Business Development Specialist

About Us: 

With a history that dates back over 80 years, Starcom is a global communications planning and media leader. We are an agency still grounded in our founding principle that people are at center of all we do. Each day, we apply this belief to harness the transformative power of data and technology to inspire and move people and business forward. With more than 7,000 employees in over 100 offices around the world, Starcom partners with the world's leading marketers and brands. 

Within Canada, Starcom is a part of Publicis Media within Publicis Groupe, one of the world’s leading communications groups. Our team spans across our Windsor, Toronto and Montreal offices. We truly love the world of Media and Advertising. We see the planning and buying process as art. However, it is an art that is always best when backed by the science of empirical data. 

You will be joining a well recognised agency with credentials: 

• • Great Places to Work certified three years in a row  
  • Only communications company to be ranked in LinkedIn’s Top 25 Great Places to Work  
  • 2022 Media Agency of the Year 
  • 2023 Media Agency of the Year finalist 
  • 2025 Media Agency of the Year
•  

What we Offer: 

• Work Your World program enabling you to experience working from anywhere in Canada or overseas for up to 6 weeks a year  

• Extended long weekends throughout the year with an additional day off each long weekend 

• Wellness & Tech benefits to support what’s most important to you  

• Birthday leave 

• Extensive Learning & Development opportunities, including more than 15,000 learning programs via our online learning platform as well as a Professional Development Allowance 

• Local and Global Mobility within the Publicis Groupe network 

The team supports local market pitches in the areas of pitch logistics, production, operations, and output management.

The Specialist will help and assist with new business pitches and general business development operations. The ideal candidate will be a well-organized multitasker with a passion for assisting others and contributing to the team’s success. Superior organization and project management skills are essential, with the ability to keep an eye on the big picture. We are looking for someone who is highly motivated and who loves to make workflows/process simpler and more effective.  This role will be a key part of the Canadian Business Development team supporting, creating, and delivering great work that will have a direct impact on the growth of Publicis Media Canada.

• Assist in the qualification of pitch opportunities by completing company due diligence templates and conflict mapping.
• Support in the completion of Request for Information (RFI) documents and support on RFP responses – working with the core local market pitch team.
• Conduct quarterly internal pulls on COMvergence for pitch predictor and key clients of interest.
• Project management – support the end-to-end management of pitch processes including: pitch folder setup, TEAMS channels, aligning on ways of working, supporting on timing/project plans, diarizing key meetings, supporting work streams, and overall pitch logistics.
• Source biographies/organization charts/profile analysis’ for key meetings and pitches and keep updated on a quarterly basis.
• Support the upkeep of our reporting tool Salesforce – updating records for new business opportunities including status updates, client rosters, and commercial information making sure the Specialist approves before official submission is completed
• Support with organization and set up of pitch theatre and agency events where business development support is required.
• Support our pitch experiences team – setting up meeting rooms, organizing IT support, tech set-up, catering, print-outs, etc.
• Work closely with the design team and pitch leads to develop pitch collateral and support in the distribution across markets.
• Support team in creating business development playbooks and best practices documents.
• Support Ad-Hoc requests when required.

• 2 years of agency, project management, or event planning experience preferred but not required.
• High School Diploma required and degree in Business, Operations, Management, Events or related field is an asset.
• Good organization and analytical skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office suite, including MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, MS Planner, MS Copilot. Experience of InDesign and Photoshop would be an advantage but not required.
• An experienced user of Teams video conferencing.
• Hybrid role based in Toronto but may require travel to other parts of the country.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Eagerness to learn and to take on new challenges.
• Ability to proactively solve problems and work through barriers.
• Very disciplined approach to project management and ability to think ‘three steps ahead’.
• Highly personable and easily builds relationships.
• Very organized, can prioritize tasks and can work to set deadlines and ensure deadlines are met.
• Confidence to recommend improvements to processes and ways of working.
• Excited by the idea of working with and learning from people all over Publicis Groupe Canada.
• Stays calm under pressure.
• Ability to work in fast-paced environment with multiple priorities while maintaining strong focus on execution and results.
• Openness to working flexible hours when necessary; Flexible in approach to tasks and ways of working.
• Familiarity with / or ability to quickly learn and train others on key project management tools such as Monday, Copilot, Wrike etc.
• Confident and comfortable working with stakeholders of varying levels within the Publicis Groupe across agencies and disciplines.

We’re committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. Accommodations are available throughout the hiring process upon request.

Salary 

Transparency matters to us. The salary range for this position is $45k - $55k per year. Actual compensation within this range will be based on a variety of factors, including relevant experience, knowledge, skills, and applicable certifications. This range reflects what we reasonably expect to offer based on current market data.  

AI Use

We use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of our hiring process, such as reviewing applications or analyzing resumes. These tools assist our recruitment team but never replace human decision-making. We believe in a human-first approach, where your experience and potential are recognized by people.

Starcom is an equal opportunity employer with a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion. We create and nurture a vibrant work environment that celebrates, values and leverages all aspects of diversity and inclusiveness, attracts world-class talent and serves as the industry benchmark for best practices. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals and will provide appropriate accommodation for candidates with disabilities or accessibility needs throughout the recruitment process, upon request. Please contact our recruiter for any questions, accommodations or specific requests. We thank all candidates for their interest in Starcom however, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted