Planning Manager in London

We help brands make BOLD MOVES. Nowadays, brands want rapid, spectacular growth and they expect media to deliver it. Clients used to give us media briefs that said “deliver 80% awareness” or “give me an impactful Christmas campaign.” Now we hear:

• Take me from 4th to 1st in my category
• Help me grow 10% in a market declining 10%
• Make me the most loved brand in my industry

These are huge asks of media, that can’t be met through tweaking the media plan of two years ago. Decades of advertising research prove that without a big change, large brands stay large and small brands stay small. This is why Zenith helps brands make BOLD MOVES.

Bold moves are big, brave changes to media strategy, delivering more impact for brands and more value for consumers. Bold moves are backed up with a solid forecast – they are a better path to growth. Bold moves build a partnership – we believe in this approach so much we link our growth to your success. Bold Moves bring bigger ROI. This approach works for our clients, our people and consumers – it’s why we are recognised as the UK’s best media agency.

Our Commitment

At Zenith UK, we believe that fostering an inclusive culture where all talent can thrive makes our company stronger. It enables a greater idea exchange, which fosters innovation and creativity, and enriches our perspective. We are committed to Publicis Groupe’s wide variety of talent engagement and inclusion programming, and encourage our people to take an active role in continuing to drive positive change within our agency.

Overview

You’ll be working across two client portfolios; a global pharmaceutical leader with a strong UK presence and a long-standing heritage of innovation, and a creative, independent film company known for its focus on storytelling, cultural relevance and audience engagement. The pharmaceutical client's work spans prescription medicines and vaccines, requiring a highly compliant, audience-first approach to media planning. Campaigns engage both specialist healthcare professionals and broader consumer audiences, balancing long-term brand building with key business-critical objectives. For the independent film company, their work spans theatrical releases and digital distribution, requiring a thoughtful and equally audience-first media approach. Campaigns are tailored to defined film audiences, from broad entertainment viewers to niche, passion-driven communities, with planning across upper-funnel channels including AV, OOH, audio and partnerships, often tied to launch-driven, time-critical release moments.

Responsibilities

• Support the Planning Director in delivering clear, insight-driven media responses across multiple Pharma brands.
• Be the day-to-day lead on campaign planning and delivery, ensuring accuracy, quality and compliance at every stage.
• Own smaller briefs end-to-end from initial response through to activation and post campaign reporting.
• Identify proactive media opportunities.
• Work closely with Execs to ensure smooth campaign delivery and high operational standards.
• Contribute to ongoing learning agendas by sharing insights and best practices across the team.

Qualifications

• Experience in media planning, ideally with prior knowledge of regulated or complex categories.
• Previous pharmaceutical or healthcare experience is beneficial but not essential.
• Strong understanding of integrated media planning principles.
• Confident working with data, insight and performance reporting.
• Highly organised with strong attention to detail.
• Clear communicator, comfortable working with clients and cross‑functional teams.

Additional information

Zenith UK has fantastic benefits on offer to all of our employees, full details of which are shared when you join. This includes the classics like Pension, Life Assurance, Private Medical, as well as Reflection Days, Shared Parental Leave, and spans other initiatives. At Zenith UK, we are proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, and do not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, nationality, religion or belief, disability, age, citizenship, relationship status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other protected characteristic. We are committed to providing a fair, accessible, and inclusive recruitment process. If you have any access needs - for example, related to disability, neurodivergence, or a health condition - please let us know. We’ll work with you to ensure the process works for you. Sharing this information will never impact your application. Guided by our values, we listen with empathy, uplift each other, take responsibility, and embrace change – building a culture where everyone feels seen, respected, and genuinely included.