Principal Leader

In this influential role, you will shape and manage a team of dynamic young media specialists who service some of the biggest brands in the region. You will lead a high-performance and proven team with a strong support network and extensive development opportunities within GroupM India. This role offers a unique scope to demonstrate thought leadership, contribute to automation and team building, and set benchmarks for efficiency and effectiveness across the system.

Measures of Success

• In 3 months:
• You will have a complete understanding of Nexus functioning and work closely with the Account Implementation Head.
• You will become the effective bridge between the Activation, Strategy, and Buying teams.
• You will ensure quality and process optimization for key deliverables from the Activation team, including tactical strategy, brief responses, and scheduling.
• You will establish confidence in the team through your contributions and value-adds.
• You will effectively prioritize and distribute work across your cluster and handle conflict resolution with various stakeholders.
• You will provide a technical perspective wherever specific expertise is required.
• In 6 months:
• You will demonstrate thought leadership within the team and with key stakeholders.
• You will ensure the Activation team delivers on KPIs aligned with the Buying and Client's media teams.
• You will motivate and build confidence in your team to handle client requirements effectively.
• You will ensure effective Agency Relationship Management is maintained with key stakeholders.
• You will be the lead contact and trusted advisor for any Non-Biddable expertise in the system and for the client.
• You will focus on talent retention, minimizing team member fall-out.
• You will create and implement talent enhancement and leadership programs to upskill your team.
• You will master the art of optimization and workflow prioritization to manage high activity volumes.
• In 12 months:
• You will ensure Plan QC process optimization is implemented through smooth Project Management practices with the Campaign Delivery Team.
• You will establish solid relationships with the client and internal Nexus, Strategy, and Buying teams.
• You will build leadership with key star performers across teams and groups.
• You will train and build Product and planning delivery champions within your team.
• You will ensure 100% adherence to Key Account Reviews and 100% GroupM Nexus process compliance.
• You will contribute to the creation or enhancement of new GroupM Nexus tools to achieve higher efficiency.
• You will lead your team to raise the quality of deliverables to the client.

Responsibilities of the Role

As the GroupM Nexus Product and Planning Lead, your responsibilities include:

• Collaborate with all Agency partners, the Implementation Head, and other key stakeholders to ensure shared accountability and deliver value to clients.
• Proactively identify opportunities to improve campaign delivery benchmarks and advise the Activation team on these enhancements.
• Provide best-in-class knowledge of Non-Biddable media to GroupM Agency stakeholders and the Campaign Delivery Team.
• Lead the Product Planning team in meeting strategy input, planning, execution, and reporting requirements.
• Coach and mentor managers on your team.
• Review all outputs from the Activation Team before they are delivered to the client to ensure a best-in-class response.
• Establish solid relationships with the client and the internal Activation and Buying teams.
• Ensure Platform Strategy is effectively embedded in plan structures based on aligned processes.
• Ensure 100% compliance with GroupM and finance processes, policies, and procedures.
• Promote knowledge-sharing and continuous learning to nurture a high-performing team.

Skills and Experience

• 15+ years of relevant work experience, with a minimum of 10+ years of people management experience.
• Thorough knowledge of media planning at both strategic and implementation levels.
• Extensive knowledge of traditional and Non-Biddable digital media.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and time management skills.
• Proven ability to manage key stakeholders and effectively resolve conflicts.
• Demonstrated leadership skills, including the ability to remove barriers, drive teams toward clear goals, and challenge the status quo.
• A strive for excellence by setting high standards for yourself and others and focusing on continuous optimization.
• Ability to build and maintain productive collaboration across teams.
• A persuasive and effective communicator with excellent stakeholder relationship management skills.
• A creative and inspirational team leader with strong business process mapping and analytical skills.
• An ongoing interest in digital marketing, industry trends, best practices, and emerging technologies.