Job Information
Publicis Groupe Strategy & Planning Director in Melbourne, Australia
Company description
At Zenith, we are a connected team with purpose. We are driven to create new perspectives through modern media. We believe marketing is a powerful investment that can build and grow brands and increase business profitability. So we unlock opportunities for growth by placing consumer behavior, attitudes, and insights at the heart of everything we do. We pride ourselves on delivering return on investment, imagination, and insight.
Central to this vision is the knowledge that we are only as good as our people. To grow our clients' business, we need to attract, retain, develop, and grow the brightest talent in the industry. We know it is not the sum of one but the sum of all of us that make us great. Our behaviors are: Be Bold, Be Kind, Be Better Together.
We’re determined to eradicate any barriers that prevent our people from achieving their fullest potential.
We offer progressive flexible working options to everyone at all levels — it’s not a policy. It’s behavior-led and reinforced through our values.
Mental health & wellbeing is something we consider a priority — it's championed by our own people internally and is a regular conversation.
We have a lot of fun — we’re constantly looking at reinventing how we’re connecting with each other.
Overview
As Strategy & Planning Director, you’ll act as the strategic conscience of a high‑profile financial services and FMCG client portfolio - shaping strategic direction and helping some of Australia’s most recognisable brands drive meaningful, marketing‑led growth.
You’ll set clear points of view grounded in deep consumer understanding, cultural intelligence and data. You’ll provide direction on planning, as you inspire and challenge - ensuring strategy is bold, commercially grounded and consistently elevating the work.
You’ll partner closely with senior clients, media, creative and internal teams to turn complex insights into provocative, actionable communications strategies. Whether navigating long, nuanced decision journeys in financial services or reinvigorating iconic FMCG brands for new generations, you’ll bring clarity to complexity and confidence to decision‑making.
Beyond clients, this role has real impact on the agency. You’ll help raise the bar for strategic craft at Zenith - influencing teams, championing ideas‑led thinking, contributing to thought leadership, and building the agency’s strategic profile and credentials locally and globally as part of Publicis Groupe.
What you will do with us:
Set the overall strategic vision and direction for your client portfolio, aligned to Zenith’s ROI+ approach
Lead and inspire responses to major briefs, campaigns and long‑term brand strategies
Translate consumer, cultural and category insights into clear, compelling strategic direction
Build trusted senior‑level relationships with clients and agency partners
Influence cross‑functional teams across media, creative, data and experience
Champion excellence in strategic thinking, idea generation and execution
Bring fresh stimulus, innovation and perspective to complex business challenges
Contribute to agency growth through leadership and capability‑building
Act as a passionate advocate for your clients’ businesses and ambitions
What You’ll Bring:
6+ years’ experience in strategy and/or planning role, ideally within a media agency or in a marketing related industry (e.g. in house marketing team, advertising ,or a related industry with transferable skills (e.g. research, analytics)
A proven ability to set and sell a clear strategic point of view that influences senior stakeholders and clients, and drives business decisions
Deep curiosity about people, culture and behaviour - and a track record of turning consumer, cultural and category insight into compelling communications strategies
Confidence working across financial services and/or FMCG environments, navigating both long consideration journeys and fast‑moving brand ecosystems
Strong experience working with insight, CX and research tools (e.g. CX frameworks, Roy Morgan, audience data, social intelligence platforms) - and knowing when insight matters more than volume
The ability to connect data, creativity and commercial outcomes, ensuring strategy is inspiring and accountable
Experience leading strategy and planning craft across integrated teams - influencing media, creative, data and experience partners, often influencing without authority
A leadership style that balances warmth and conviction - collaborative, opinionated, curious and decisive
A commitment to raising the bar for strategic craft through clear thinking, strong storytelling and excellence in execution
The confidence to challenge clients and teams constructively - and the credibility to bring them with you
An interest in thought leadership, capability‑building and contributing to the wider success of the agency, beyond your client portfolio
What you’re looking for:
A supportive and collaborative culture.
Clients who are encourage innovative thinking and are open to be challenged.
An opportunity to deepen your digital channel expertise and grow into an omnichannel activation and planning expert.
Ambition to fulfil your career goals in a business large enough to accommodate them.
#LI-LJ1
Additional information
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 .
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 recruitmentpublicisgroupe.com ; your personal information will be kept confidential.