Senior Director, Product Strategy (AI, Data, Advertising)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Director, Product Strategy (AI, Data, Advertising)

Company: Publicis Groupe Holdings B.V

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Strategy / Revenue Operations (GTM Enablement)

Date Posted: September 03, 2026

Experience Level: 8+ Years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Owns the vision and product roadmap strategy for AI and Data-driven core products, ensuring alignment with client business needs and market opportunities.

• Acts as the primary strategic storyteller and product champion, translating complex capabilities into compelling narratives for clients, agencies, and internal stakeholders.

• Drives commercial momentum by identifying and shaping scalable growth opportunities within existing and prospective client relationships.

• Manages the feedback loop from clients and agencies to inform roadmap prioritization and product evolution, ensuring market responsiveness.

• Bridges the gap between business strategy and technical execution, defining product vision and user experience while partnering with delivery teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Senior Director, Product Strategy," the responsibilities heavily lean into Go-To-Market (GTM) enablement, particularly for AI and Data products within an agency ecosystem. This role requires a strong understanding of how product capabilities translate into client value and commercial success, making it highly relevant to revenue operations and GTM strategy professionals. The focus on product roadmap ownership, client pitches, and driving adoption indicates a strategic operations function.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Roadmap Ownership & Prioritization: Define and manage the product roadmap for core AI and agentic solutions, establishing clear criteria for prioritization that balances client demand, product feasibility, commercial potential, and strategic fit.

• Growth Opportunity Identification: Proactively identify and shape new growth opportunities within existing and prospective client relationships by leveraging AI and data capabilities.

• Strategic Storytelling & Client Engagement: Develop and present compelling business narratives for internal and client-facing engagements, including pitches, senior presentations, and strategic growth conversations.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Serve as the key liaison between business needs, product capability, and technical execution, partnering closely with Product Leads, Delivery, and Technology teams to ensure successful product translation and implementation.

• Adoption and Impact Measurement: Define success metrics for product rollouts, identifying adoption signals, client outcomes, and repeatable use cases that demonstrate potential for scalable commercial momentum.

• Feedback Loop Management: Systematically capture friction points and adoption signals from clients and agency partners, integrating this qualitative and quantitative feedback into ongoing roadmap prioritization and product refinement.

• Client Support & Escalation: Support account leads in the rollout of AI and data solutions across priority Publicis Groupe clients, acting as a primary point of escalation for product-related issues and strategic pivots.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "agentic solution," "commercial momentum," and "scalable commercial momentum" strongly suggests this role is deeply involved in the revenue generation and operationalization of new product offerings. The responsibility for "adoption signals" and "client outcomes" points to a performance-oriented function within the GTM strategy.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• BA/BS in Business, Marketing, Strategy, or a related discipline. Experience:

• 8+ years of experience in product strategy, marketing strategy, or a related GTM enablement role within the marketing/media agency ecosystem.

• Demonstrated expertise in building business roadmaps and rollout strategies for external clients or agency networks.

• Proven experience in translating strategic priorities into actionable plans for technical teams and vice-versa. Required Skills:

• AI & Automation Fluency: Deep understanding of how AI and automation drive efficiency and value in marketing and media workflows (e.g., campaign optimization, insight generation, audience planning).

• Product Strategy & Roadmap Development: Ability to define product vision, develop comprehensive roadmaps, and sequence rollouts strategically.

• Client & Stakeholder Management: Strong communication and presentation skills, with comfort engaging C-level clients and senior internal executives.

• Agency Ecosystem Knowledge: In-depth understanding of the agency landscape, including creative, media, and CRM disciplines, and how products are integrated.

• Commercial Acumen: Ability to think commercially about packaging, adoption, client value, and ROI, beyond just product features.

• Cross-Functional Leadership: Experience partnering effectively with technical/engineering leadership without direct ownership of technical delivery.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience rolling out agentic AI or automation solutions within CRM or media organizations.

• Familiarity with client and agency commercial models (licensing, packaging, service tiers).

• Experience running product advisory boards or structured client workshops.

• Proven track record in new business development and driving growth initiatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The required skills highlight a blend of strategic product thinking, deep technical (AI/data) understanding within a marketing context, and strong commercial and communication capabilities. The "agency ecosystem" knowledge is critical, suggesting the candidate must understand the operational realities and client demands within this specific industry.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Roadmap Visualization: Examples of created or owned product roadmaps, clearly outlining strategic phases, key initiatives, and expected outcomes.

• Business Case Development: Showcase instances where you developed business cases for new product initiatives, including market analysis, competitive positioning, and commercial projections.

• Client Presentation Materials: Samples of client-facing presentations that articulate product vision, value proposition, and strategic rollout plans, ideally for AI/data solutions.

• Process Optimization Case Studies: Demonstrations of how you've identified inefficiencies in marketing/media workflows and proposed or implemented AI/data-driven solutions to address them, with measurable results.

Process Documentation:

• Strategic Planning Frameworks: Examples of frameworks used for strategic planning, roadmap prioritization, and competitive analysis within a product context.

• Workflow Mapping & Analysis: Documentation illustrating how you've mapped and analyzed existing marketing/media workflows to identify opportunities for AI/automation integration.

• Adoption & Success Metrics: Evidence of defining and tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) for product adoption, client satisfaction, and business impact.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a role like this, a portfolio should not just showcase completed projects but also the strategic thinking behind them. The emphasis on "commercial potential," "client value," and "scalable commercial momentum" means candidates should highlight how their product strategies have directly contributed to revenue growth or market expansion for clients or the agency.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $160,000 - $210,000 CAD per year.

• Methodology: This range is based on the provided salary information ($160,000 - $210,000 per year) and the location (Toronto, Canada). Market research for Senior Director-level Product Strategy roles in the Canadian advertising/media technology sector typically falls within or slightly above this range, considering the specialized AI/Data focus.

Benefits:

• Work-Life Balance: Competitive annual vacation program, extended statutory holidays (long weekends), 6 sick days, and 2 personal days per year. Offices closed between Christmas and New Year's.

• Financial Support: Monthly cell phone allowance, Employer RRSP matching contributions up to 2%.

• Global Mobility: "Work Your World" program allowing remote work for up to 6 weeks annually in any country with a Publicis Groupe office.

• Comprehensive Health Coverage: Medical and dental care, vision care, psychological and paramedical services, disability insurance, fertility support, and gender-affirming care.

• Internal Support Programs: Assistance programs for cancer, fertility, and gender transition.

Working Hours:

• Standard 40 hours per week, with a rotating hybrid schedule (2 days in the office per week).

📝 Enhancement Note: The benefits package is robust, with a strong emphasis on work-life balance and global flexibility ("Work Your World" program), which are attractive perks for senior-level professionals. The hybrid work arrangement with specific office days is clearly defined.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Communications & Advertising Technology. Publicis Groupe is a global leader in marketing, media, data, and technology, operating within a highly competitive and rapidly evolving industry. This context means a constant drive for innovation, data-driven insights, and client-centric solutions.

Company Size: Large Enterprise (Publicis Groupe is one of the world's largest communications groups). This implies a structured environment with established processes, but also opportunities for impact within a significant organization.

Founded: Publicis Groupe was founded in 1926, indicating a long history of adaptation and leadership in the communications industry.

Team Structure:

• Product & AI Focus: This role sits within the "Connected Solutions" team, which is Publicis Groupe's AI & Data core product offering.

• Reporting: Likely reports to a VP or SVP of Product Strategy or GTM, with close collaboration with Product Leads, Delivery, Technology, and client-facing agency teams.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Extensive collaboration with various agency brands within Publicis Groupe Canada (Publicis Canada, Leo Burnett, Saatchi & Saatchi, Publicis Media, MSL, Publicis Sapient, etc.), client account teams, and central technology/product development units.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Strategy: Emphasizes leveraging data and AI to drive client outcomes and commercial momentum.

• Agile Product Development (Implied): The need to translate strategic priorities into executable plans with Delivery & Technology suggests an agile or iterative approach to product development and rollout.

• Client-Centric Innovation: Product strategy is driven by understanding and responding to client business needs and market demands.

Company Website: www.publicisgroupe.com

📝 Enhancement Note: Publicis Groupe's structure as a large holding company with many distinct agency brands means this role requires navigating a complex matrix of stakeholders and understanding how to create unified product strategies that can be adopted across diverse agency offerings. The "AI, Data, Advertising" focus places it at the forefront of industry transformation.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Senior Director. This level signifies a strategic leadership role responsible for product vision, roadmap ownership, and driving commercial impact. It requires significant autonomy and the ability to influence senior stakeholders.

Reporting Structure: The role likely reports to a senior executive (e.g., VP/SVP of Product Strategy or GTM) and will manage relationships with various agency leaders, client account directors, and technology teams.

Operations Impact: This role is pivotal in translating technological innovation (AI/Data) into tangible business value and revenue for Publicis Groupe and its clients. Success directly contributes to the competitive positioning and commercial success of the company's data and AI offerings.

Growth Opportunities:

• Product Leadership Expansion: Potential to expand ownership to a broader portfolio of AI/Data products or lead larger product strategy teams within the organization.

• Strategic GTM Leadership: Transition into broader GTM strategy roles, focusing on market entry, product commercialization, and revenue growth across multiple service lines.

• Industry Influence: Opportunity to become a thought leader in AI, Data, and Advertising product strategy, representing Publicis Groupe at industry events and client forums.

• Executive Visibility: Direct exposure to senior leadership and C-suite clients, fostering opportunities for executive sponsorship and career advancement.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a clear path for growth by deepening expertise in a high-demand area (AI/Data in advertising) and by expanding strategic influence across a global organization. The combination of product strategy and GTM execution is a highly valuable skill set for future leadership roles.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid Work Environment. The role requires a blend of remote work and in-office presence at the downtown Toronto office.

Office Location(s): 111 Queen Street East, Toronto, ON M5C 1S2, Canada. This is a central downtown location, accessible via public transit and likely surrounded by business amenities.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Hub: The office serves as a hub for in-person collaboration, team meetings, client presentations, and strategic planning sessions, particularly on designated office days.

• Technology Enabled: As a leading communications group, expect access to modern technology infrastructure, collaboration tools, and potentially specialized AI/data platforms.

• Dynamic Atmosphere: Working within a large agency network means exposure to a fast-paced, creative, and client-driven environment.

Work Schedule:

• Standard 40-hour work week.

• Rotating hybrid schedule: Week 1 (Tuesday & Thursday in office), Week 2 (Monday, Wednesday, Friday in office). This provides structure while allowing for remote flexibility.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model is clearly defined, offering a structured approach to balancing remote work and in-office collaboration. The downtown Toronto location is a significant factor for candidates considering commute and access to urban resources.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Review of resume and application for alignment with core qualifications (experience, AI/data fluency, agency background).

• Hiring Manager Interview: Discussion focused on strategic thinking, product roadmap experience, understanding of AI in marketing, and overall fit for the role and team.

• Case Study/Presentation: A common step for senior strategy roles. Candidates will likely be asked to present a strategic approach to a product challenge, a product roadmap plan, or a GTM strategy for an AI solution. This will assess storytelling, strategic depth, and communication skills.

• Cross-Functional/Executive Interviews: Meetings with key stakeholders from Product, Technology, Agency leads, and potentially senior client-facing executives to assess collaboration, influence, and strategic alignment.

• Final Offer: Discussion of compensation, benefits, and role specifics.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight AI/Data Impact: Showcase specific examples where AI or data solutions you strategized or managed led to demonstrable business outcomes (e.g., increased campaign efficiency, improved audience targeting, new revenue streams).

• Structure Your Roadmaps: Clearly articulate the strategic rationale behind your roadmap decisions, including prioritization criteria, phased rollouts, and key milestones.

• Quantify Your Contributions: Use metrics and data to demonstrate the impact of your product strategies, such as adoption rates, client satisfaction scores, commercial growth, or cost savings.

• Tailor to the Agency Context: Emphasize your understanding of how products are integrated and sold within a large agency network, and how you've navigated that complexity.

• Storytelling is Key: Be prepared to walk through your portfolio items with a compelling narrative that explains the "why," "how," and "what" of your strategic contributions.

Challenge Preparation:

• AI in Marketing Scenarios: Prepare to discuss how AI can solve specific marketing and advertising challenges, and how you would strategize product development and rollout for such solutions.

• Roadmap Prioritization Scenarios: Anticipate questions about how you would prioritize competing demands on a product roadmap, balancing client needs, feasibility, and commercial goals.

• Stakeholder Alignment: Practice articulating complex product strategies to diverse audiences (technical teams, marketing executives, clients) and how you ensure alignment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a "structured, sequenced business roadmap" and "scalable commercial momentum" means candidates should be prepared to demonstrate not just product vision, but also the operational discipline required to execute and scale it within a complex organization.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Product Management/Roadmapping Tools: Jira, Confluence, Aha!, Productboard, or similar platforms for roadmap planning, backlog management, and documentation.

• Collaboration Platforms: Microsoft Teams, Slack, Google Workspace for daily communication and collaboration across teams and geographies.

• Presentation Software: PowerPoint, Google Slides, Keynote for developing and delivering client and internal presentations.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Data Visualization Tools: Tableau, Power BI, Looker (or similar) for analyzing performance data, adoption metrics, and client outcomes.

• CRM Platforms: Salesforce, HubSpot (or similar) for understanding client relationships and commercial pipelines.

• Marketing Analytics Platforms: Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, or proprietary agency platforms for campaign performance and audience insights.

CRM & Automation:

• AI/ML Platforms: Familiarity with how AI and machine learning models are integrated into marketing and advertising products.

• Workflow Automation Tools: Understanding of tools and principles for automating marketing and media processes.

• Data Management Platforms (DMPs) / Customer Data Platforms (CDPs): Awareness of how these platforms are used to leverage data for advertising and personalization.

📝 Enhancement Note: While specific tools may vary, proficiency in product management, data analytics, and collaboration tools is essential. The ability to understand and articulate the value of AI/ML and automation within these platforms is a key differentiator for this role.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Innovation & Forward-Thinking: A drive to explore and implement cutting-edge AI and data solutions to solve client challenges.

• Client-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and delivering value to clients through product strategy and execution.

• Collaboration & Integration: Fostering a cooperative environment where different agency brands and functional teams work together seamlessly.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Relying on data and insights to inform product strategy, prioritization, and success measurement.

• Efficiency & Scalability: Focus on developing solutions that are not only effective but also repeatable and scalable across the organization.

Collaboration Style:

• Matrixed Environment: Requires effective navigation of a matrixed organizational structure, building consensus and driving alignment across multiple stakeholders and agency brands.

• Open Communication: Encourages transparency and open dialogue to ensure all parties are informed and aligned on product strategy and execution.

• Feedback Integration: Values structured feedback loops from clients and internal teams to continuously improve product offerings.

• Partnership-Oriented: Works as a strategic partner to both client-facing teams and technology/delivery teams to achieve shared goals.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture likely emphasizes a blend of strategic innovation and operational execution. Success will depend on the ability to influence without direct authority and to build strong relationships across a diverse set of stakeholders within Publicis Groupe.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Navigating a Complex Organization: Driving consensus and adoption for AI/Data products across multiple distinct agency brands within Publicis Groupe.

• Rapidly Evolving Technology: Staying ahead of the curve in AI and data technology, and translating these advancements into practical, client-ready solutions.

• Balancing Client Demand vs. Scalability: Managing individual client-specific needs while ensuring products are designed for broader, scalable commercialization.

• Demonstrating ROI: Clearly articulating and proving the return on investment for AI and data solutions to clients and internal leadership.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep AI/Data Specialization: Opportunity to become a subject matter expert in AI and data applications within the advertising and marketing domain.

• Global Product Strategy Exposure: Gain experience in developing and executing product strategies on a global scale through the "Work Your World" program and international collaboration.

• Executive Leadership Development: Exposure to senior leadership and complex business challenges provides a strong foundation for executive career progression.

• Industry Certifications & Training: Access to company-sponsored training and potential for industry certifications in AI, data science, or product management.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary challenge will be translating a unified product vision into action across a highly decentralized agency structure. Growth opportunities are significant for those who can master this complexity and drive tangible business results.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you developed a product roadmap for a new technology (e.g., AI, automation) in a complex organizational structure. What were your prioritization criteria and how did you gain buy-in?"

  • Preparation: Focus on a specific project, clearly outlining the problem, your strategic approach, the roadmap phases, the metrics you tracked, and how you managed stakeholder alignment across different departments or brands.

• "How would you assess the commercial potential of an AI-driven marketing solution and package it for agency clients?"

  • Preparation: Discuss your frameworks for market analysis, competitive assessment, value proposition articulation, and go-to-market packaging strategies, including potential pricing models.

• "Imagine a key client is requesting a custom AI feature that deviates from our core product roadmap. How would you handle this situation, balancing client needs with scalability?"

  • Preparation: Prepare to discuss your decision-making process for evaluating custom requests, including feasibility, strategic fit, potential for generalization, and how you would communicate your decision and potential alternatives to the client and internal teams.

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What is your understanding of Publicis Groupe's position in the AI and data landscape, and how do you see Connected Solutions contributing to its market leadership?"

  • Preparation: Research Publicis Groupe's recent initiatives, acquisitions, and stated strategies in AI, data, and technology. Understand the role of their agency brands.

• "How do you approach collaborating with engineering and delivery teams when you don't have direct oversight of technical execution?"

  • Preparation: Highlight your experience in translating business requirements into clear technical specifications, fostering strong communication, and building trust-based partnerships.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Focus on Impact: For each portfolio item, clearly state the business problem, your strategic solution (product vision/roadmap), the execution approach, and the quantifiable business impact (revenue, efficiency, adoption).

• Visual Storytelling: Use clear, concise visuals for roadmaps, process flows, and data. Avoid overly technical jargon unless necessary.

• Demonstrate Strategic Thinking: Be prepared to discuss the "why" behind your decisions, the trade-offs you made, and what you learned from the experience.

• Tailor to the Role: Emphasize experiences that directly relate to AI, data, advertising, agency environments, and product strategy for GTM.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should prepare to speak to their experience in translating complex technical capabilities into understandable business value and commercial opportunities, a core requirement for this role.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the provided application link on the Publicis Groupe careers portal.

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to highlight your experience in product strategy, AI/data in marketing, agency environments, and GTM enablement. Use keywords from the job description (e.g., "AI," "Data," "Product Strategy," "Roadmap," "Agency Ecosystem," "Commercial Momentum"). Quantify achievements with specific metrics where possible.

• Portfolio Curation: Select 2-3 key projects that best demonstrate your ability to develop product strategy, manage roadmaps, and drive commercial success for AI/data solutions within a marketing/advertising context. Ensure these showcase your strategic thinking, collaboration skills, and impact.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your experience using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for behavioral questions. Prepare specific examples for strategic and situational questions related to product strategy, AI implementation, and stakeholder management.

• Company Research: Thoroughly research Publicis Groupe, its various agency brands, its stated commitment to data and AI, and recent industry news. Understand how "Connected Solutions" fits into their broader business strategy.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.

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