SVP, Partnerships

SVP, Partnerships

At Havas Media, we are passionate about helping our clients create Meaningful Brands by reimagining valuable experiences. Our smart thinking around enhancing consumer experiences means we deliver more measurable, meaningful moments between brands and people. We call this Mx (Meaningful Media Experiences); thinking about how we connect consumers to the right content in the right context.

Mx is core to taking us back to the craft of media. Focusing on client problems and media solutions and strategies; reducing emphasis on administration you are the guardian of working through the Mx System, which stands for Media Experience, and the subsequent delivery to clients. A desire to respond to complexity and a need to rise above the “how” of data and look at the “why” of human insight lie at the heart of Mx, a new global operating system from Havas Media Group. Built on a thorough understanding of the consumer and combining a new process with advanced tools, Mx capitalizes upon the most Meaningful Media to build more Meaningful Brands®.

We are looking for a SVP to join the Investment and Partnerships Team. In this role, you will assist in the local and national media buying. You will be responsible for developing, executing, and monitoring all media investment strategy and plans for clients, ensuring the work is to specification and correct as well as overseeing any applicable teamwork, resource/allocation, growth and development.

ABOUT YOU

You are a self-motivated entrepreneur who wants to make your mark on an agency that is growing and expanding. You thrive in a fast-paced collaborative environment. You have a passion for the media investment discipline and drive to elevate the craft. At the core, you maintain and develop long term partnerships with those around you, both internal and external.

JOB SUMMARY

The SVP, Investments and Partnerships is a key member of a team of experts responsible for delivering smart, innovative and effective go to market approaches and executions to drive performance for clients as well fostering strategic partnerships with vendor partners to better unlock value for our clients and agency. They take the lead in identifying and selecting media partners that achieve identified strategic and tactical objectives as laid out by the Connections Planning and Strategy teams. They are the primary owners of the media vendor relationships and are responsible for all negotiation and value creation with these vendors and for ensuring each plan is executed with excellence. They supply aggregated quantitative and qualitative information for group level reporting for rate and program negotiations. The team is expected to stay at the cutting edge of innovation within the industry and educate the larger brand/client teams on relevant opportunities, including adoption of content & Vivendi partnership opportunities.

This role reports to the Managing Partner of Havas Media Canada.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Media Buying, Content, and Execution

• Accountable for team delivering consumer-centric, fully integrated plans that are on brief and meet all client objectives in partnership with Strategy, MX Dev, and Digital Performance teams.
• Create and own investment negotiation strategy and ensure team negotiations are compliant.
• Build content capabilities within the agency that are seamlessly integrated into our MX process rather than being an upsell.
• Provide thought leadership in alternative buying models, the future of content marketing, and integrated projects.
• Accountable for ensuring junior team’s campaign execution with excellence from launch to post-buy.
• Lead dynamic benchmarking for vendor and tactic-specific performance and rates for optimized planning and negotiation.
• Lead investment and activation across appropriate media channels as needed, including direct account and client service responsibilities.
• Develop go-to-market strategy, recommendations, and POVs.
• Oversee investment plan development and implementation, incorporating necessary and appropriate rationale and research for client buy-in.
• Negotiate and implement added value inventory, research partnerships, and custom sponsorship elements.
• Oversee and take accountability for budgets and savings.

Media Vendor Partnerships & Industry Education

• Maintain and grow key marketplace relationships, including senior-level media owner and tech platform contacts.
• Negotiate and develop strategic client and agency level partnerships to unlock added value
• Oversee creation of agency and client-centric POVs when necessary.
• Drive and share updates on key industry trends across the team and agency with clear implications for clients.
• Partner with teams to create case studies and share best practice execution.
• Own partnership development and issue resolution between both parties.
• Provide counsel on marketplace trends and investment expertise for clients and client teams.
• Maintain, develop, and grow relationships with appropriate client-level contacts.

Managerial/Agency Support

• Act as an engaged leader supporting and driving growth for agency and team
• Lead by example while developing, motivating, and coaching the full Investment & Partnership teams.
• Convey the vision and values of the agency to assigned staff.
• Foster an environment of learning for junior staff.
• Participate in the recruitment and growth of junior staff and ensure all direct reports master the skills and organizational savvy required for advancement.
• Create an environment of trust and accountability by providing clear tasks and objectives when delegating tasks to the team.
• Manage team workload and help drive prioritization when necessary.
• Ensure the team delivers on time and accurate work product.
• Participate in new business efforts and advise on potential new business opportunities.
• Own client relationships as they relate to media investment and take ultimate accountability for the team's day-to-day responsibilities.
• Manage and lead global investments reporting requirements and cross team relationships for North American and Global

Qualifications

• 7-10 years of experience in media buying across multiple client and business categories.
• Strong quantitative skills with the ability to analyze data and inform go-to-market strategies.
• Solid marketplace relationships with senior salespeople at major media companies.
• Creative approach to deal terms, including pricing models and value based on client objectives.
• Proven track record in client relations and business growth.
• Comprehensive understanding of the marketing/communications process and investment's role.
• Strong digital background and comfort presenting to clients and internal teams.
• Demonstrates business acumen in digital and offline media, including site direct and specialty fields.
• Proficient in syndicated tools for planning, buying, reporting, insights, and optimization of digital media.
• Strong business sense, negotiating skills, and industry connections.
• Experience in leadership and collaboration with an eye for detail and budget management.
• Self-starter with strong problem-solving skills.
• Exceptional interpersonal, organizational, communication, and decision-making skills.