Senior Director of Field Planning & Activation

Office Location

Stoke on Trent (ST4 2HX
)

Hybrid – 3 days per week in the Stoke office, 2 days from home.

Full‑time, Permanent – 37.5 hours per week

£85,000 – £90,000 per annum (depending on experience) plus £6,000 annual car allowance and a 15% annual bonus opportunity.

Acosta Europe is searching for an exceptional Senior Director of Field Planning & Activation – a strategic, influential leader who will shape the future of field execution across the region.

In this high‑impact role, you will design and deliver best‑in‑class field strategies, ensuring flawless activation for our clients while driving operational excellence, innovation, and measurable performance improvement.

• Lead field strategy and planning, including workforce strategy, activation design, and quarterly planning cycles.
• Drive adoption of AI‑augmented execution solutions and benchmarking.
• Ensure activation excellence across campaigns, promotions, and merchandising.
• Use insights and analytics to optimise resources and inform decision‑making.
• Lead, inspire, and develop planning and activation teams.
• Partner cross‑functionally with Sales, Marketing, Operations, Finance, and clients.
• Support new business pitches with activation strategies and resource models.

• Strategic thinker with exceptional operational planning expertise.
• Strong communicator and influential leader.
• Highly organised, detail‑oriented, and results‑driven.
• Proven experience in field planning, activation, or retail operations.
• Strong data, planning, budgeting, and optimisation capability.
• Excellent stakeholder management at executive level.
• Experience with organisational transformation and change.
• Strong commercial acumen and client relationship experience.
• Understanding of European FMCG and retail environments.

At Acosta Europe, you will be part of a team passionate about growth, innovation, and delivering excellence for our clients. This is a unique opportunity to influence at the highest level, accelerate your career, and shape the direction of a business with big ambitions.

We believe diversity and inclusion are the foundation of innovation and success. We welcome people from all backgrounds and experiences, creating a culture where everyone feels valued and empowered to thrive. If you’re looking for a role where you can make a visible impact and build the future in FMCG sales, this is your moment.

We will close the role once the right candidate is found.