Senior Director of Field Planning & Activation

Senior Director of Field Planning & Activation

Salary: £85,000 – £90,000 per annum, plus £6,000 car allowance and 15% annual bonus opportunity.

Location:

Stoke on Trent (ST4 2HX
).

Contract:

Full‑time, Permanent, 37.5 hours per week.
Working pattern:
Hybrid – 3 days per week from Stoke office, 2 days from home.

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 & 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.

We are passionate about growth, innovation, and delivering excellence for our clients. This unique opportunity lets you 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 are a strategic leader who thrives on driving impact and connecting people, priorities, and performance, we would love to hear from you.

Please note the role will close once the right candidate is found. Apply now.