Workplaces, Supply Nation, and the Australian Disability Network.

If you don't tick every box in this ad, please don't rule yourself out. Research suggests that women and other people in underrepresented groups tend to only apply if they meet every requirement. We focus on hiring people who share our values of inclusion, collaboration, adaptability, fearlessness, and integrity rather than ticking boxes — so if this role resonates with you, please apply.

Diversity. Inclusion. Equity. More than just words; these are part of our DNA. At Publicis Groupe, we are committed to the inclusion and recognition of all people regardless of race, age, culture, ability, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, and religious affiliation. We believe that to deliver the best solutions to our clients, our people need to reflect the diverse communities in which our clients operate. We value diversity and the skills, knowledge, and experience that difference brings to our culture and solutions.

Uniqueness is powerful; without it, we wouldn't be where we are today. So be you — we like it that way.

We are committed to providing reasonable adjustments for people with disability or those that require additional support throughout the application process. If you need any assistance or adjustments, please contact us via recruitment@publicisgroupe.com; your personal information will be kept confidential.