Media Activation Lead in London

In a nutshell…

We are seeking an experienced exceptional Media Activation Lead on a fixed term contract until December 2026. You will oversee and advance auction media strategy across programmatic, search, and social channels for an end-client global organisation. Your mission is to help the client scale safely — unlocking greater volumes of biddable inventory and investment whilst maintaining rigorous brand safety, governance, and compliance standards. This is a role for someone who thrives at the intersection of strategy and execution, bridging global ambition with local market realities.

What you’ll be doing…

Working directly with the end-client's global media leadership team, local markets, media agencies, and other stakeholders, you'll ensure the client's media strategy elevates in line with advancing best practices in programmatic, search, and social.

This role requires deep technical expertise in the evolving landscape of biddable media, data-driven marketing, and the platforms and technologies that power modern auction-based buying. Although this position sits within our client, the day-to-day role operates as 'agency in-house', working directly with the end-client’s media leadership team. You'll collaborate alongside an in-house team of experts and agency personnel to deliver your skills and capabilities in line with market requirements and global client needs.

Auction Media Strategy & Activation

• Design and deliver consistent advances in the client's approach to auction media (programmatic, search, and social) across local media teams and agencies, aligned with existing media strategy and biddable marketing guidelines.
• Collaborate with the rostered media agency to advance the client's approach across markets, helping scale best practices, increase investments, and drive measurable improvements in outcomes.
• Interface with leading programmatic vendors, search platforms (e.g., Google, Microsoft), social platforms (e.g., Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn), and relevant tech and data partners to unlock opportunities and innovation.
• Work with the client's media leadership team to evolve existing best practice guidelines, helping the client scale safely by unlocking greater volumes of biddable inventory without breaching brand safety codes.
• Provide innovative solutions to elevate and advance the client's approach to auction media, identifying new opportunities for growth and efficiency.
• Ensure brand compliance measures are built into the media practice.
• Support the client's media leadership on broader media transformation efforts, including continuing the drive to increase biddable and data-driven investment across markets.
• Support the marketing effectiveness team in evaluating the effectiveness of auction media channels and partners using the client's in-house media performance methodology.
• Keep up to date with the latest programmatic, search, social, product, and technology innovations, translating trends into actionable insights and recommendations for the client.
• Think global, act local: Work with markets of differing maturity, challenges, and opportunities, collaborating to unlock cross-market growth whilst respecting local nuances.
• Act as a trusted partner, fostering open communication, transparency, and mutual accountability.

About You…

• Extensive proven senior-level experience in auction media, having led teams either agency or brand-side, and developed and rolled out programmatic, search, and social strategies across one or more brands.
• Highly knowledgeable in programmatic display, video, search (paid search, SEO, Answer Engine Optimisation), and social media buying (Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn, etc.).
• Deep and thorough understanding of auction media platforms, bidding technologies, data-driven marketing strategy, and the evolving media ecosystem.
• Proven track record of scaling biddable investment whilst maintaining brand safety, governance, and compliance standards.
• Constantly keeping up to date with the latest auction media, platform, and industry trends, with the ability to translate innovation into practical application.
• Ideally with a mixture of agency and client-side experience, able to navigate the complexities of both perspectives and collaborate effectively across stakeholders.
• Experience working in a global-local model, balancing central strategy with market-level execution and addressing varying levels of maturity and capability.

About Our Client

When brands act responsibly in the media and marketing environment, their success deepens. Responsible marketing is a broad set of criteria – from a baseline of standards in brand safety, governance, and compliance through to future-proofing endeavours in sustainability, inclusion and diversity, and ethical marketing practice. Our client’s success hinges on making media and creative fit for progress.

Their team’s passion for diversity, inclusion, sustainability, equality, and ethical practice through responsible marketing is what sets them apart. They help clients realise growth through media, digital, and marketing consultancy.

They are at an exciting and critical phase of growth and, as we evolve, they want to bring together more passionate people who share these values.

We're all about our business and our client's businesses reflecting the world around us, which means we embrace diversity and inclusion and promote equity and belonging. We want everyone to feel valued and we welcome applicants from all backgrounds and experiences. Apply as you are, because we'd love to hear from you