Company description

At Spark Foundry we bring HEAT to brands, Higher Engagement, Affinity and Transaction. Engagement with consumers, customers and stakeholders, affinity with brands, and transactions, that materially impact our client’s businesses. Spark is uniquely positioned to deliver HEAT because we have an aligned set of beliefs that guide how we navigate a changing media landscape, a structure that is designed for total accountability and a repeatable methodology to bake continuous improvement into everything we do.

In order to bring this vision to life, we seek alignment around key values from our talent. Diverse thinkers with diverse thinking—what we call Allsorts—are essential to tackle challenges through the lens of different disciplines and perspectives. To succeed at Spark, you must thrive on the belief that great ideas are only great if they work. It’s not enough to be recent, cool, or interesting; our solutions must drive business results. You need to embrace both the art and the evidence—right and left brain, imagination and activation, insight and technology in the pursuit of big ideas that are forensically measured. If you are motivated by these values, we welcome you to apply to become a Sparkie.

Overview

We're looking for an Activation Director to lead across a diverse portfolio and drive investment excellence across offline and non-biddable digital channels. This is an opportunity to oversee media investment across a rich and varied patch, to develop a talented team, and play a key role in delivering innovative, commercially impactful campaigns for some of Australia's most recognised brands.

This is a highly visible role that combines commercial responsibility, client partnership,



team leadership and excellence in media investment. You'll have significant autonomy to manage your client patch, build strategic relationships and identify opportunities that drive stronger business outcomes for clients.

You'll lead the delivery of robust governance, reporting and investment standards across a portfolio that includes globally audited FMCG clients. Success in the role requires confidence navigating audit requirements, performance frameworks and complex stakeholder discussions.

Leveraging deep industry relationships and market credibility, you'll unlock new opportunities with Australia's leading media partners, creating competitive advantage, driving commercial value and delivering innovative solutions that help clients exceed their objectives.

If you’re an established Activation or Investment Director looking for a new challenge (and a wonderfully supportive team), or a Senior Investment Manager / Associate Activation Director ready for a step up, in this role, you'll be empowered to make decisions, influence investment strategies and contribute to a high-performing team making exciting work

What key accountabilities does this role have?

- Lead media investment and activation activity across a portfolio of clients, ensuring campaigns deliver against business objectives, buying KPIs and audited performance measures




- Build trusted relationships with clients and stakeholders, and act as a strategic adviser on investment opportunities, market trends and performance outcomes.
- Drive commercial value through strong negotiation, trading and partnership opportunities across TV, BVOD, radio, streaming, out-of-home and digital media channels.
- Identify opportunities for innovation, efficiency and growth, introducing test-and-learn initiatives that create measurable impact for clients.
- Lead client audits, trading reviews and performance conversations, ensuring transparency, accountability and exceptional results.
- Mentor, coach and develop a team of media investment professionals, fostering a culture of collaboration, learning and continuous improvement.
- Strengthen partnerships with media owners and internal teams to deliver seamless, integrated client solutions.
- Oversee workflow, governance, forecasting and reporting processes to drive operational excellence across the team.
- Contribute to agency-wide initiatives and support the ongoing evolution of Spark Foundry's activation and investment capabilities.
- Coach and support junior team members, fostering a culture of learning, accountability and continuous improvement.

What are the key skills and requirements for this role?

- 5+ years’ experience in media investment, activation or trading within a media agency environment.
- Proven experience managing and developing high-performing teams.
- Strong experience managing complex client portfolios and senior stakeholder relationships.
- Experience working with audited clients, value-based buying models and commercial accountability frameworks.
- Deep understanding of the Australian media landscap

📌 Activation Director (Sydney)
🏢 Publicis Groupe
📍 Sydney