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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Transform strategic ideas into impactful investment plans that drive client growth.
- Company: Dynamic agency focused on innovative media strategies and collaborative culture.
- Benefits: Flexible working options, competitive salary, and opportunities for professional development.
- Other info: Join a forward-thinking team with a focus on continuous learning and excellence.
- Why this job: Be a key player in shaping marketing effectiveness and driving real business results.
- Qualifications: Strong analytical skills and experience in budget management and strategic communication.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 ÂŁ per year.
Role Purpose
The Media Planning Director is the bridge between big-picture strategy and real-world results. You will translate strategic thinking into integrated, outcome-led investment plans that help our clients grow. By connecting high-level direction with practical, performance-driven budget allocation, you ensure every pound spent is commercially robust and grounded in marketing effectiveness.
Your Impact
- Strategic Translation: You turn complex strategic thinking and business objectives into clear, structured, and compelling investment narratives that stakeholders—from marketing teams to C‑Suite and private equity—can get behind.
- Commercial Growth: You drive successful new business wins and organic growth by creating investment plans that are persuasive, measurement-informed, and grounded in audience insight.
- Effectiveness Leadership: You ensure marketing effectiveness isn’t an afterthought by embedding measurement frameworks and incrementality testing into the heart of every plan.
- Market Advantage: You unlock competitive edges for our clients by building deep relationships with Alpha Partners to access early innovations, new formats, and smarter trading dynamics.
- Collective Excellence: You raise the bar for the entire agency by developing best-practice templates and coaching others to pitch investment plans to an elite standard.
What Success Looks Like In 6 Months
- Trusted Partner: You have built strong, collaborative relationships across Media, Creative, and Data teams, becoming a go‑to partner for turning strategy into action.
- Systemic Consistency: You have established centralised, consistent operational systems and templates for investment planning across the business.
- Impactful Wins: Your investment plans have directly contributed to at least one significant new business win or a major organic growth milestone for an existing client.
- Co-Intelligence: You are working co‑intelligently with our HI/AI workforce, using tools like Media Optimiser and RISE to sharpen audience strategy and channel prioritisation.
Capabilities You’ll Bring
- Strategic Logic: The ability to articulate the “why” behind budget allocation with authority and clarity.
- Analytical Confidence: Comfort working with budgets, forecasting models, and ROI dynamics without losing sight of the strategic perspective.
- Data‑Led Decision Making: A knack for turning data from tools (like YouGov or Nielsen) and research into decisive, actionable investment opportunities.
- Influential Communication: The ability to simplify the complex and persuade diverse audiences, adapting your narrative to suit the room.
- Outcome‑Obsession: A natural focus on marketing effectiveness, attribution, and growth goals.
Your Outputs & Results
- Investment Frameworks: Highly structured, commercially sound investment plans for pitches and client growth.
- Measurement Blueprints: Integrated measurement and measurement frameworks aligned specifically to client growth objectives.
- Standardised Toolkits: Best-practice investment planning templates used consistently across the agency.
- Knowledge Sharing: Regular coaching sessions and upskilling materials for the Client Leadership team.
- Proven Success: A portfolio of case studies and award‑worthy work where your plans delivered measurable impact.
Role Details
- Your coach: Managing Partner - Media Strategy
- You will lead: n/a (Focus on cross‑functional influence and coaching)
- Location: Manchester & Hybrid / Remote First
- Hours / Days: Full Time (5 days per week)
- Specifics for this role: Occasional travel to meet partners or attend pitches may be required.
- Estimated Start Date: 01/07/2026
The Standards We All Hold Each Other To
- Demonstrate and be committed to growing the Open Partners mindset
- Live our values:
- Smarter: Aim high, train hard, embrace next
- Faster: Learn fast, adapt fast, act fast
- Better: Think, say and do what’s best
Media Planning Director in Manchester employer: Open Partners
Contact Detail:
Open Partners Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Media Planning Director in Manchester
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the industry. Attend events, join online forums, and don’t be shy about reaching out to potential colleagues on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings!
✨Tip Number 2
Showcase your expertise! Create a portfolio that highlights your best work and demonstrates your strategic thinking. When you apply through our website, make sure to include links to case studies or projects that showcase your ability to drive commercial growth.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by understanding the company’s goals and how you can contribute. Research their recent campaigns and think about how your skills can help them achieve their objectives. This will show you’re not just another candidate but someone who’s genuinely interested in making an impact.
✨Tip Number 4
Follow up after interviews! A quick thank-you email can go a long way in keeping you top of mind. Use this opportunity to reiterate your enthusiasm for the role and mention something specific from the conversation that resonated with you.
We think you need these skills to ace Media Planning Director in Manchester
Some tips for your application 🫡
Know Your Audience: Before you start writing, think about who will be reading your application. Tailor your language and examples to resonate with the Media Planning Director role, showing that you understand the strategic and commercial aspects of the position.
Showcase Your Impact: When detailing your experience, focus on the results you've achieved. Use specific metrics or outcomes to illustrate how your investment plans have driven growth or improved effectiveness in previous roles. We love numbers!
Be Clear and Concise: Keep your application straightforward and to the point. Avoid jargon unless it’s relevant to the role. We appreciate clarity, so make sure your narrative flows logically and is easy for us to follow.
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 the role. Plus, it shows you’re keen to join our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Open Partners
✨Know Your Numbers
As a Media Planning Director, you'll need to be comfortable with budgets and ROI dynamics. Brush up on your financial acumen before the interview. Be ready to discuss how you've used data to inform investment decisions in past roles.
✨Craft Your Narrative
You’ll need to translate complex strategies into compelling investment narratives. Prepare a few examples of how you've done this in the past, focusing on how you simplified complex ideas for diverse audiences. This will showcase your influential communication skills.
✨Showcase Your Collaborative Spirit
This role is all about building relationships across teams. Think of specific instances where you've successfully collaborated with creative or data teams to drive results. Highlighting these experiences will demonstrate your ability to be a trusted partner.
✨Emphasise Measurement and Effectiveness
Since marketing effectiveness is key, come prepared with examples of how you've embedded measurement frameworks into your plans. Discuss any tools you've used, like Media Optimiser, to show your data-led decision-making prowess.