Associate Director, Client Operations (Vendor Management)

At Publicis Collective, we know tomorrow’s challenges won’t be solved by today’s solutions. It’s why we support our teams with the resources and tools they need to continue redefining the future of marketing. It’s also why clients rely on us to lead the way in connecting media, data, technology, and teams by what matters most – business outcomes. 
 
Publicis Collective’s consultative practitioners are catalysts for business growth and innovation, we’re more than media experts. We are an incubator for high-performing talent and a launchpad for ideas that push the boundaries of what’s possible. 
 
As part of the global Publicis Media network, we’re backed by the power, scale, and benefits of Publicis Groupe, one of the largest and most celebrated marketing and communications platforms on the planet. 
   
How are we different? There are three core values at the center of our approach that help us stay ahead – curious, open, and driven.  
  
Curious - A deep curiosity compels us to go beyond the brief to deliver exceptional outcomes.  
  
Open - We value diverse perspectives and new ways of working. 
  
Driven - We are ambitious, rigorous, self-disciplined, and resilient in our pursuit of excellence.  
 
If you're a collaborative and enterprising practitioner with a passion for media and a desire to make a real impact, we want to hear from you. 
 
Let's shape the future together.  

The Client Operations department manages client-specific operational tasks across practice area within the agency, working closely with Strategy, Investment, HR, Finance, Invoice Reconciliation, and Agency Administration & Compliance. We centralize and standardize fundamental work required across all pieces of business, as well as bring tactical and detail-oriented work streams together to find smarter, faster ways of working. We create a space for those whose strengths include being highly organized problem-solvers. We help differentiate Collective from our competitors and provide a critical foundation for the agency.

The Associate Director, Client Operations will be part of a growing Client Operations team working across well-known clients. This position has tremendous learning potential and provides the opportunity to work on a high-energy, highly visible account.

The Associate Director is responsible for training and developing individuals on the necessary media systems and relative processes within Invoice Reconciliation, Platform Tax, and Vendor Payment Requests while pursuing company and client goals.  This includes leading a team to facilitate the processing of vendor invoices based on media agency investment purchases in a timely manner. They are masters in the use of current media systems and have a solid understanding of overall processes, policies, and procedures relative to vendor Invoice Reconciliation, Platform Tax, and Vendor Payment Requests. This individual has experience and proven success in this area to qualify for this position.

• Oversee invoice clearing process across clients
• Work hand-in-hand with Director on team roles and responsibilities, and prioritizing key projects across the team
• Manage Supervisor and Sr. Associates’ workload
• Lead Supervisor and Associates’ career development via teaching tasks and coaching skills
• Proactively solves problems and improves efficiencies as needed
• Maintain positive relationships with agency contacts, ReSources and vendors
• Guide media contacts through Reconciliation process and expectations
• Lead and steward key processes that involve multiple agency teams
• Expected to periodically check emails to respond to urgent issues after close of business
• Review work (as necessary) in progress by Supervisor/ Senior Associates as issues arise
• Identify and surface issues related to ReSources and PGD process and staff and helps with resolution
• Leads escalation to media contacts as needed to successfully meet reconciliation deadlines
• Maintain and provides reporting to team and managers (e.g. Open Items reports) on a regular basis as well as internal
• Agency teams, like Finance and client media teams
• Act as primary contact with vendors for reporting/statements and payment status issues, including contacting Treasury at
• ReSources for payment information
• Attend Agency system trainings and meetings (i.e. Mediaocean)
• Participates in system enhancement testing or training
• May handle high-profile or sensitive client reconciliation
• Support Director as needed with various contacts (Finance/Client Operations/Media/Vendors) on special requests or projects as needed
• Connect with Brand Experience and Investment peers on account-specific requests

• 5 years of in operations, reconciliation, invoice reconciliation, or similar preferably in a media agency or advertising agency
• MediaTools and/or Prisma/MediaOcean experience
• The ability to rock the Microsoft Office suite, with proficiency in Word, Excel, PPT and proven expertise in complex Excel formulas (vlookup, pivot tables, etc.) to support reporting
• Quantitative and analytical skills, and willingness to embrace a role that requires a mix of art and science
• Flexible and able to adapt to change in a fast-paced and constantly changing environment
• Thrives on a team and can meet tight deadlines on independent assignments
• Able to balance numerous, simultaneous work streams
• Organized, detail-oriented, good with time management, obsessed with accuracy, a strong critical thinker, and able to juggle multiple tasks.
• Good at building relationships – a creative problem solver, a customer service expert, and a great team player.
• A strong communicator – able to write clearly, speak professionally, and translate data analysis into insights.
• Takes time to teach others how to do something vs. doing it for them

Our Publicis Groupe motto “Viva La Différence” means we’re better together, and we believe that our differences make us stronger. It means we honor and celebrate all identities, across all facets of intersectionality, and it underpins all that we do as an organization. We are focused on fostering belonging and creating equitable & inclusive experiences for all talent. 

Publicis Groupe provides robust and inclusive benefit programs and policies to support the evolving and diverse needs of our talent and enable every person to grow and thrive.  Our benefits package includes medical coverage, dental, vision, disability, 401K,  as well as parental and family care leave, family forming assistance, tuition reimbursement, and flexible time off.

If you require accommodation or assistance with the application or onboarding process specifically, please contact USMSTACompliance@publicis.com.

Compensation Range:  $95,950 - $131,300 annually. This is the pay range the Company believes it will pay for this position at the time of this posting. Consistent with applicable law, compensation will be determined based on the skills, qualifications, and experience of the applicant along with the requirements of the position, and the Company reserves the right to modify this pay range at any time. Temporary roles may be eligible to participate in our freelancer/temporary employee medical plan through a third-party benefits administration system once certain criteria have been met. Temporary roles may also qualify for participation in our 401(k) plan after eligibility criteria have been met. For regular roles, the Company will offer medical coverage, dental, vision, disability, 401k, and paid time off. The Company anticipates the application deadline for this job posting will be 05/08/2025.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines. 

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Salary : $95,950 - $131,300