Media Planning Manager

At VML, we are a beacon of innovation and growth in an ever-evolving world. Our heritage is built upon a century of combined expertise, where creativity meets technology, and diverse perspectives ignite inspiration. With the merger of VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson, we have forged a new path as a growth partner that is part creative agency, part consultancy, and part technology powerhouse. Our global family now encompasses over 30,000 employees across 150+ offices in 64 markets, each contributing to a culture that values connection, belonging, and the power of differences.

Our expertise spans the entire customer journey, offering deep insights in communications, commerce, consultancy, CRM, CX, data, production, and technology. We deliver end-to-end solutions that result in revolutionary work.

The opportunity: We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Media Planning Manager to join our dynamic team. This role will be pivotal in developing and executing media strategies for a key FMCG client. You will be responsible for overseeing multiple campaigns, ensuring a solid understanding and application of full-funnel performance media principles. A key aspect of this role will involve working closely with prominent retail media partners, leveraging first-party data (1PD) to deliver impactful and efficient campaigns. The ideal candidate will be a strategic thinker with a meticulous eye for detail, ensuring all campaign elements, from asset delivery to post-campaign analysis, are executed flawlessly and on schedule.

What you’ll be doing:

• Media Strategy & Planning: Develop innovative and effective media strategies that align with the client's business objectives and marketing goals, with a strong focus on full-funnel performance.
• Campaign Oversight: Manage the end-to-end planning, execution, and optimisation of multiple media campaigns across various channels (digital, retail media, etc.).
• Full-Funnel Performance Media: Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of how different media channels contribute to the entire marketing funnel, from awareness and consideration through to conversion and loyalty. Implement strategies that optimise performance at each stage.
• Retail Media Partnership Management: Collaborate closely with key retail media partners (e.g., Dunnhumby, Nectar360, and other similar platforms) to effectively utilise their platforms and first-party data (1PD) for targeted and impactful campaigns.
• First-Party Data (1PD) Utilisation: Champion the strategic use of 1PD to enhance audience targeting, personalisation, and overall campaign effectiveness.
• Project Management & Delivery: Ensure the timely delivery of all campaign components, including assets, Response to Briefs (RTBs), Post Campaign Analyses (PCAs), and other critical deliverables. Meticulously track campaign timelines and proactively address any potential roadblocks.
• Performance Analysis & Optimisation: Monitor campaign performance against key performance indicators (KPIs), providing regular reports, insights, and data-driven recommendations for optimisation.
• Stakeholder Management: Build and maintain strong relationships with the client, internal teams (creative, account management, analytics), and external media and technology partners.
• Industry Expertise: Stay abreast of the latest trends, technologies, and best practices in media planning, performance marketing, and retail media.

What we want from you:

• Proven experience in a media planning role, preferably within an agency environment.
• Demonstrable experience working on large-scale, complex media campaigns, ideally for FMCG or retail clients.
• A very solid understanding of full-funnel media strategies and performance marketing principles.
• Hands-on experience working with retail media networks and leveraging first-party data.
• Familiarity with platforms like Dunnhumby, Nectar360, or similar is highly advantageous.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data, identify insights, and translate them into actionable media strategies.
• Excellent project management and organisational skills, with a proven ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and meet tight deadlines.
• Exceptional communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
• Proficiency in media planning and reporting tools (e.g., Google Ads, Meta Ads Manager, Programmatic DSPs, analytics platforms).
• A proactive, collaborative, and solution-oriented mindset.

What we can offer you: Alongside the opportunity to work with some of the most exciting brands around the world, we’ll also prioritise your career development and help you grow your skills. We’ll empower you to make a difference, allow you to be yourself, and respect who you are. We offer a great benefits package including a discretionary bonus scheme, training opportunities, competitive pension, medical insurance, life assurance, social events, opportunities to buy and sell holidays, family friendly policies, discounts with hundreds of retailers and much more.

Our personality and behaviours: We believe that we are what we do, not just what we say. Our shared values and behaviours show how to bring the VML Enterprise Solution's culture to life through the actions we all take every day: Connect Meaningfully Include Purposefully Our brilliant, talented people are what makes VML Enterprise Solutions what we are. That’s why we look for people who go beyond and always push our thinking to be better than yesterday.

AT VML Enterprise Solutions Our Enterprise Solutions division houses strategic consultants, creative and technical architects and skilled developers and operators that together help some of the world’s leading organisations to deliver outstanding digital experiences across all major routes to market worldwide: marketplaces, online retailers, D2C, B2B and social platforms. With over 4,200 experts in 55 operational centres across 34 countries, our capabilities span the entire buying journey from customer acquisition, through engagement, to conversion and loyalty, driving multi-channel growth for world-leading brands.

We work with some of the most exciting brands such as The Coca-Cola Company, EY, Bosch, Unilever, Ford, DFS, Mercedes-Benz, Johnson & Johnson, Nestlé, Sainsbury’s, Selfridges, Shell and Tiffany & Co. We’ve built over 500 platforms for brands and retailers and generate in excess of $29bn annually for our clients and work with over 50 strategic partners including Adobe, SAP, Salesforce, HCL, Shopify, Sitecore, BigCommerce, commerce tools and Acquia. Our reputation is based on our people, and we believe we have some of the best in the business. As our business grows internationally, we’re looking for new people to join us on our journey to inspire and take a key role in shaping some of the best commerce solutions, services, and websites in the world. Working as a team, no problem is insurmountable; we share in our client’s successes and believe that anyone can show creative bravery no matter what their role is in the team.

WPP (VML Enterprise Solutions) is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to 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.