President, Analytics

Company description

Publicis Media harnesses the power of modern media through global agency brands CJ, Performics, Publicis Collective, Publicis Health Media, Spark Foundry, Starcom and Zenith. A key business solution of Publicis Groupe (Euronext Paris FR, CAC 40), Publicis Media’s digital-first, data-driven global practices deliver client value and drive growth in a platform-powered world. It is present in more than sixty countries with over 23,000 employees worldwide.

Overview

The President, Data Science will lead Publicis Media’s audience-first data science vision and strategy, driving innovation in advanced analytics, machine learning, and AI-powered solutions. This role will oversee the development of scalable data products and predictive models that enhance media planning, audience targeting, and campaign optimization. The role requires a forward-thinking leader who can bridge business objectives with technical expertise, fostering a culture of experimentation and continuous optimization.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership:
- Define and execute Spark Foundry’s data science roadmap aligned with agency and client growth objectives.
- Champion the integration of AI/ML into media planning, measurement, and optimization processes.

• Innovation & Product Development:
- Lead the creation of proprietary data science tools and platforms to deliver automation, business impact, and competitive advantage.
- Identify emerging technologies and trends to keep Spark Foundry at the forefront of data-driven marketing.

• Client Solutions & Consulting:
- Partner with senior client stakeholders to translate complex data insights into actionable strategies.
- Develop advanced analytics solutions for attribution, forecasting, and ROI measurement.

• Team Leadership & Development:
- Build and mentor an innovative data science team, fostering collaboration across analytics, engineering, and data strategy.
- Promote diversity of thought and continuous learning within the organization.

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Collaboration:

- Work closely with Publicis Groupe data and technology leadership to ensure alignment and scalability.
- Collaborate with Strategy, Planning, Investment, and Analytics teams to embed data science into every stage of the agency process.

Qualifications

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Education:

Advanced degree in Data Science, Statistics, Computer Science, or related field.

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Experience:

- 15+ years in data science leadership roles, preferably within media, advertising, or technology sectors.
- Proven record of building and scaling data science capabilities in a matrixed organization.
- Experience using predictive analytics on large consumer-level data assets (e.g., Epsilon, Merkle, Acxiom) and marketer first‑party data to drive marketing outcomes.

• Technical Expertise:
- Advanced knowledge of machine learning, AI, predictive modeling, and big data technologies.
- Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) and modern data engineering practices.
- Firsthand experience working with advanced statistical modeling and other forms of quantitative analysis, as well as knowledge of database structure and functionality.
- Hands‑on experience with data manipulation and statistical/analytical software packages (e.g., R, MATLAB, S‑Plus, Stata, SAS, SPSS, SQL), coding/programming languages (e.g., SQL, Python, JAVA, C++), data clean room platforms (e.g., Live Ramp Safe Haven, Epsilon People Cloud, Amazon Marketing Cloud).

• Leadership

Skills:

- Exceptional ability to influence senior stakeholders and communicate complex concepts clearly.
- Strong business acumen with a passion for innovation and measurable impact.

Metrics of Success

• Data Science Adoption:
- Percentage of media planning and optimization processes leveraging AI/ML models.

• Innovation Impact:
- Number of proprietary data science tools launched and adopted by client teams.

• Client Value Creation:
- Improvement in campaign ROI and attribution accuracy driven by data science solutions.

• Revenue Contribution:
- Incremental revenue generated from data science‑driven products and services.

• Operational Efficiency:
- Reduction in time‑to‑insight and automation of manual analytics processes.

• Talent Development:
- Retention rate…