Manager, Search, GCS

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 .

3822 - Manager, Search, GCS

Role Summary and Impact

The role exists within WPP Media Channels & Solutions to support a growing team, covering SEO. As an SEO Account Manager, you will play a pivotal role in day-to-day ownership of client engagements, SEO process and execution on and off page.

The SEO Account Manager will be required to support the growth of our offering with the help of the Account Director and lead in management of the SEO Account Executives. The SEO Account Director will shape the global SEO strategy for a variety of brands across content, technical and outreach.

Responsibilities

Organic Search Management

Oversee development and creation of organic search best practices alongside your BD. Ultimate accountability for adherence to best practice, and responsible for effective oversight of designated organic and holistic search strategies.

Develop in-depth knowledge of organic search, operating as an in-agency expert in your field of specialism, whilst showing a good understanding of the overall media landscape.

Actively generate client related case studies and seek opportunities for award entries whilst ensuring the teams aim at a higher prominence within the wider industry.

Report on Client performance and share learnings and insights to the wider agency Channels and Solutions group on a quarterly basis at minimum and evolve the agency best practices based on this.

Make continuous strategic and optimisation recommendations and work with the various specialists and/or local teams to ensure effective implementation.

Connect with account teams and market leads to ensure cross-team integration and WoW consistency both across organic search and paid channels.

Support Senior leadership and line manager with regular updates on up-and-coming innovation, changes to industry landscape

Delivering client performance

Identify and source the right technology following best practices and report to BD for potential activation. Ensure reporting is focused on actionable insight

Deliver best-in-class approach to Organic Search, rooted in the WPP Media Channels & Solutions Best Practice Framework, and raise any barriers to this to the Organic search lead.

Develop strong relationships with your client, leading team communications with these stakeholders. Lead efforts to gather and disseminate intelligence about the client to ensure deep understanding to predict and meet their business needs.

Share key industry information with wider Channels and Solutions group via sessions and workshops.

Regularly support the AD in presentations, and lead sessions/meetings/presentations when asked to do so.

Create a strong relationship with leadership within by actively contributing and collaborating to create the best possible offering for the client.

Demonstrate expert understanding of the business successes, challenges, and strategic objectives; draws from experience to evaluate solutions from the business perspective and provide advice regarding potential opportunities and risks.

Strategically nurture relationships with key decision-makers alongside the BD, by helping them successfully navigate through critical business changes and address complex issues in their businesses.

Developing our product

Work with the Head of/Partner Organic Search and the wider Channels & Solutions Senior Leadership team to:

Develop roadmaps for the Organic Search product, to differentiate and future proof our offering

Create a consistent, challenging, but exciting recruitment experience for candidates that allows us to find and secure the best talent in the market

Support BDs, Head of/Partner Search in development of Channels & Solutions Paid Search product

Contribute and leads aspects of New Business, as well as upselling and cross-selling of services and capabilities to IBM alongside your BD.

Contribute to the New Business process by creating templates and resources usable in all pitches

Raising our profile

Build and maintain relationships with Clients and Client Leads, as well as offering strategic guidance alongside the BD to help grow the business and strengthen the relationship

Surface and share great work from the team and ensuring that case studies of great work are regularly created.

Enter relevant industry awards and create POVs regarding industry developments

Contribute to key industry events and represent WPP Media externally.

Regular development of opinion pieces related to Organic Search to be shared across the agency, build external and internal profile and act as a thought leader in the Organic Search space.

Build and maintain relationships with Client Leads, offering strategic guidance (in line with BD vision) to help grow the business and strengthen the relationship

Work with HR/other channel leads to ensure the Channels & Solutions story is positioned correctly with recruiters

Develop the profile of WPP Media Channels & Solutions through training, presentations, and other communication

Support Senior leadership and line manager with regular updates on up-and-coming innovation, changes to industry landscape

Inspiring our people

Maintain a positive attitude towards all areas of our work and looking for opportunities and solutions from challenges

Establish a relationship with key senior clients, through QBRs/proactive projects

Regular maintenance of talent mapping and career path development plans for all direct reports.

Regularly update the team alongside the BD on live initiatives, business performance, new business opportunities and any other relevant topics

Maintain a strong line of communication with all team members including the Head of Search, senior leadership, etc.

Work with BD and HR teams to develop and maintain training plans to plug any skills gaps around the team

Lead through vision, values, and model leadership behaviours while championing and facilitating change in a positive manner.

Ensuring the effective management of more junior team members, guaranteeing workloads are monitored and prioritised to meet deadlines within SLAs.

Support the Head of/Director and broader team in capacity planning and resource management. Lead the recruitment process for your immediate team and assist with the wider team’s recruitment as needed (e.g. TDP development, position description creation, hiring/interview process changes and partake in interviews, etc.) Share your developments with the department to promote standardisation of process and template within the group

Communicate clearly and in a timely manner with internal and external stakeholders as required across email, chat, video, and in-person. Lead presentations where necessary.

Driving our process

Take the lead on one or more integration projects across the department, and supporting other projects

Develop and maintain on-boarding process for new starters

Constantly review all optimization, budget management, task management, testing, and other processes to identify opportunities for improvement in effectiveness or efficiency

Develop ways of working that maximize client output whilst minimizing operational input.

Ensure alignment to wider group best practices surrounding aspects such as reporting, automa