Global Associate Director, Royal Canin (Mars), London 

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Who are Royal Canin?

Founded in France in 1967 by a veterinarian, the Royal Canin Brand is a global leader in pet health nutrition. Unknown to many, Royal Canin belongs to Mars Inc. Mars is one of the biggest family-owned companies in the world, with more than $35 billion in annual sales. Their biggest business is pet care and Royal Canin is their biggest brand together with Pedigree. In an industry that continues to adapt to popular trends, RC has the mission to be known as the reference in health nutrition in pet care. It is a knowledge-based premium brand, that provides the most precise nutritional solution for cats’ and dogs’ health needs. The brand is a global brand that is present in more than 40 markets, reaching premium cat and dog owners as well as partnering in B2B with vets and breeders.

Reports to: Global Business Director

The role

This role is to work within a centralised European planning team across the Royal Canin brand in 16 markets. 

The team’s main role is to develop appropriate full-funnel media plans based on globally defined strategy for each of our markets and deliver that brief for deployment, supporting them in seeing that through to successful execution. This role requires experience in planning across both Brand and Performance campaigns as the team look after the full media mix for RC across Europe, with 4 of the 16 markets currently operating in the D2C space. 

We are looking for a candidate with a really strong background in digital planning across both brand and performance. Someone who has truly worked through-the-funnel and understands strategy but also has first-hand knowledge and experience working within digital platforms.

As Royal Canin is a fully digital account we need an Associate Director who can step in and lead the way by delivering stand-out integrated digital campaigns, that our Royal Canin clients have come to expect.

This is a key client-facing position that requires strong relationships and communications skills, the individual must be able to command a room and have courage in their conviction to sell in ideas to Brand Leaders across many different markets. 

The successful individual will be expected to manage a team of direct reports as well as support in the management of cross-functional teams, and work in harmony with our Global colleagues both within EssenceMediacom and Royal Canin to ensure RC’s position as a leading driver of innovation and change within the wider Mars business.

We are looking for someone with a strong digital background (Search, Social and Programmatic in particular) who has experience working within platforms such as Google Analytics and would be confident to help upskill the team. As the European planning team for RC, we are focused on both upper and lower funnel metrics, including conversion goals and need someone who can understand sales goals within GA and hold conversations with performance-oriented clients. We are also looking for someone who is comfortable using reporting dashboards such as PowerBI and Looker Studio, and ideally has a base level capability on the build side, as well as being able to interpret data.

Accountabilities include:

Client Management

• Engage in high level conversation with both Brand and Performance-focused clients, to understand their challenges and help them grow their business
• Lead calls and meetings with clients to understand their business, and discuss performance and future strategies
• Lead and support the team in upskilling them to be able to grow into future client team leaders
• Confident in training story-telling and presentation delivery
• Able to serve as principal advisor to senior clients
• Able to switch between Regional and Local client planning, and confidently deliver for and push pushing back on clients at all levels

Media Planning

• Be the digital point-person in the team to help build digital and performance expertise of Manager, Senior Planner, Planner and Exec
• Review brief and strategic guidance from the client and with the BD, Manager and Senior Planner to translate it into an implementational media plan
• Support Manager/Senior Planner to research audience, media touchpoints and source of growth opportunities, including key 1st/3rd party data 
• Interrogate historic performance data to determine or optimise the existing opportunity and key variables which might improve the effectiveness of our media plan, including interrogating MMM data
• Work collaboratively with the Global team and Local/Regional clients to roll out Global Test & Learn strategy into Local plans and effectively report back and act on learnings
• Support Manager and Senior Planner in monitoring performance of live campaigns to identify key wins/challenges
• Lead discussions with senior clients and publisher contacts
• Understand each client's business challenges through reading of company reports, trend reports and time spent with senior clients
• Fluent in the latest developments in our industry e.g. Martech, Blockchain/Automatic, GDPR etc

Execution

• Set the WOW and standard for implementation responses for the team
• Ownership of client forecasting, working with client leadership to deliver in a timely manner
• Support the team in management of executional teams and act as a point of escalation where necessary 

Reporting & Optimisation

• Strong critical thinking skills and ability to QA team’s work with the view of what will matter most to our clients
• Oversee reporting and optimisation process across the time and highlight areas of improvement or better ways of working
• Help to build the team’s ability to identify opportunities and deliver valuable reporting analysis for clients 

Team Management

• Work with Manager, Senior Planner and Planner in the team to broaden their understanding and knowledge with specific focus on Performance digital 
• Work to manage and develop direct report’s careers through regular coaching and constructive feedback 
• Hold regular career progression meetings with team members throughout the year, facilitating the setting of SMART goals and creating a clear career development plan for them
• Coach team on client communication methods - refining team output to meet a consistently high standard whilst relinquishing non-essential tasks
• Developing a personal profile of leadership within the agency through leading broader initiatives

A bit about your skills and experience:

The successful candidate will be highly ambitious, collaborative and thought provoking. They will want to embrace the culture at EssenceMediacom and likewise on RC and strive to create exciting and business changing communications plans. 
 

Summary of requirements; 

• Experienced planner with strong digital background and hands-on platform expertise 

• Experience planning across both Brand and Performance campaigns  

• Experience in client management and servicing skills 

• Experience managing complex multi-market media budgets for clients  

• It is essential that the candidate has a strong understanding of the digital landscape and can harness the opportunities for brand growth 

• Excellent communications planning skills and knowledge across all media 

• Excellent presentation skills (writing and delivery) 

• Strong communication and ability to hold a room in all situations 

• The ability to challenge clients in a structured and well thought through way 

• Experience managing global media partners 

Personal attributes 

• Strong team player, shows relevant initiative and pro-activity 

• Positive and passionate approach that motivates the team & champions team successes 

• Nurturing and compassionate approach to team development and learning; the ability to help others grow and succeed 

• Self-driven, passion for new ideas and solutions 

• Works effectively with other agency partners 

• Effective and calm under pressure 

• Ability to respect deadlines and project manage team, inter agency partners and clients against a clear plan 

• Ability to work to scope and effectively push back on clients where necessary  

• Possess the skills to solve problems promptly. If facing challenges, escalate effectively to team lead 
• Analytical capabilities – comfortable with data to provide strategic recommendations  
• Focussed on creating solutions rather than getting stuck on problems 

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