Associate Director, Planning, UK

About WPP Media

WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. With exceptional talent, trusted data and intelligence, and world-class partnerships – all united by our pioneering agentic marketing platform, WPP Open – we help clients navigate change, capture opportunity, and deliver transformational growth.

WPP Media is WPP's AI-driven media operating unit, bringing together media, data, and partnerships to deliver creative personalisation at scale. Connected through WPP Open and powered by Open Intelligence, clients see exactly where, how, and why their media investment is working.

For more information, visit wppmedia.com .

3072 - Associate Director, Planning, UK

Role Summary and Impact

We are recruiting for an Account Director who is an exceptional and driven media planner, to join our Connections Planning team.

We foster a highly collaborative environment with brilliant, forward-thinking clients who are not only engaged but genuinely enthusiastic about pushing boundaries. This partnership allows us to deliver truly exciting, market-leading work that sets industry benchmarks and drives significant impact.

Expect a role that is highly strategic, requiring deep analytical thinking, a keen commercial eye, and a flair for innovative solutions. We are consistently exploring new technologies, channels, and audience engagement models, ensuring your work remains at the cutting edge. Innovation is not just encouraged, it's expected.

Crucially, you'll have seamless access to a rich tapestry of agency expertise. You'll collaborate daily with our specialist teams in data science, advanced measurement & analytics, brand strategy, and consumer insights. This integrated approach empowers you to craft media plans that are not only creative and impactful but also deeply informed, measurable, and strategically sound.

About the role

You will be expected to demonstrate experience and knowledge in -

Knowing the tools and means to build and target audiences in addressable and non-addressable media to validate the media approach ensuring that the defined audience can be reached at the scale required

Designing an approach that outlines how and where we will connect with defined audiences – especially hard to reach / low media engagement audiences – in media for brand and performance campaigns.

Connecting the dots between the data we, the client, media owners and other internal teams hold to plan most effectively.

Designing the connections ecosystem & plan, working closely and collaboratively with channel specialists and wider agency teams from a paid, owned and earned perspective

Day to day management of campaigns and annual planning as a key liaison between clients and channel specialists

Designing measurement & testing framework to inform as well as measure and optimise the campaigns when live

Management of others to develop their skills

Skills and Experience

At WPP Media, we believe in the power of our culture and our people. It’s what elevates us to deliver exceptional experiences for both our clients and each other. In this role it will be critical to embrace WPP & WPP Media’s shared core values:

Be Extraordinary by Leading Collectively to Inspire transformational Creativity.

Create an Open environment by Balancing People and Client Experiences by Cultivating Trust .

Lead Optimistically by Championing Growth and Development to Mobilize the Enterprise .

You show a breadth of understanding of all media channels and can confidently discuss the role they play within a comms strategy

Have an interest in both brand and performance campaigns with some knowledge of ecommerce

You are a tool ‘wizard’...well not quite but excellent knowledge of audience research and planning tools (e.g. TGI & Touchpoints) is a must and awareness of / familiarity with alternative sources (such as media owner tools & data) is a plus

Ability to draw clear insights and implications for media (i.e. connecting the outputs of different insight systems successfully)

Demonstrate a passion for media and understanding of what makes a great media campaign, tangibly showcasing excellence in planning craft.

Take responsibility for the upfront work that needs to happen in order to deliver a great, clear and concise universal brief to the specialist teams that hits the clients' brief on the head

You care about proving your campaigns work! How? By being able to create a holistic measurement framework relevant for your brand and applicable to every campaign that is digestible (setting KPI’s methods I.e., which tool/system, necessary tracking) and plan for adaptation/optimisation

You are confident in presenting with passion and conviction, managing senior client relationships, running all agency team sessions and collaboratively leading client projects and tackling challenging conversations.

You are excited to work as part of a team; immediate, wider department and specialists as required. Leading by example though presence and contribution. Taking the responsibility for working in a collaborative, inclusive way

You demonstrate excellent attention to detail and accuracy in output and meeting deadlines. As well as strong organization to meet client expectations, manage workflow for self and junior team members.

Demonstrate a proactive desire to continually improve own knowledge and wider skill set

You are open minded, flexible and have a challenger mindset.

Life at WPP Media & Benefits

Our passion for shaping the next era of media includes investing in our employees to help them do their best work, and we’re just as committed to employee growth as we are to responsible media investment. WPP Media employees can tap into the global WPP Media & WPP networks to pursue their passions, grow their networks, and learn at the cutting edge of marketing and advertising. We have a variety of employee resource groups and host frequent in-office events showcasing team wins, sharing thought leadership, and celebrating holidays and milestone events. Our benefits include competitive medical, group retirement plans, vision, and dental insurance, significant paid time off, preferential partner discounts, and employee mental health awareness days.

WPP Media is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to particular characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.

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.

Please note this is a UK based role and requires individuals to have the right to work in this location

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While we appreciate all applications received, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

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