At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and innovate media planning strategies for top brands at Havas Media.
- Company: Join Havas Media, a leader in creating Meaningful Media.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, career growth, and a vibrant work culture.
- Why this job: Shape the future of media planning and drive impactful solutions.
- Qualifications: Proven leadership in media planning and strong strategic thinking.
- Other info: Dynamic environment with opportunities to collaborate across global teams.
The predicted salary is between 43200 - 72000 £ per year.
Overview
Office Location: Havas Village, 3 Pancras Sq., London, N1C 4AG, U.K.
Our Ambition
At Havas Media Network we create Meaningful Media that drives growth for the world's most ambitious brands. Guided by our values—Human at Heart, Head for Rigour, and Mind for Flair—we embed genuine human insight, data-driven discipline and creative daring into everything we do.
Role Overview
We are seeking a dynamic, visionary, and effective Media Planner to lead, develop and drive the planning discipline within Havas Media UK. You will be responsible for driving media planning excellence, developing the agency's planning proposition, designing the required capability development and mentoring the teams to deliver impactful, creative and effective media solutions for our clients.
You will serve as a key strategic partner to our clients and agency leadership, ensuring that our planning output remains innovative, integrated, and grounded in meaningful, business outcomes. You will be a self-starter, able to work proactively to enthuse and inspire those around you with a passion for industry-leading media planning. You will set the standard for media thinking within the agency with a strong knowledge of all media channels and planning techniques. You will be a team player, working in close collaboration with strategy, activation, creative, and data teams both within Havas Media UK but also across the wider Havas Media Network. Most importantly, you will love what you do, bringing energy, enthusiasm and expertise to drive the evolution of our planning work.
Key Responsibilities
- Leadership & Vision
- Set the vision for planning and ensure alignment with wider agency strategy, changing consumer behaviours, emerging platforms, and market trends to give us and our clients competitive edge.
- Lead the development and execution of best-in-class media planning strategies across all clients.
- Champion Havas Media's "Meaningful Media" philosophy and work alongside the strategic lead to embed it within planning culture and processes.
- Collaborate with the Head of Digital Strategy and Planning to integrate digital, data, and technology, including AI, thinking into broader communications planning.
- Team Development & Management
- Set a clear plan for planning capability growth within the agency, identifying commercial opportunities for increasing headcount.
- Manage, mentor, and inspire a team of media planners at all levels.
- Identify skills gaps, support career development, and foster a high-performance culture.
- Work closely with HR and Senior leadership to attract and retain top planning talent.
- Client Strategy & Advisory
- Act as senior strategic advisor for key clients, building strong C-level relationships.
- Create and identify opportunities for business growth through our diversified services within HMN or across the Havas Village.
- Lead by example in translating client business objectives into actionable media strategies that drive measurable impact.
- Collaborate with client leadership teams and specialist teams (e.g., digital, data, creative) to deliver fully integrated planning solutions.
- Innovation & Integration
- Drive innovation in planning methodologies, tools, and processes identifying opportunities for capability development where appropriate.
- Foster collaboration across the Havas Media Network and Havas Village ecosystem to deliver integrated media and creative solutions.
- Work together with Havas Media Global network across clients and new business to ensure best in class usage of Global capabilities.
- Evaluate and implement emerging planning technologies and data-driven insights.
- Reputation and relationships
- Work with the CPSO and Agency leadership to shape external agency positioning and narrative for planning.
- Build senior relationships with key media partners to create deeper partner engagement and provide unique opportunities for our clients.
- Drive external recognition of our work via industry awards programmes.
- Contribute to thought leadership, sharing perspectives both internally and externally.
- Commercial & Operational Excellence
- Ensure planning solutions are commercially viable and aligned with client goals.
- Take a lead role in new business pitches and contribute to organic agency growth across diversified services.
- Own the usage and development plan of Converged.AI within the agency ensuring efficient and effective utilisation as well as a clear narrative for the planning enhancements made possible by the platform.
- Manage and track all planning time ensuring FTE deployment aligns with resourcing model across clients.
- Work with investment teams to ensure planning recommendations are aligned with trading requirements.
Contract Type: Permanent
EEO Statement
Here at Havas across the group we pride ourselves on being committed to offering equal opportunities to all potential employees and have zero tolerance for discrimination. We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome applicants irrespective of age, sex, race, ethnicity, disability and other factors that have no bearing on an individual's ability to perform their job.
Head of Planning in London employer: HAVAS
Contact Detail:
HAVAS Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Planning in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with industry folks on LinkedIn or at events. The more people you know, the better your chances of landing that Head of Planning role.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your expertise! Prepare a portfolio showcasing your best media planning projects. When you get that interview, use it to demonstrate how you can drive innovation and excellence at Havas Media.
✨Tip Number 3
Be proactive! Don’t just wait for job openings to pop up. Reach out directly to Havas Media and express your interest in the Head of Planning position. A little initiative goes a long way!
✨Tip Number 4
Stay updated on industry trends! Read up on the latest in media planning and be ready to discuss how you can integrate new strategies into Havas Media’s approach. Knowledge is power!
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Planning in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion: When writing your application, let your enthusiasm for media planning shine through! We want to see how much you love what you do and how that passion can drive our agency forward.
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your application to reflect the specific requirements of the Head of Planning role. Highlight your experience with media strategies and how they align with our 'Meaningful Media' philosophy.
Be Clear and Concise: Keep your application straightforward and to the point. We appreciate clarity, so make sure your skills and experiences are easy to understand and directly relevant to the role.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to submit your application through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for this exciting opportunity!
How to prepare for a job interview at HAVAS
✨Know Your Media Inside Out
As a Head of Planning, you need to demonstrate a strong grasp of various media channels and planning techniques. Brush up on the latest trends and innovations in media planning, and be ready to discuss how you can integrate these into Havas Media's strategies.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
This role requires you to lead and inspire a team. Prepare examples of how you've successfully managed teams in the past, focusing on mentoring and developing talent. Highlight your ability to foster a high-performance culture and how you plan to do this at Havas Media.
✨Align with Their Vision
Familiarise yourself with Havas Media's 'Meaningful Media' philosophy. Be prepared to discuss how you can champion this approach within the agency and how it aligns with your own values and vision for media planning.
✨Prepare for Client Strategy Discussions
As a senior strategic advisor, you'll need to build strong relationships with clients. Think about how you've translated client objectives into actionable strategies before, and come ready to share specific examples that demonstrate your impact on business growth.