Head of Planning & Delivery

Company Description

Publicis Groupe is a global leader in communication.

The Groupe is positioned at every step of the value chain, from consulting to execution, combining marketing transformation and digital business transformation.

This role offers a unique opportunity for a digital media star to actively drive performance for Media in South Africa.

Overview

The Head of Planning and Delivery is a senior leadership role responsible for overseeing the strategic planning, execution, and delivery of client campaigns and projects within the media agency. This role ensures seamless integration between strategy, and media planning, and execution while driving operational excellence, efficiency, and client satisfaction. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in ATL and digital media planning, project management, and team leadership, with a focus on delivering high-impact results for clients.

Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Planning & Leadership

• Lead and standardize the implementation of cross-channel media plans in collaboration with strategy, trading, and account teams.
• Ensure alignment between client objectives, media strategies, and executional delivery.
• Drive innovation in planning methodologies, tools, and processes to enhance agency offerings.
• Provide strategic guidance to senior stakeholders on media trends, opportunities, and challenges.
  
  

Delivery & Operational Excellence

• Oversee end-to-end project delivery, ensuring campaigns are executed on time, within budget, and to the highest quality standards.
• Implement best practices for workflow management, resource allocation, and risk mitigation.
• Monitor campaign performance, analyzing data to optimize delivery and provide actionable insights.
• Collaborate with internal teams (Media, Trading, Data, Tech) and external partners (vendors, platforms, clients) to ensure seamless execution.
• Ensure that planners are working towards their client commitments and trading parameters.
  
  

Team Management & Development

• Lead and mentor a team of planners, project managers, and delivery specialists, fostering a culture of collaboration and accountability
• Define clear roles, responsibilities, and performance metrics for the team.
• Identify training needs and support professional growth within the team.
  
  

Client & Stakeholder Management

• Act as a key point of contact for high-priority clients, ensuring their needs are met and expectations exceeded.
• Present campaign plans, progress reports, and results to senior clients and internal leadership.
• Proactively address challenges, resolve conflicts, and ensure client satisfaction.
  
  

Process Improvement & Innovation

• Continuously assess and refine agency processes to improve efficiency, scalability, and quality.
• Stay ahead of industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices in media planning and delivery.
• Champion the adoption of new tools, automation, and data-driven decision-making.
  
  

Qualifications

Qualifications & Experience

• 8+ years of experience in media planning, project management, or operations within a media agency or related field.
• Proven track record of managing large-scale, multi-channel media campaigns (digital, TV, OOH, social, programmatic, etc.).
• Strong leadership skills with experience managing cross-functional teams.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.
• Deep understanding of media buying, ad tech, and performance metrics.
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.
• Proficiency in project management tools (e.g., Asana, Trello) and media planning platforms (e.g., Nielsen, Telmar, Comscore, Google Ads, Meta).
  
  

Preferred Skills

• Experience with Agile methodologies or other project management frameworks.
• Knowledge of data analytics and visualization tools (e.g., Google Analytics, Tableau).
• Familiarity with AI-driven planning tools and automation in media.
  
  

Additional Information

Why Join Us?

• Opportunity to lead a high-impact team in a dynamic, fast-paced media agency.
• Work with top-tier clients and innovative campaigns.
• Competitive salary, benefits, and career growth opportunities.