Head of Performance – Publicis Media Africa at Publicis Groupe

Role Overview

• The Head of Performance will lead the central Performance Hub for Publicis Media Africa — a data-driven capability center designed to power client performance, conversion growth, and automation excellence across the region.
• This role sits at the heart of Publicis Media’s transformation, unifying people, platforms, and partners to deliver measurable outcomes for clients. The incumbent will drive regional scalability, cross-market consistency, and AI-led optimization, working through a hub-and-spoke model that supports agencies and local markets in achieving KPI excellence.
• The successful candidate will combine strategic leadership, deep technical expertise, and strong commercial acumen — building a performance culture that integrates insight, automation, and creativity to push campaign performance beyond benchmarks.

Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Regional Vision

• Lead and scale the Publicis Africa Performance Hub, serving as the central engine for campaign optimization, data analytics, and automation.
• Define and execute the Performance Strategy for Africa, aligning with Groupe’s global product roadmap (Epsilon, APEX, PMX Precision, Performics).
• Build a hub-and-spoke operating model — providing central strategy, tools, and best practices while enabling local market autonomy and speed.
• Serve as the strategic advisor to agency leads and client CMOs, driving KPI accountability and insight-led decision-making.
• Ensure performance delivery aligns with Publicis’ broader transformation framework, integrating profitability and operational efficiency.

Capability Building & Hub Operations

• Build, mentor, and lead a centralized team of performance specialists across Search, Social, Programmatic, and Conversion Optimization.
• Partner with offshore delivery hubs (India, Poland, MEA) to scale setup, trafficking, and optimization support for efficiency.
• Design workflows, governance models, and performance dashboards that enable real-time monitoring and optimization across clients.
• Drive continuous upskilling of local market teams through Performance Academies, certifications, and shared learning initiatives.
• Foster collaboration across media, data, and adops teams to ensure cohesive campaign delivery and optimization.

Partner Ecosystem & Collaboration

• Build and maintain strategic partnerships with platform partners (Google, Meta, TikTok, Xandr, Amazon Ads, The Trade Desk), tech enablers, and data providers to drive innovation and preferential access.
• Collaborate closely with PMX (Publicis Media Exchange) to ensure buying efficiency and deal optimization.
• Partner with Performics global network to align on frameworks, automation tools, and case study creation.
• Engage with regional and local technology partners, including ad verification vendors, analytics platforms, and data clean room providers.
• Develop joint business plans and co-investment agreements with key partners to accelerate automation and AI adoption in Africa.

Performance Strategy, Optimization & Delivery

• Create best-in-class optimization models for client campaigns — using AI, predictive algorithms, and automation to improve conversion rates and ROI.
• Implement performance frameworks that drive business KPIs across diverse sectors (FMCG, Finance, Telco, Automotive, eCommerce).
• Ensure seamless alignment between central hub performance strategy and local execution teams.
• Partner with data teams to enable cross-channel measurement and attribution, connecting upper-funnel exposure with conversion and sales.
• Drive conversion rate optimization (CRO) initiatives across all major clients, turning data insights into tangible growth.
• Lead strategic performance reviews and present results directly to client CMOs and marketing heads.

Data, Insights & Reporting

• Develop integrated performance dashboards in Power BI / Looker Studio for real-time visibility into campaign KPIs.
• Build standardized templates for reporting and insights to ensure data consistency and narrative quality across markets.
• Showcase data-led case studies that demonstrate the impact of Publicis’ performance media excellence.
• Collaborate with analytics and strategy teams to turn data into client-facing stories that drive renewal, upsell, and retention.

Commercial Leadership & Accountability

• Define and manage P&L for the Performance Hub, ensuring profitable delivery models and resource utilization.
• Create billing frameworks that connect performance value to commercial outcomes (efficiency, sales, CPA, LTV).
• Support MDs and BUDs in pitching and packaging performance-led offerings under APEX .
• Build strong internal collaboration with finance, HR, and operations to ensure scalable and compliant delivery.

Qualifications

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, or Data Analytics; postgraduate preferred.
• 10+ years’ experience in performance marketing, media, or digital transformation, with regional exposure.
• Deep understanding of Africa’s digital ecosystem, including platform penetration, data limitations, and infrastructure challenges.
• Proven success in building centralized or regional delivery hubs with measurable efficiency and impact.
• Expertise in Search, Social, Programmatic, and Commerce media, with fluency in optimization and attribution tools.
• Demonstrated ability to lead multi-market performance operations with cross-functional teams (onshore/offshore).
• Strong partner management experience with global platforms and local publishers.
• Commercially sharp, data-literate, and client-facing — able to move seamlessly between technical detail and strategic conversation.

Additional information

Success Metrics

• Launch and operationalization of the Publicis Africa Performance Hub across all major markets.
• Measurable uplift in client campaign performance (conversion rates, ROAS, CPA efficiency).
• Growth in performance-related billing and profitability for the Groupe.
• Increased automation adoption and reduction in manual workflows.
• Strong partner alignment and co-investment programs established.
• Number of certified performance specialists trained under the hub model.
• Client and internal recognition for innovation, excellence, and speed-to-impact.

Cultural Fit

• Strategically visionary, operationally disciplined, and execution-driven.
• Deep understanding of Africa’s media and data realities.
• Collaborative — unites central, local, and offshore teams toward a common performance goal.
• Commercially and client-oriented — able to balance scale, innovation, and accountability.
• Embodies the Publicis Power of One mindset — connecting platforms, partners, and people to deliver outcomes.