Associate Director, Influence - Burson

Who we are:

Burson, part of WPP, is the global communications leader built to create value for clients through reputation. With highly specialized teams, industry-leading technologies and breakthrough creative, we help brands and businesses redefine reputation as a competitive advantage so they can lead today and into the future. When you work at Burson, you are part of a global community of lifelong learners who thrive at the edge of innovation.

WPP (LSE/NYSE: WPP) is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. We unite cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel in a single company – powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open, to help our clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth. For more information, visit WPP.com

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More about the role:

Burson is building three global Influence & Social Centres of Excellence in the US, Singapore, and London. As part of our UK Centre of Excellence, which serves as the hub for the EMEA region, we are seeking an Associate Director, Influence to play a pivotal, hands-on role in scaling and evolving our Total Influence offer.

This is an exciting opportunity for a mid-to-senior influencer specialist who combines strategic vision with flawless operational execution. Sitting within our multi-disciplinary capability, you will be the day-to-day strategic engine and trusted advisor across all agency practices. You will plan, oversee, and execute best-in-class influencer-led campaigns that earn cultural relevance, protect reputation, and deliver measurable business impact.

As an Influence Associate Director, you will be a dynamic, commercially astute specialist and creative thinker, leading best-in-class, influencer-led content strategies and programmes across all agency sectors. Viewing "influence" holistically, you will provide strategic and practical counsel to clients and internal teams; from identification, vetting, and contracting to creative co-creation, paid integration, and measurement. Partnering with UK head of Influence, you will elevate Burson’s influencer marketing offer, inspire dedicated specialists, and upskill teams to deliver exceptional, measurable results.

What you'll do:

Grow: Commercial & Sector Partnership

Strategic Influence Partner: Act as a trusted adviser to sector and practice leads, translating client and business briefs into culturally relevant, influencer-led strategies.

Commercial & Organic Growth: Partner with the UK Head of Influence and senior teams to develop winning pitches, shape commercial models and identify opportunities to grow influence across existing and new client accounts.

Holistic Influence Strategy: Champion a broader view of influence beyond traditional creators, incorporating thought leaders, B2B voices, subject-matter experts and advocates across owned, earned, shared and paid channels.

Enable: Delivery, Operations & Best Practice

Best-in-Class Campaign Delivery: Lead end-to-end influencer programmes, from discovery, vetting and contracting through to creator briefing, co-creation, rights management and live campaign delivery.

Creative, Paid & Performance Integration: Work closely with creators to deliver authentic, high-quality content while connecting organic influence with paid amplification, licensing, whitelisting and performance marketing opportunities.

Governance, Tools & Team Development: Ensure programmes meet ASA, CMA, IP and Burson compliance standards, while embedding tools such as CreatorIQ and GWI and upskilling teams on influencer best practice, cultural trends and effective ways of working.

Transform: Innovation & Modern Measurement

Measurement & Impact: Partner with data and intelligence specialists to evolve how influence is measured, moving beyond vanity metrics to demonstrate sentiment, cultural share of voice, reputation shift and conversion.

Platform & Innovation Leadership: Build strong relationships with platforms including TikTok, Meta, YouTube and LinkedIn, while testing and embedding AI and emerging capabilities through Burson's AI suite and WPP Open to improve discovery, reporting and workflow efficiency.

Experience that contributes to success:

Proven Agency Experience: Substantial influencer marketing experience within an agency, PR, or integrated creative environment, operating at Account Director / Junior Associate Director level.

Strategic & Creative Rigour: Ability to plan multi-channel content strategies that are influencer-first, with a strong understanding of how audience mapping and data inform creative platforms and creator selection.

Negotiation & Contracting Mastery: Deep practical expertise in creator negotiation, complex scope structuring, multi-platform licensing, exclusivity, and contract management.

Tech Fluency: Hands-on proficiency with dedicated influencer tech platforms (specifically CreatorIQ) and consumer research tools (such as GWI).

Collaborative Leadership: A natural relationship-builder who can seamlessly partner with cross-functional teams (strategy, creative, earned media, paid, data) and mentor junior talent.

Client Advisory Skills: Calm, authoritative client-handling skills with the ability to articulate the strategic value of influencer marketing to both senior brand marketers and communications directors.

Commercial Acumen: Experience building accurate scopes of work, production budgets, talent fees, and pitch responses that protect agency margins and client ROI.

Burson UK was named Cannes Lions Agency of the year 2026!

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You belong at Burson:

Our vision is for Burson to be the leading ‘academy company’ for creative communications professionals and emerging leaders. We provide a dynamic environment where ambitious colleagues come to elevate their skills, expand their networks, and ultimately, produce the best solutions for today’s leading brands. Our commitment to your growth is reflected in our robust benefits and people programs, which include professional development opportunities, mentorship programs with industry leaders, a vibrant and inclusive company culture fostering collaboration and innovation and packages designed to reward and retain top talent. We invest in our people because we believe their success is our success.

At Burson, we’re an agency of learn-it-alls. We recognize that the things we do best, creativity and communications, require a level of nuanced understanding. That’s why it’s imperative for us to hire extraordinarily talented people of all backgrounds and identities. Without that we can’t do the essential work of inspiring bold ideas, fostering constructive dialogue, cultivating meaningful experiences, and driving innovation and creativity for our partners. Your unique point of view—your talent—is what makes you a #BursonPerson, and it’s how we deliver exceptional results for our clients, together.

We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office around four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.

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