Business Director, Connections Planning - 6 month FTC

We are recruiting a Business Director who is an exceptional and driven media planner to join our Connections Planning team. You will work on the Ford account in the UK—the biggest auto advertiser and one of the largest accounts at Mindshare. We operate a unique 'full service' model, meaning media teams collaborate closely with creative and account management teams within the Ford agency structure (primarily working with VMLYR). We promote a fully integrated team approach across media, creative, and client, working together across three locations: 2 days (Mon-Tue) at Ford's Dunton office, 1 day (Wed) at VML Sea Containers House, and 1 day (Thu) at Mindshare Rose Court.

In this senior Planning role, your primary responsibilities include directing and overseeing the creation and execution of integrated media strategies that deliver outstanding business results for Ford UK. You will lead strategic planning, annual budgeting, and collaborate with the 'Live Planner' to maintain ongoing campaign performance, focusing on channel selection and consumer/category insights.

• Strategic Leadership: Lead development of strategic planning and annual media strategy—developing strong audience insights and leveraging category understanding to inform campaign approaches and execution. Guide client teams during briefings to ensure clear and actionable briefs.
• Relationship Management: Maintain strong partnerships across Ford UK, VMLYR, channel teams, central agency teams, and other cross-agency partners. Act as the primary strategic liaison with VML teams for responsive inputs, creative assets, and delivery management. Ensure consistent, transparent communication across all campaign developments and changes.
• Team Leadership: Direct and mentor the Connections Planning team, managing workloads, fostering professional growth, and ensuring timely delivery of quality outputs. Oversee weekly status reporting, maintaining clear accountability for campaign outcomes.
• Campaign and Budget Management: Own strategic management and adaptive allocation of annual and campaign-specific budgets. Identify potential campaign risks and proactively manage mitigation strategies to safeguard performance. Ensure campaigns deliver effectively against KPIs, adapting strategies in real-time as needed.
• Innovation and Collaboration: Collaborate closely with central strategy teams to integrate local initiatives with broader strategies. Continuously explore and introduce innovative media solutions to enhance campaign effectiveness. Champion digital innovation and emerging media platforms to maintain Ford UK's competitive advantage.

About you

• Proven senior-level experience in strategic media planning, ideally within automotive or comparable industries.
• Demonstrable ability to simplify and decipher complex client requests, clearly visualising strategic solutions, and guiding teams towards actionable approaches.
• Extensive experience managing complex budgets, strategic planning, and team leadership.
• Expert-level knowledge of audience research, insights, and planning tools (e.g., TGI, Touchpoints), with awareness of supplementary media owner tools and data sources.
• Skilled in designing sophisticated measurement frameworks, demonstrating clear and actionable insights.
• Exceptional communication and relationship management skills, confidently presenting strategic recommendations to senior clients.
• Passionate about driving strategic innovation, demonstrating flexibility, proactivity, and a challenger mindset.
• Highly organized, with strong foresight and forward planning abilities, managing priorities proactively, anticipating client and team needs, and consistently delivering against deadlines.
• Committed to team development, collaborative work styles, and continuous personal growth.

What we can offer you

• A strong salary commensurate with relevant experience
• 25 days annual leave plus your birthday off
• Ongoing internal and external training opportunities
• Flexible working
• The opportunity to attend industry conferences and awards nights
• Career and personal progression
• Private Healthcare
• Excellent pension matching structure

About Mindshare

Mindshare is a leading global marketing and media services network with billings exceeding £23 billion worldwide. We work with some of the most famous businesses and brands in the UK, such as Unilever, Ford, KFC, Marks & Spencer, and TK Maxx. The Mindshare network has 116 offices across 86 countries in the USA, Latin America, Europe, Middle East, and Asia Pacific, dedicated to forging competitive marketing advantages for businesses and their brands.

Our approach

Our ambition is to drive Good Growth for our clients—growth that is enduring and considerate of people and the planet. Media is a powerful force, and we recognize our responsibility to use it in a trusted, inclusive, and sustainable way. We aim to place people at the heart of everything we do, understanding them beyond demographics to integrate media meaningfully into their lives. Good Growth inspires change within the industry, our agency, and our clients, guided by our values of Energy, Empathy, and Impact.

Working for Mindshare

Our talented people enable us to deliver our ambitions. We invest heavily in their development to ensure they thrive and progress. Our flagship event, Huddle, fosters connection, learning, and sharing across borders.

Committed to Diversity & Inclusion

We aspire to be the most inclusive workplace in the country. We have 8 Employee Resource Groups, including Roots, PrideM, Women in Business, Enable, Declassify, 0Borders, ADAM, and Working Parents, which promote progress and inclusivity. These groups, along with our Mental Health Allies, organize initiatives to create a welcoming environment where everyone can be their most confident selves.