Manager, Audience Strategy

Company Description

About Us: 

With a history that dates back over 80 years, Starcom is a global communications planning and media leader. We are an agency still grounded in our founding principle that people are at center of all we do. Each day, we apply this belief to harness the transformative power of data and technology to inspire and move people and business forward. With more than 7,000 employees in over 100 offices around the world, Starcom partners with the world's leading marketers and brands. 

Within Canada, Starcom is a part of Publicis Media within Publicis Groupe, one of the world’s leading communications groups. Our team spans across our Windsor, Toronto and Montreal offices. We truly love the world of Media and Advertising. We see the planning and buying process as art. However, it is an art that is always best when backed by the science of empirical data. 

You will be joining a well recognised agency with credentials: 

• Great Places to Work certified three years in a row  

• Only communications company to be ranked in LinkedIn’s Top 25 Great Places to Work  

• 2022 Media Agency of the Year 

• 2023 Media Agency of the Year finalist 

What we Offer: 

• Work Your World program enabling you to experience working from anywhere in Canada or overseas for up to 6 weeks a year  

• Extended long weekends throughout the year with an additional day off each long weekend 

• Wellness & Tech benefits to support what’s most important to you  

• Birthday leave 

• Extensive Learning & Development opportunities, including more than 15,000 learning programs via our online learning platform as well as a Professional Development Allowance 

• Local and Global Mobility within the Publicis Groupe network 

Overview

Media starts with the audience. Audience Design sits at the intersection of Strategy, Data, and Technology—driving growth through scalable, data-led solutions powered by Lotame and Epsilon Identity across Publicis Groupe.

The Audience Strategy Manager operates at the center of Planning and Activation, partnering closely with media planners, activation specialists (programmatic and social), data and analytics teams, and product/identity experts (Publicis ID, Lotame, Epsilon). They also collaborate directly with internal agency stakeholders and clients to translate business objectives into actionable audience strategies.

This role leverages data and analytics to identify growth opportunities through net-new audience segments and data-driven tactics aligned to client briefs. Responsibilities include developing and presenting best-in-class audience solutions and ensuring activation and reporting accurately reflect the audience strategy and performance narrative in partnership with activation teams.

The role requires fluency across programmatic and social execution, as well as the ability to translate briefs into strategic audience frameworks. The Audience Strategy Manager acts as a connective layer across strategy, data, and activation teams to drive consistency and impact.

The ideal candidate brings a strong foundation in media strategy, activation, or analytics, with expertise in segmentation, research methodologies, and advertising technology. They are highly analytical, collaborative, and thrive in a fast-paced, transformation-driven environment.

Responsibilities

• Support planning teams in developing and presenting data-driven audience strategies, including participation in client recommendations and presentations 

• Translate client business objectives into actionable audience strategies, identifying net-new audience opportunities and data-driven tactics to drive performance 

• Manage audience creation using audience building platforms (eg Lotame), and push to activation SSPs, DSPs, and social channels – Inclusive of seat set up and technical troubleshooting with tech and engineering teams  

• Use research and platform tools (e.g., Vividata, GWI, Lotame) to define, segment, and analyze audiences, surfacing insights to strengthen strategies 

• Lead client communication on audience solutions, clearly articulating approach, value, and performance while addressing questions and feedback 

• Partner with planning and activation teams (e.g., Precision, Apex) to ensure seamless execution, with audience strategies accurately reflected in campaign setup and performance reporting across digital and offline channels 

• Contribute to tracking and measurement discussions across DSPs, social platforms, and offline channels (OOH, TV) to ensure audience performance is clearly understood 

• Drive education and adoption of audience solutions by advancing internal and client understanding of data capabilities, segmentation, and evolving products 

• Manage knowledge sharing across teams, ensuring stakeholders are up to date on audience capabilities, tools, and innovations 

• Collaborate with global teams to support alignment on audience segmentation, data, tools, and broader ad tech narratives 

• Support innovation and testing of new audience tools and methodologies, providing feedback to improve performance and usability 

• Develop client-facing materials, including audience strategies, data presentations, and performance reports 

• Foster strong client relationships by setting clear expectations, proactively identifying opportunities, and continuously delivering incremental value 

• Maintain strong knowledge of research methodologies, segmentation techniques, and advertising technology platforms 

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from a four-year college or university  

• 3-5 years of progressive levels of responsibility in 360 media planning, media research, or buying and management with a focus in digital and platforms evolution.  

• Familiarity with data visualization using tools such as Tableau, R, and advanced knowledge of Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint  

• Strong understanding of audience tools (Vividata, GWI, Lotame)  

• Strong understanding of digital marketing, CRM, and audience segmentation  

• Strong understanding of Online Display, Video and Mobile campaigns, as well as knowledge of Ad Tech platforms  

• Familiarity / experience with third-party ad serving platforms, DSPs, CDPs, 3rd Party data, pixels and Ad Servers  

• Familiarity with customer acquisition goals and optimizing to CPA, CTR, Completion Rate, etc.  

• Understand Web analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics)  

• Understand Identity Solution tools (eg. Epsilon, Liveramp, Neustar)  

• Excellent Communication Skills - Clearly and concisely convey ideas both verbally and in writing. Actively listen to others and provide constructive feedback.  

• Team Collaboration - Work seamlessly with cross-functional teams to achieve common goals. Facilitate effective communication and coordination between team members.  

• Cross-Functional Knowledge: Understand the roles and responsibilities of different teams within the organization. Bridge gaps in understanding between technical and non-technical teams.  

• Cultural Awareness - Respect and appreciate diverse cultural backgrounds within the team. Adapt communication styles to accommodate cultural differences.  

• Problem-Solving Skills - Collaborate with teams to identify and solve challenges. Encourage a problem-solving mindset within the team.  

Additional Information

Salary

Transparency matters to us. The salary range for this position is CAD 70-75k per year. Actual compensation within this range will be based on a variety of factors, including relevant experience, knowledge, skills, and applicable certifications. This range reflects what we reasonably expect to offer based on current market data.

AI UseWe use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of our hiring process, such as reviewing applications or analyzing resumes. These tools assist our recruitment team but never replace human decision-making. We believe in a human-first approach, where your experience and potential are recognized by people.

Starcom  is an equal opportunity employer with a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion. We create and nurture a vibrant work environment that celebrates, values and leverages all aspects of diversity and inclusiveness, attracts world-class talent and serves as the industry benchmark for best practices. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals and will provide appropriate accommodation for candidates with disabilities or accessibility needs throughout the recruitment process, upon request. Please contact our recruiter for any questions, accommodations or specific requests. We thank all candidates for their interest in Starcom  however, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.