Vacancies at Publicis Groupe

Overview

• The Creative Director — Copywriter is a senior creative leader responsible for translating the creative ambition of the Publicis/client partnership into distinctive, effective and culturally relevant ideas and storytelling. 
• The role leads conceptual development, messaging, tone of voice and narrative craft across major briefs, campaigns, platforms and experiences, while guiding and mentoring multi-disciplinary creative teams. 
• A critical part of the mandate is to combine strong writing and conceptual craft with digital-first thinking, culture, technology, AI and new content models, ensuring ideas can live coherently across channels and customer journeys. 
• The role is accountable for conceptual strength, verbal craft, integrated execution, creative team leadership and client confidence.

Responsibilities

CREATIVE LEADERSHIP & DIRECTION 

• Help set and uphold the creative standard for the client/Publicis partnership, working closely with the Executive Creative Director. 
• Lead concept development, messaging and narrative direction across major integrated campaigns, brand platforms, digital experiences and content ecosystems. 
• Provide clear, constructive direction to creative teams and protect the core idea and tone through execution and rollout. 
• Lead brainstorms and creative workshops, creating the conditions for ambitious ideas to be challenged, improved and delivered. 
• Remain deeply connected to South African culture, language, consumer behaviour, media and global creative trends. 

SENIOR CLIENT & BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP 

• Build trusted creative relationships with client stakeholders and confidently present and sell creative thinking. 
• Understand the client's business, brand, customers and growth priorities sufficiently to interrogate briefs and identify creative opportunities. 
• Translate creative choices into clear business and customer rationale. 
• Respond constructively to client feedback while protecting the integrity and ambition of the creative product. 

CREATIVE PRODUCT EXCELLENCE 

• Drive platform-neutral conceptual thinking with a strong focus on copy, storytelling, tone of voice and idea articulation. 
• Define and protect campaign narratives, messaging hierarchies and verbal identity. 
• Ensure every major piece of work has a clear idea, strong strategic foundation and appropriate level of writing craft. 
• Create across film, radio/audio, social, digital, content, experience, retail, CRM and emerging formats. 
• Develop compelling presentations, scripts, headlines, manifestos and idea narratives that make the work easy to understand and buy. 
• Use audience, performance and cultural learning to strengthen future creative output. 

INTEGRATION & POWER OF ONE CREATIVE LEADERSHIP 

• Work seamlessly with Art Direction, Strategy, Media, Data, Technology, Experience, Production, PR and Activation to create genuinely integrated solutions. 
• Ensure integrated thinking happens at the start of the process rather than being assembled after ideas are developed. 
• Build ideas that travel coherently across channels while adapting tone and format to platform behaviour. 
• Help remove discipline and agency silos that limit the quality or effectiveness of the work. 

AI, TECHNOLOGY & FUTURE-FIT CREATIVITY 

• Champion responsible use of AI in ideation, research, writing exploration, prototyping, content variation and optimisation. 
• Use generative AI to increase exploration, speed and personalisation without compromising originality, brand voice or human judgement. 
• Develop practical prompting fluency and maintain awareness of emerging creative technologies and content platforms. 
• Partner with Strategy, Data and Technology to explore dynamic content, personalisation and new customer experiences. 
• Maintain appropriate standards around brand safety, intellectual property, governance and human oversight. 

CULTURE, INNOVATION & CREATIVE TRANSFORMATION 

• Be a champion for innovation on every project. 
• Challenge legacy creative processes and encourage faster, more iterative and connected ways of developing ideas. 
• Explore new formats, partnerships and production approaches that improve customer and client value. 
• Demonstrate thought leadership by keeping current on culture, language, platforms and industry trends. 

STRATEGY & EFFECTIVENESS PARTNERSHIP 

• Partner closely with Strategy to interrogate briefs, sharpen propositions and ensure ideas are grounded in meaningful human insight. 
• Participate actively in campaign planning and key workshops. 
• Work with Strategy and Media to define channel roles and optimise work in market where appropriate. 
• Ensure creative and strategic teams operate as one problem-solving unit. 

TALENT & TEAM LEADERSHIP 

• Manage, mentor and develop copywriters and broader creative teams. 
• Help creatives become stronger conceptual thinkers, writers, presenters and problem-solvers. 
• Delegate effectively while remaining close enough to the work to protect quality and consistency. 
• Support a collaborative, inclusive and ambitious creative culture. 

PRODUCTION, CRAFT & EXECUTIONAL EXCELLENCE 

• Partner closely with Production and Operations to ensure creative ambition is translated into excellent execution. 
• Provide senior copy oversight through production, recordings, shoots, post-production, adaptation and rollout. 
• Protect tone, messaging and storytelling consistency across high-volume content and adaptation. 
• Balance craft, timing and commercial realities without lowering the creative standard. 

Qualifications

• Must have 10+ years’ experience 
• Highly conceptual individual (Must demonstrate with at least 5 projects) 
• Demonstrate exceptional strategic thinking (Provide 3 examples) 
• Must have led the conceptualisation and execution of TTL campaigns and pure digital campaigns (Show minimum of 4 examples) 
• Must demonstrate an understanding of digital platforms 
• Track record of winning international and local awards i.e. Cannes, One Show, Loeries, Clios, Bookmarks etc. 
• Show at least 1 international and 1 local gold medals 
• Demonstrate how you’ve previously dealt with conflict 
• In-depth working knowledge of existing and emerging technologies & platforms (advantageous) 
• Be comfortable with AI being a part of the everyday activities of the role. 

BUSINESS KPI’S 

• Must demonstrate examples of leadership skills & problem solving 
• A strong understanding of best practice interaction and visual design principles 
• Must be able to oversee 7-8 projects 
• Have the ability to attend every review on a project with 3 new ideas 
• Oversee projects and manage and grow the team through the process 

THE PERSON 

• Good understanding of influencer, Mobile, Podcast, digital, social, out-of-home, guerrilla, activations and direct marketing 
• Great time management 
• Demonstrate ability to work under immense pressure & meet tight deadlines 
• Adept problem-solving skills 
• Strong communication skills with ability to provide rationales for creative choices made 
• Strong presentation skills 
• Able to work with team members & delegate effectively 
• Understand the client’s business requirements, and understand how our services should be applied to solve business problems 
• Sell an idea or campaign internally and externally 

WORKING KNOWLEDGE OF THESE TOOLS 

• Keynote / PowerPoint 
• Microsoft Word 
• ChatGPT, Claude AI and similar generative AI tools 
• Strong understanding of AI prompting and responsible AI-assisted writing workflows 

go to method of application »

Overview

• The Senior Art Director is a senior hands-on creative responsible for developing distinctive, effective and beautifully crafted ideas across the client business. 
• The role translates strategy and creative direction into strong concepts, visual systems and executions that work across channels, platforms and experiences. 
• Working as part of an integrated creative team, the Senior Art Director combines high standards of art direction and design craft with digital-first thinking, culture, technology and emerging AI-enabled creative methods. 
• The role is accountable for conceptual quality, visual craft, proactive contribution, reliable delivery and strong collaboration. 

Responsibilities

CREATIVE THINKING & ART DIRECTION 

• Develop strong, platform-neutral creative concepts in response to briefs and strategic direction. 
• Define or apply the visual language, aesthetic and art direction of campaigns and content. 
• Lead the craft and design of ideas from early concept through execution. 
• Create convincing mock-ups, references and presentation material that bring ideas to life. 
• Stay current with South African culture, design, social platforms, media behaviour and visual trends. 

CLIENT & BUSINESS UNDERSTANDING 

• Interrogate briefs and understand the client's business requirements, brand priorities and customer context. 
• Provide clear rationale for creative choices and be prepared to present work to clients. 
• Develop ideas that solve the business problem rather than simply answering the deliverables list. 

INTEGRATED CREATIVE PRODUCT 

• Design across multiple channels including brand, retail, digital, social, content, out-of-home and emerging formats. 
• Work closely with Copywriters to ensure the idea and execution operate as one. 
• Consistently produce creative elements against agreed deliverables and deadlines. 
• Participate actively in brainstorms, conceptualisation and campaign development. 
• Contribute to pitches and proactive creative opportunities. 

INTEGRATION & COLLABORATION 

• Work with Strategy, Media, Accounts, Developers, Production and other disciplines to ensure integrated and coherent solutions. 
• Collaborate early rather than handing work between disciplines sequentially. 
• Be a team player who can also work independently and take ownership of assigned projects. 

AI, TECHNOLOGY & FUTURE-FIT CREATIVITY 

• Use relevant AI and emerging creative tools to expand visual exploration, prototyping and production efficiency. 
• Maintain working knowledge of major social and digital platforms and how creative needs to behave within them. 
• Apply appropriate human judgement, brand safety and craft standards to AI-assisted work. 
• Stay curious about emerging design, production and experience technologies. 

PRODUCTION & EXECUTIONAL EXCELLENCE 

• Attend shoots, recordings and production sessions where required and protect the visual idea through execution. 
• Partner with Production to ensure work is delivered to the required quality, timing and specification. 
• Maintain high attention to detail across final artwork, adaptations and rollout. 

PERSONAL LEADERSHIP & DEVELOPMENT 

• Manage your own creative process and deadlines without needing to be chased. 
• Be proactive, accountable, solution-driven and willing to go the extra mile. 
• Share references, inspiration and new approaches that raise the standard of the wider creative team. 
• Support and guide more junior creatives where appropriate. 

Qualifications

• Tertiary qualification in Art Direction / Graphic Design 
• Must have a minimum of 5-6 years’ experience 
• Conceptual and design skills 
• Proficient in MS Office (i.e. Word / PowerPoint etc.) 
• Knowledge of and experience in Adobe Creative Suite applications 
• Good communication & presentation skills 
• Good multi-tasking skills (ability to work on more than one brief at any given time) 
• Great time management 
• Ability to work under pressure & meet tight deadlines 
• Adept problem-solving skills 
• Strong communication skills with ability to provide rationales for creative choices made 
• Working knowledge of existing and emerging technologies & platforms 
• A strong understanding of best practice interaction and visual design principles 
• Able to work with team members 
• Be comfortable with AI being a part of the everyday activities of the role. 

BUSINESS KPI’S 

• Demonstrate innovative ideas to the team to improve how we communicate our proposition 
• Must be able to work on one sizable and two small size projects at any one time with oversight 
• Have the ability to attend every review on a project with 3 new ideas 

THE PERSON 

• Team player with the ability to work independently 
• Ability to work well in a highly pressurised, fast-paced environment 
• Curious, imaginative creative mind with a passion for advertising and modern brand experiences 
• Meticulous with attention to detail 
• Proactive — a can-do attitude and willing to go the extra mile 
• Accountable 
• Solution and deadline driven 
• Flexible to work beyond normal office hours if and when required 

WORKING KNOWLEDGE OF THESE TOOLS 

• Illustrator 
• Photoshop 
• InDesign 
• After Effects 
• Keynote / PowerPoint 
• Figma 
• ChatGPT, Claude AI, Midjourney and similar generative AI tools 
• Google Web Designer & DV360 (Advantageous) 
• Facebook Creative Hub 

go to method of application »

Overview

• The Senior Copywriter is a senior hands-on creative responsible for developing distinctive, effective and culturally relevant ideas and copy across the client business. 
• The role translates strategy and creative direction into compelling concepts, narratives, messaging and executions that can work across channels, platforms and experiences. 
• Working as part of an integrated creative team, the Senior Copywriter combines strong conceptual and writing craft with digital-first thinking, culture, technology and emerging AI-enabled creative methods. 
• The role is accountable for idea quality, copy craft, proactive contribution, reliable delivery and strong collaboration. 

Responsibilities

CREATIVE THINKING & COPY CRAFT 

• Develop strong, platform-neutral creative concepts in response to briefs and strategic direction. 
• Define and apply the tone of voice, messaging and narrative approach for campaigns and content. 
• Write clear, distinctive and engaging copy across multiple formats and lengths. 
• Generate ideas proactively and sell them into the creative team and, when required, clients. 
• Stay current with South African culture, language, social behaviour, media and creative trends. 

CLIENT & BUSINESS UNDERSTANDING 

• Be part of the briefing process and interrogate briefs to get the answers needed before work begins. 
• Understand the client's business requirements, brand priorities and customer context. 
• Provide clear rationale for creative choices and be prepared to present work to clients. 
• Develop ideas that solve the business problem rather than simply completing deliverables. 

INTEGRATED CREATIVE PRODUCT 

• Create across brand, retail, digital, social, content, out-of-home, activations and emerging formats. 
• Work closely with Art Directors and Designers to ensure words and visuals operate as one idea. 
• Consistently produce creative elements against agreed deliverables and deadlines. 
• Understand campaign rollout and how a central idea adapts across touchpoints. 
• Participate actively in brainstorms, pitches and proactive creative opportunities. 

INTEGRATION & COLLABORATION 

• Work with Strategy, Media, Accounts, Developers, Production and other disciplines to ensure integration and alignment with broader business objectives. 
• Be a champion for innovative media solutions and platform-relevant creativity. 
• Collaborate early rather than handing work between disciplines sequentially. 
• Be a team player who can also take ownership and manage the creative process on assigned projects. 

AI, TECHNOLOGY & FUTURE-FIT CREATIVITY 

• Use relevant AI tools responsibly to support ideation, research, writing exploration, content variation and prototyping. 
• Maintain practical prompting skills and understand where human judgement, originality and brand voice must lead. 
• Stay current with digital platforms and emerging content behaviours. 
• Use technology to expand creative possibility rather than simply automate output. 

PRODUCTION & EXECUTIONAL EXCELLENCE 

• Compile strong creative presentations and continue developing client presentation skills. 
• Attend client briefings, recordings and shoots where required. 
• Protect copy quality, tone and idea integrity through production, adaptation and rollout. 
• Manage multiple projects while maintaining quality and attention to detail. 

PERSONAL LEADERSHIP & DEVELOPMENT 

• Be extremely driven, proactive and committed to continuous growth in your craft. 
• Manage your own creative process and deadlines without needing to be chased. 
• Volunteer for brainstorms and share references and inspiration that raise the standard of the studio. 
• Support and guide more junior creative talent where appropriate. 

Qualifications

OPERATIONAL KPI’S 

• Must have a minimum of 5-6 years’ experience 
• Good understanding of the latest digital platforms, use of Mobile, out-of-home, guerrilla, activations etc. 
• Present at least 2 unexpected ideas to your Creative Director monthly 
• Be comfortable with AI being a part of the everyday activities of the role. 

BUSINESS KPI’S 

• Must be able to work on one sizable and two small size projects at any one time with oversight 
• Have the ability to attend every review on a project with 3 new ideas 

THE PERSON 

• Must demonstrate strong conceptual ability (show at least 2 projects) 
• Provide proof of digital thinking (show at least 1 project) 
• Be agile 
• Great time management 
• Ability to work under pressure & meet tight deadlines 
• Adept problem-solving skills 
• Strong communication skills and clear articulation of ideas 
• Proactive, curious and willing to learn 
• Strong collaborator and team player 

WORKING KNOWLEDGE OF THESE TOOLS 

• Microsoft Word 
• Keynote / PowerPoint 
• ChatGPT, Claude AI and similar generative AI tools 
• Working knowledge of AI prompting for ideation, copy exploration and content development 
   

go to method of application »

Overview

• The Head of OOH will lead Publicis Media Africa’s end-to-end Out-of-Home practice and centralized service — combining strategic leadership, market expertise, and commercial acumen to modernize and scale the agency’s outdoor offering.
• The role demands a leader who can balance legacy OOH scale with digital innovation, strategic and data informed thinking and bringing deep local knowledge of the South African OOH landscape and extending this expertise across Africa.
• They will bridge OOH landscape knowledge, strategic insights, data informed OOH planning, consumer journey mapping, and commercial negotiations to deliver measurable business outcomes for clients.
• They will lead, manage and oversee the centralized Publicis OOH media team. Ensuring standardization, high quality deliverables, maximized value extraction, and strategic thinking. They will manage all key stakeholder relationships both internally across Publicis Media agencies and externally with clients and media suppliers.
• This is both a relationship and results-driven role, requiring a strategic thinker, trusted negotiator, and strong operator who can lead a centralized delivery team and represent Publicis Media credibly with clients and OOH media suppliers.

Responsibilities

Market Strategy & Vision

• Define and implement Publicis Africa’s OOH growth strategy, ensuring it combines traditional scale with digital transformation (DOOH, data, measurement).
• Oversees the strategy planning and execution of out-of-home reverts, ensuring alignment with brand goals and market trends
• Map the consumer journey and align OOH touchpoints with broader brand and media strategies — from awareness to conversion.
• Identify new growth zones — including township economies, commuter corridors, and retail precincts — and integrate them into client communication plans.
• Translate complex OOH possibilities into simple, strategic narratives that resonate with CMOs and client boards.
• Drive innovative thinking

Local Market Expertise & Influence

• Leverage deep understanding of South Africa’s OOH ecosystem — key media suppliers, sites, environments, and ownership structures.
• Analyze market data to optimize placements, and drive innovation in our OOH solutions. Ensure data-informed OOH planning approach.
• Maintain trusted relationships with major OOH media holding groups
• Negotiate strategic site access, long-term value commitments, and preferential rates.
• Proactively identify location gaps or redundancies across client campaigns and fix them through tactical site swaps or deal leverage.

Commercial & Negotiation Leadership

• Lead all OOH commercial negotiations at a senior level — ensuring transparency, value creation, and profitability.
• Develop strategic supply-side partnerships to secure premium inventory and ensure first-mover advantage for clients.
• Build volume-based or multi-client deals with OOH media owners that unlock better pricing and stronger data access.
• Work with finance and procurement to ensure OOH maintains strong margins and operational sustainability.

Integrated Consumer Planning

• Collaborate with planning, strategy, and data teams to ensure OOH aligns with audience intent, path-to-purchase, and brand funnel goals.
• Translate brand strategy into actionable outdoor blueprints that map where, when, and how OOH drives consumer action.
• Support OOH Team and media teams with OOH data, audience insights, and contextual recommendations during campaign ideation.
• Champion OOH as a storytelling medium that drives both emotional impact and measurable business outcomes.
• Drive innovative approaches for clients OOH

Team Leadership & Execution Excellence

• Lead a centralized OOH operations and delivery hub based in South Africa servicing all agencies and clients (in South Africa but also including Pan-Africa)
• Ensure flawless campaign execution — accurate site bookings, posting verification, and OOH monitoring and post-campaign reporting.
• Drive operational efficiency and use of automation tools.
• Mentor and develop a team of OOH planners, buyers, and coordinators to elevate delivery quality and market credibility.
• Assist the OOH team to resolve any OOH client queries with swift precision and accuracy.

Innovation & Future Readiness

• Integrate data-enabled OOH and P/DOOH solutions (e.g., location intelligence, programmatic trading, mobile retargeting).
• Pilot measurement frameworks linking OOH exposure to store visits, sales lift, and online conversions.
• Build case studies to demonstrate the commercial impact of integrated outdoor campaigns.
• Collaborate with Epsilon and Data teams to connect OOH exposure with identity-based audiences and retargeting opportunities

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing or Media Management.
• 10+ years’ experience in Out-of-Home media, including planning, buying, and strategic account leadership.
• Proven network and influence within South Africa’s OOH ecosystem, from large to small vendors
• Strong understanding of OOH site economics, municipality regulations, concession models, and rate structures.
• Experience in negotiating national and regional deals and managing multi-stakeholder relationships.
• Familiarity with all OOH data, mapping, and verification tools (OMC Road 2.0 & IDS Software, Outdoor Auditors, SEEDOH, All Unite, Luxon, Lightstone etc.).
• Excellent understanding of brand communication planning and the role of OOH in the consumer journey.
• Skilled communicator capable of engaging CMOs and client teams at a strategic level.
• Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional or centralized teams.
• Added experience within the Pan-African OOH ecosystem would be ideal

Additional information

Success Metrics

• Increased share of spend and profitability in OOH across the Groupe.
• Strong internal OOH team structure with fit for purpose and value adding team members
• Establishment of strategic site and value partnerships with top OOH vendors.
• Ensuring all OOH is delivered with strategic thinking & approaches linking OOH to media and brand objectives.
• Growth in data-driven OOH planning and DOOH/PDOOH adoption.
• Improvement in campaign delivery accuracy and verification and reporting.
• Elevate OOH reporting to link to performance and campaign objectives
• Recognition through case studies, client testimonials, and industry awards.

go to method of application »

Overview

• We are looking for a Reporting & Insights Specialist to lead complex reporting and PCA data packs across our connected media portfolio. You will produce campaign reports, maintain dashboards, validate data sources and turn performance data into commentary that shapes the next campaign.

Responsibilities

• Gather campaign performance data from agreed sources.
• Maintain dashboards and report templates.
• Validate data consistency with Ad Ops and platform reports.
• Track KPI delivery against the measurement framework.
• Highlight variances, trends and optimisation opportunities.
• Lead the development of PCA data packs and Start/Stop/Continue outputs.
• Escalate unreliable or incomplete data, and hold reporting outputs where data is incomplete.

What you'll own:

• Weekly and monthly reports – tracking campaign delivery and KPI performance.
• Dashboard updates – maintaining the agreed reporting dashboard.
• Data validation checks – confirming data sources and figures are reliable.
• Performance variance notes – flagging over- or under-performance.
• PCA data packs – providing the evidence base for the PCA.

Qualifications

• 5–7 years in campaign reporting, analytics or insight development, including complex multi-channel accounts.
• Data accuracy – gather and validate data carefully.
• Reporting discipline – update reports consistently and on time.
• Analytical thinking – identify trends and variances.
• Tool capability – comfort with reporting tools, spreadsheets and dashboards.
• Communication – explain results clearly.
• Collaboration – work effectively with Ad Ops, specialists and planners.

go to method of application »

Role purpose

• Owns the translation of strategy into a connected media ecosystem. Takes the growth strategy and audience direction from the Strategist and turns it into a PESO journey, channel role architecture, audience activation logic, phasing, budget principles and specialist briefing pack.

Scope of role

• Audience activation logic
• PESO ecosystem planning
• Channel role definition
• Journey and moment mapping
• Budget allocation rationale
• Specialist briefing
• Integration of vertical channel plans
• Plan-level measurement questions
• Plan-level implications of under-delivery or variance

Responsibilities

Core accountabilities

• Translate growth strategy into a connected media journey.
• Define how the growth audience can be reached, influenced and moved across paid, earned, shared, owned and commerce touchpoints.
• Build the media ecosystem architecture.
• Define the role of each channel before specialists create detailed plans.
• Create the Specialist Briefing Pack for channel specialists.
• Integrate vertical channel plans into one coherent media plan.
• Ensure the plan ladders back to the JTBD and strategic growth objective.
• Define plan-level measurement questions with the Measurement Lead.
• Own the plan-level implication if a channel under-delivers or materially over/under-performs.

Mandatory artifacts owned

• Audience Activation Blueprint: Converts growth audience into media, platform, context and signal logic.
• PESO Ecosystem Plan: Defines how Paid, Earned, Shared, Owned and Commerce work together.
• Channel Role Framework: Defines the job of each channel before detailed planning starts.
• Journey / Moment Map: Defines consumer moments, occasions, touchpoints and sequencing.
• Budget Allocation Logic: Explains why budget is allocated across channels.
• Specialist Briefing Pack: Gives channel specialists audience, KPI, role, budget, timing and output requirements.
• Integrated Media Plan: Combines specialist outputs into a single coherent plan.
• Plan-Level Variance Note: Explains total-plan implications of delivery or KPI variance.

Key handshakes

• Channel Specialists: receives strategy from the Growth Media Strategist and hands over the Specialist Briefing Pack.
• Measurement Lead: receives strategy and plan inputs and hands over plan-level KPI questions.
• Buying Ops: receives the client-approved integrated plan and hands over a booking-ready plan.
• Client Lead / Strategist: receives outputs from Channel Specialists and hands over the integrated media plan.
• PCA team: receives input from the Measurement Lead and hands over plan-level learnings and future implications.

Decision rights

• PESO ecosystem architecture.
• Audience activation logic.
• Channel role definition.
• Budget allocation rationale.
• Specialist briefing quality.
• Integration of channel plans.
• Plan-level implication of delivery variance.

What this role is not

• Building every detailed vertical channel plan personally.
• Acting as TV planner, OOH planner, search specialist, social specialist and programmatic specialist all at once.
• Loading plans into billing systems.
• Supplier invoice reconciliation.
• Vendor onboarding.
• Tagging and trafficking campaigns.
• Producing raw dashboards.

Qualifications

Required competencies

• Communications planning: Translate strategy into ecosystem architecture.
• Audience activation: Convert growth audiences into channel and platform logic.
• Channel understanding: Strong understanding of ATL, digital, social, commerce and performance channels.
• Integration: Stitch specialist outputs into one plan.
• Briefing discipline: Write clear specialist briefs.
• Budget logic: Rationalise investment allocation.
• Measurement thinking: Connect planning choices to measurable outcomes.

Experience requirements

• 3–6 years in integrated planning or communications planning.

KPIs

• Ecosystem quality: Strength of PESO plan and channel role clarity.
• Specialist handoff: Reduction in specialist rework due to unclear briefs.
• Plan integration: Quality of final integrated media plan.
• Audience activation: Evidence that audience logic translates into actionable channel plans.
• Measurement readiness: Plan has KPI and measurement logic before activation.
• Rework reduction: Fewer late-stage changes caused by planning gaps.

go to method of application »

Overview

• As a Senior Account Manager at MSL, you are on top of everything happening in your portfolio of clients – you know what needs to happen when and ensure it gets done. You identify any potential issues early on and display problem-solving skills to rectify any issues alongside your AD. You are the primary point of contact for clients and they trust you. With the help of your team (Intern/SAD), you ensure reporting is slick and accurate. You own the editorial plans for clients and are involved in strategy development with your AD/SAD. You ensure monthly billing is done effectively and work with your AD/SAD to ensure profitability for your stream.

Responsibilities

Core capabilities

• Account management: Demonstrate real-time knowledge of all client activities, ensure status documents are updated, run client status meetings, and take ownership for initiatives.
• Delegation: Demonstrate ability to effectively delegate tasks, ensuring timeous completion and quality.
• Project management skills: Take responsibility for specific projects from start-to-finish
• Selling ideas: Demonstrate advanced presentation and influencing skills.
• Strategy: Develop, alongside your AD/SAD, strategic and tactical client proposals, plans and calendars.
• Writing: Demonstrate an ability to write effective content for your full client portfolio and display proficient editing skills; effectively brief the content team when specialist help is needed.
• Media relations: Drive journalist relationship-building initiatives within the team, across your full client portfolio, display an excellent knowledge of the South African media landscape (and an interest in the broader African media landscape), develop solid media relationships, and oversee the effective running of your team’s entire media relations process.
• Pitching skills: Write and pitch excellent quality, relevant story angles to targeted media, displaying creativity and an understanding of newsworthiness.
• Research: Demonstrate strong research skills, and assimilation and presentation of information
• MSL Newsdesk: Participate in daily newsdesk/media meetings and ensure relevant news and angles are marked and shared with clients.
• Media lists: Ensure your team regularly updates media lists, informs the broader agency of media changes, compiles tailored media lists per client content piece, and ensures that master client media lists are kept updated.

Qualifications

Personal attributes

• Quality: Consistently deliver quality work to professional, MSL standards, and ensure quality output from team prior to submitting to AD/SAD for final approval.
• Detail-orientated: Execute unwavering attention to detail in all aspects, including documents, presentations, emails and all other communiques.
• Proactive upskilling: Constantly work to ensure an excellent understanding of content for all clients (even beyond your portfolio), your client’s industry, staying abreast of the broader news environment and spotting opportunities for media conversation building.
• Proactive learning: Demonstrate use of the Marcel Classes portal and other internal training sessions to upskill yourself, taking initiative and responsibility for your learning journey.
• Taking initiative: Demonstrate consistent self-starter approach as well as ability to solve problems effectively.
• Time management: Display impeccable time management skills, while ensuring team is managing time effectively.
• Media lists: Ensure your team regularly updates media lists, informs the broader agency of media changes, compiles tailored media lists per client content piece, and ensures that master client media lists are kept updated.
• Profile: Manage and build your own profile within your team and the broader agency.
• Respect: Acknowledge and respond to instructions from senior staff as soon as possible (email, instant message or spoken).

Client services

• Client relations: Demonstrate excellent client relationships and ability to manage their expectations.
• Client meetings: Drive participation in client meetings, managing meeting protocols, agendas, etc.
• Understanding: Perfect a detailed, thorough and informed understanding of your clients’ businesses and knowledge of their competitors, for effective idea generation. Demonstrate value to your clients by keeping them abreast of competitor news.
• Reviews: Overall responsibility for planning, compiling and editing of client review documents/ presentations/ reports, and participate in client review meetings with your team.

Agency operations

• Billing: Accurately review billing arrangements for clients and ensure monthly billing is done timeously.
• Budgeting: Work with your AD/SAD to ensure your stream is profitable.
• Timesheets: Demonstrate effective time recording and reporting (daily, accurate data logged on Chase, as per Groupe deadlines).
• Coverage: Ensure daily coverage tracking, regular reports and timeous client coverage updates are executed.
• Reporting: Ensure quality, timeous monthly reports are delivered, and drive new reporting ideas and processes wherever improvements can be made.
• Know the agency and the Publicis Groupe Africa (PGA): Demonstrate familiarity with both MSL and PGA's organisational structures and offerings.
• Profile: Actively look to maintain and build positive working relationships with colleagues.

Business development

• Demonstrate an ability to identify opportunities for new business and organic growth of existing business and business retention.
• Display an ability to draft excellent proposals and pitch presentation skills, in conjunction with your AD/SAD.

People development

• Assist your AD/SAD with key staffing decisions.
• Demonstrate an ability to act as a role model and mentor for junior staff, and be seen as an ambassador for the company.
• Conduct appraisals for junior staff.
• Contribute to, and participate in, personal development activities for junior staff (i.e. coaching, workshop development, etc.).

go to method of application »

Overview

• The Strategist is a strategic practitioner responsible for developing effective, inspiring and actionable strategy across client briefs, proactive opportunities and new-business projects. 
• The role uses research, consumer understanding, culture, data and structured thinking to translate business objectives into strong strategic direction and compelling creative briefs. 
• The Strategist works closely with senior strategy leadership, clients, creatives, media and partner agencies to ensure ideas are grounded in insight, connected across channels and aligned to clear objectives. 
• A critical part of the role is to be a proactive thinker and collaborator — not simply an order taker — who can manage multiple workstreams, add value at every stage and grow toward greater strategic leadership. 

Responsibilities

STRATEGIC THINKING & DIRECTION 

• Develop fit-for-purpose strategic solutions to client briefs, including challenging the perceived deliverable where the problem requires a different answer. 
• Translate business objectives, audience understanding and research into clear strategic direction. 
• Use appropriate frameworks, tools and structured thinking to solve marketing and broader business problems. 
• Support development of integrated strategies across brand, communications, digital, content and customer experience. 
• Bring a provocative, curious point of view and add value beyond simply executing instructions. 

CLIENT & BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP 

• Work with clients to understand their aims, objectives, business context and brand challenges. 
• Build confidence through strong preparation, accurate thinking and clear presentation. 
• Participate in client briefings, workshops and strategic working sessions. 
• Present ideas, findings and strategic recommendations clearly and confidently. 
• Develop a practical understanding of each client's business and category so recommendations are relevant and commercially grounded. 

CONSUMER, CULTURE & MARKET INTELLIGENCE 

• Analyse existing data, market reports, trends and research to identify meaningful consumer and cultural insight. 
• Develop, manage and analyse research projects where required. 
• Understand primary and secondary research and appropriate methods such as surveys, focus groups and desk research. 
• Interpret cultural and social trends relevant to client business. 
• Understand how macro and micro-economic factors influence consumer attitudes and behaviour. 

DATA, AI & FUTURE-FIT STRATEGY 

• Use AI responsibly to support research, synthesis, knowledge retrieval, scenario exploration and strategic development. 
• Develop confidence working with digital data, performance metrics and web-based research tools. 
• Use data as an input to thinking, moving beyond description toward strategic implication. 
• Build working knowledge of digital transformation, customer journeys, personalisation and emerging technology. 
• Apply human judgement to AI-assisted work and check sources, assumptions and outputs critically. 

INTEGRATED STRATEGY & COLLABORATION 

• Work collaboratively with Creative, Media, Client Leadership, Data, Technology and other agency disciplines. 
• Liaise with strategic counterparts at partner agencies to maintain alignment to the overarching strategy. 
• Help ensure discipline-specific work remains connected to the approved strategic direction. 
• Contribute to integrated planning across multiple channels, including digital. 
• Collaborate without ego while also being able to work effectively independently. 

BRIEFING & UPSTREAM PLANNING 

• Challenge and craft briefs to ensure the right information is available and clarified upfront. 
• Translate strategy into concise, inspiring creative briefs that provide a strong springboard for creative thinking. 
• Support senior strategists in defining the business problem, audience, desired behaviour, proposition and measures of success. 
• Attend internal briefing and review sessions and provide strategic guidance where appropriate. 
• Connect individual briefs to broader client priorities and campaign context. 

CREATIVE & EFFECTIVENESS PARTNERSHIP 

• Work with creative teams to develop ideas that are aligned to the strategy and audience insight. 
• Review creative output prior to client review and flag where work has moved away from the strategic direction. 
• Provide rational strategic feedback while understanding what is essential to protect and where there is room to adapt. 
• Ensure SMART objectives and measurements are considered in strategic recommendations. 
• Monitor campaigns, analyse results and suggest changes or improvements where necessary. 

GROWTH, INNOVATION & NEW BUSINESS 

• Contribute to proactive ideas and new-business pitches. 
• Support research, strategic framing and presentation development for growth opportunities. 
• Use resourcefulness and structured thinking to tackle unusual or non-traditional briefs. 
• Share trends, category developments and strategic opportunities with the wider team. 
• Look for ways strategic thinking can unlock additional value for clients. 

TALENT & PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT 

• Take ownership of your development and actively seek feedback from senior strategy leadership. 
• Build your ability to simplify complexity, identify insight, craft compelling presentations and influence audiences. 
• Share learning, useful references and new strategic approaches with the wider team. 
• Demonstrate initiative, curiosity, accountability and a willingness to push your own ambition. 
• Support a collaborative strategy culture where ideas and perspectives are openly shared. 

STRATEGIC TRANSFORMATION & FUTURE WAYS OF WORKING 

• Be open to new ways of researching, briefing, collaborating and developing strategy. 
• Use future-fit tools and platforms that improve knowledge access, quality, collaboration and speed. 
• Contribute ideas that improve strategic processes and remove unnecessary friction. 
• Develop practical fluency in AI, digital platforms and emerging strategic methods. 
• Support a culture that manages change by actively initiating improvement. 

OPERATIONAL PARTNERSHIP 

• Manage multiple workstreams in an organised and reliable way. 
• Plan workload proactively, meet deadlines and raise risks early. 
• Use agency resources responsibly and make effective use of available tools and support. 
• Participate in agreed project-management, briefing and review processes. 
• Maintain attention to detail, accuracy and strong follow-through. 

PERFORMANCE, EFFECTIVENESS & ACCOUNTABILITY 

• Take personal responsibility for the quality and accuracy of assigned strategic work. 
• Show initiative, proactivity and achievement orientation. 
• Communicate effectively and build strong working relationships across clients and teams. 
• Remain open to constructive feedback and use it to improve the work. 
• Ensure strategic output contributes to stronger creative work and more effective client outcomes. 

MEASURES OF SUCCESS 

• Clear, well-researched and fit-for-purpose strategic recommendations. 
• Briefs that clarify the problem and provide an inspiring creative springboard. 
• Consistent ability to manage at least three workstreams with strong organisation and follow-through. 
• Strong collaboration with clients, creatives, media and partner agencies. 
• Evidence that strategy remains accurately reflected in creative work. 
• Improving confidence in client presentation and strategic storytelling. 
• Appropriate use of objectives, measurement, data and campaign learning. 
• Visible initiative, curiosity, self-management and contribution to the wider strategy team. 

CRITICAL CAPABILITIES 

• Strategic thinking and problem-solving. 
• Consumer, cultural and market research. 
• Research synthesis and insight generation. 
• Creative briefing and strategic storytelling. 
• Integrated communications and digital planning. 
• Effectiveness and measurement understanding. 
• Data and AI literacy. 
• Client communication and presentation. 
• Cross-discipline collaboration. 
• Project and workload management. 
• Commercial awareness. 
• Curiosity, initiative and self-management. 

Qualifications

• University degree or relevant tertiary qualification with strong academic achievement. 
• Experience working in advertising, marketing, media or communications across multiple channels including digital. 
• Strong research and analytical capability with the ability to synthesise different inputs into a clear point of view. 
• Working understanding of the commercial context of communications and the need to measure and track effectiveness. 
• Strong client-facing communication and presentation skills. 
• Strong project-management and organisational capability. 
• Advanced working knowledge of Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook and web-based applications; Keynote or equivalent presentation tools advantageous. 
• Strong written and verbal English communication skills. 
• Experience with new-business pitches, industry awards or major brands is advantageous. 

go to method of application »

Overview

• Owns the client relationship, business context, commercial priorities, scope, revenue protection and senior stakeholder alignment. Ensures every media assignment starts with a clear business problem, growth ambition, JTBD and success definition — so the agency responds to the client’s business challenge, not only a media brief.

Scope of the Role

• Client business understanding 
• Stakeholder management 
• Business brief quality
• Scope and fee protection
• Commercial risk escalation
• Internal team alignment 
• Client facing narrative
• Returning learnings into the next brief

Responsibilities

• Own the client relationship and senior client confidence.
• Understand the client’s business, category, competitors and growth ambition.
• Translate client needs into a clear business brief and JTBD.
• Ensure all assignments have success criteria before strategy and planning begin.
• Confirm budget, timelines, stakeholders, approvals and commercial constraints.
• Align internal teams around the same brief.
• Protect agency scope, fees and revenue.
• Escalate client-facing delivery, billing or commercial risks.
• Ensure PCA learnings influence future briefs.
• Seniority Level
• Client Lead /Group BD
• Owns senior client partnership, growth agenda and portfolio commercial value.

Qualifications

Experience Requirements

• 7–10 years with strong client leadership and integrated campaign exposure.

Additional information

Mandatory Artifects owned

Business Brief

• Defines the business problem, objective, market context and required response.

JTBD Definition

• Defines the job media must do for the brand or business.

Success Definition

• Confirms business, brand, media and commercial KPIs.

Stakeholder Alignment Note

• Confirms decision-makers, approvers and timelines.

Scope & Fee Check

• Confirms whether work is covered by scope or needs additional fee.

Client Escalation Note

• Used when material delivery, billing or commercial risks need client discussion.

Next Brief Input

• Ensures PCA learnings feed the next campaign brief.

Key Handshakes

• Growth Media Strategist - Client / BUD / MD - Business Brief + JTBD

Decision Rights 

• Is the brief complete enough to begin strategy
• In scope or additional fee
• Whether client escalation is required
• Whether the response answers the business problem
• Whether PCA needs formal client discussion

What this role is NOT accountable for

• Building the media strategy.
• Building detailed TV, OOH, social, search or programmatic plans.
• Loading plans into systems.
• Chasing supplier invoices or reconciling bills.
• Trafficking digital campaigns.
• Producing weekly reports.

AI competency expectation

• Tier 2 · Adoptive

Uses AI for brief synthesis, meeting prep and first-draft commercial narrative — but owns every judgement call on scope, escalation and client risk. AI is never the reason a brief was wrong.

Required competencies
 

• Client leadership - Manage senior client relationships.
• Business understanding - Grasp commercial, category and brand challenges.
• Briefing discipline - Convert client needs into clear briefs.
• Commercial awareness - Manage scope, fee, risk and revenue.
• Stakeholder management - Align client, agency and partner teams.
• Communication - Present clearly and influence decision-makers.
• Escalation management -Handle sensitive delivery or billing issues.

How performance is measured

• Brief quality- Percentage of briefs accepted without major rework.
• Client satisfaction - Relationship health and senior stakeholder confidence.
• Scope control-Reduction in unscoped work and fee leakage.
• Revenue protection-Retention, growth and commercial risk management.
• Approval discipline-On-time client approvals.
• PCA adoption-Evidence learnings are used in future briefs.