Associate Director, Applied Analytics in London

About WPP Media

WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. With exceptional talent, trusted data and intelligence, and world-class partnerships – all united by our pioneering agentic marketing platform, WPP Open – we help clients navigate change, capture opportunity, and deliver transformational growth. WPP Media is WPP's AI-driven media operating unit, bringing together media, data, and partnerships to deliver creative personalisation at scale. Connected through WPP Open and powered by Open Intelligence, clients see exactly where, how, and why their media investment is working.

The Analytics Associate Director will play a pivotal role in the dedicated analytics team supporting the Tesco account. Crucially, the Associate Director will champion the use of Tesco's rich first-party transactional and loyalty data to design, implement, and analyse rigorous test-and-learn frameworks (including matched-market testing and randomized control trials) to prove the incremental impact of marketing activity. This role requires a blend of hands-on analytical expertise, retail commercial acumen, client engagement, and mentorship of junior team members.

• Client Leadership: Act as the key analytical partner for Tesco, translating commercial and marketing briefs into actionable, data-driven measurement methodologies.
• Strategic Advisory: Lead dialogues with senior Tesco marketing stakeholders and internal agency planning teams, leveraging expert knowledge of retail trends, consumer behaviour, and marketing effectiveness.
• Effectiveness Integration: Ensure that measurement, incremental testing, and business KPIs are integrated as core considerations at all stages of the media planning cycle, from strategy development through to activation.

Strategic Measurement & First-Party Data Delivery:

• Closed-Loop & Incremental Testing: Lead the design, implementation, and analysis of marketing tests (e.g., A/B testing, geo-matched market tests, and randomized control trials) leveraging Tesco’s first-party transactional and Clubcard data to isolate the true incremental lift of media channels.
• Measurement Frameworks: Lead the development of comprehensive campaign measurement and KPI frameworks, defining clear definitions of commercial success (such as ROI, CPA, brand health, and customer lifetime value).
• Methodology Recommendation: Recommend the most appropriate suite of measurement methodologies, combining predictive modelling (e.g., MMM), digital attribution, and first-party loyalty data matching.
• Measurement Audits: Conduct regular audits of Tesco's measurement capabilities, prioritising and recommending improvements to data pipelines and test-and-learn setups.
• Insight Narrative: Take ownership of learning agendas, distilling the complexity of multiple data sources and test results into highly commercial, executive-friendly narratives that identify what drove sales, what built brand equity, and how to optimise future budgets.

Commercial Growth & Innovation:

• First-Party Data Innovation: Proactively identify and explore innovative ways to leverage first-party datasets, retail media clean rooms (e.g., InfoSum, Habu), and retailer-loop feedback to enhance campaign effectiveness.
• Business Case Development: Contribute to building business cases for incremental investment in advanced effectiveness tools and bespoke data science solutions.
• Industry Representation: Stay at the forefront of retail media, privacy-first measurement, and industry best practices.

Team Leadership & Development:

• Mentorship: Manage, mentor, and inspire junior team members on a day-to-day basis, fostering their technical skills and commercial consulting abilities.
• Thought Leadership: Contribute to thought leadership promoting excellence in retail analytics, first-party data activation, and privacy-safe measurement within WPP Media and the wider industry.

Skills and Experience:

• Educational Background: Strong analytical background, typically with a Bachelor’s degree in a quantitative field (Mathematics, Statistics, Economics, Data Science, or a business/marketing equivalent with strong quantitative modules).
• Proven Experience: Experience in marketing effectiveness, media measurement, and advanced analytics, preferably with exposure to retail, FMCG, or subscription-based businesses.
• Test Design Expertise: Proven experience designing, executing, and evaluating matched-market testing, A/B testing, and regional media test-and-learn frameworks.
• First-Party Data Literacy: Experience working with large-scale first-party datasets, CRM/loyalty data (such as Clubcard/Dunnhumby), or Retail Media Networks is highly advantageous.
• Measurement Toolkit: Deep knowledge of marketing mix modelling (MMM), digital attribution, brand lift studies, and data clean room technologies.
• Technical & Tool Proficiency: Advanced Excel skills for data manipulation and analysis are required. Familiarity with data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, PowerBI) is highly desirable. Experience with industry planning and tracking tools (e.g., YouGov, TGI, IPA Touchpoints) is preferred but secondary to data/analytics capabilities.
• Retail & Commercial Acumen: Strong understanding of retail economics, online-to-offline customer journeys, and commercial drivers.
• Communication: Exceptional communication and presentation skills, with a proven ability to translate complex statistical methodologies and data points into clear, commercial, and compelling narratives for senior retail stakeholders.
• Data Privacy: Strong understanding of UK data governance, GDPR compliance, and privacy-safe data sharing practices (especially concerning first-party customer matching).

Life at WPP Media & Benefits:

Our passion for shaping the next era of media is powered by our commitment to be extraordinary, investing in our employees to inspire transformational creativity. We also lead optimistically, firmly believing in and championing growth and development for every individual. This commitment allows WPP Media employees to leverage the extensive global WPP Media & WPP networks to pursue their passions, build vital professional connections, and learn at the cutting edge of marketing and advertising. We create an open environment built on trust and respect, where everyone feels they belong and has opportunities to progress. This inclusive culture is fostered through a variety of employee resource groups and frequent in-office events showcasing team wins, sharing thought leadership, and celebrating holidays and milestone events. Our comprehensive benefits package reflects this commitment, including competitive medical, group retirement plans, vision, and dental insurance, significant paid time off, preferential partner discounts, and employee mental health awareness days. WPP Media is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to characteristics. We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection in this open and supportive environment. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office around four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process. Please note that while our philosophy is the same across WPP, benefits may vary by office/country. Please note this is a UK based role and requires individuals to have the right to work in this location.