Manager, Planning

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 .

3117 - Planning Manager - UK

Role Summary and Impact

The planning team are the guardians of creating industry leading, unrivalled work. We are central conduits to all specialists, striving to push boundaries and have a positive impact on consumers and brand.

We are looking for a Planning Manager to join our growing planning team, to create impactful cross-channel campaigns and build your media planning skills.

In this role, you will lead day-to-day planning operations, act as a trusted advisor to clients, and mentor junior team members. This is an exceptional opportunity to take ownership of exciting client briefs, collaborate with specialist teams, and accelerate your career within a globally recognized media agency.

In this role, you will:

Media planning craft:

Develop an in-depth understanding of media channels including where, when, and how to use them based on the client brief.

Have a skilled knowledge of Wavemaker and industry media planning tools (including Wavemaker Architect, TGI, AdIntel, etc.) and be able to train other team members.

Have a skilled understanding of industry best practices, planning theory, DE+I planning, and carbon-conscious media.

Develop a fundamental knowledge of Wavemaker Purchase Journey thinking and our Provocative Planning Philosophy.

Campaign management:

Take ownership of campaign activity including briefing teams, collating responses, managing client deliverables, and ensuring absolute accuracy across all workstreams.

Work closely with the planning and activation teams to ensure the day-to-day account is run efficiently and effectively.

Bring in specialist teams where needed to work on briefs and client questions.

Ensure financial management processes (including PO trackers, bookings, reconciliations, and billing queries) are always excellent and met in a timely manner.

Effective communication:

Become a trusted main day-to-day contact for junior clients, learning their business and ways of working, and ensuring all requests & queries are answered accurately and promptly.

Support in managing Planning Executives , ensuring they are on track with daily tasks, and mentoring and challenging them with new projects to develop their careers.

Develop a proactive problem-solving mindset , knowing when to flag any issues or concerns to the Planning Director.

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.

Core Skills:

Practice Area Knowledge – Skilled

Demonstrates solid knowledge of the media landscape, including future trends, best practices, and challenges.

Comfortable using (or briefing out) the various products, platforms, and systems that comms planning uses.

Demonstrates breadth and depth of industry understanding. Confidently uses tools, technology, techniques, and systems, and is able to train others.

Comfortable presenting both direct from platform (Wavemaker Architect, etc.) and developing a story from data delivered outside of platform (TGI, AdIntel, etc.).

Can confidently answer client questions and liaise with internal teams on the best solutions to use.

Problem Solving – Fundamental

Applies focused questioning and systematic research to understand problems and their wider impact. Translates business problems into practical solutions.

Uses critical questioning and maintains a broad perspective when analysing information to gain a deeper understanding of the issue.

Quickly generates appropriate solutions informed by previous experience, knows how to resolve escalated issues, and supports others to problem solve.

Provides communication support for troubleshooting issues internally and externally with third parties.

Stakeholder Relationships – Fundamental

Demonstrates knowledge of the agency’s and client’s organizational structures, key stakeholders, decision-makers, business goals, and challenges.

Cultivates, nurtures, and grows relationships with key clients, stakeholders, and decision-makers internally, externally, and virtually.

Builds a working knowledge of market trends affecting the client and agency.

Responds to stakeholder requests in an accurate, timely, and professional manner.

Effective Communications – Skilled

Able to lead dialogues between and with internal and external partners (strategy, comms planning, channel planning, activation teams, clients, and media owners).

Uses simple, clear, and human language wherever possible, but can be technical when required. Employs active listening and chooses the most appropriate communication channel and style.

Breaks down complex technical information into understandable language, guiding others on best practice.

Designs differentiated communications (content focus, style, presentation) for various internal and external audiences based on their familiarity with the subject.

Confidently attends and presents at client and agency meetings.

Campaign Management – Skilled

Manages and takes ownership of several projects/tasks accurately and thoroughly with minimal error, without losing track of important details, booking deadlines, or deliverables.

Teaches others the importance of accuracy and thoroughness so that sufficiently detailed information is logged correctly.

Manages campaigns from start to completion, maintaining accurate pipelines and campaign trackers.

Delivers accurate reports with value-added insights and actionable findings to improve campaign performance.

Accountable for the ongoing management of campaign budgets, including financial reconciliations.

Compelling Storytelling – Skilled

Able to use knowledge of the media ecosystem, industry trends, and clients' business pressure points to build a persuasive story and recommendation that acknowledges their preferred communication style.

Applies big-picture thinking in daily work and proactively leverages an understanding of the organization and industry trends.

Designs differentiated communications tailored specifically to the target audience.

Ideas Creation – Skilled

Generates or facilitates new ideas, methods, innovations, or creative media solutions that can deliver growth.

Regularly engages in new projects/activities that can help solve identified barriers or opportunities as part of planning.

Identifies the relevant partners and specialists to bring ideas to life.

Uses wider industry knowledge and trend understanding to help generate solutions that deliver against communication objectives.

Comms Planning – Skilled

Finds creative solutions for client business problems using media.

Applies knowledge of the client, audience, channel, market, and category to effectively deliver compelling multi-media plans.

Translates learnings and trends to create marketing communication strategies that are effective with clear measurement.