Planning Director

WPP is the creative transformation company. We use the power of creativity to build better futures for our people, planet, clients and communities. For more information, visit wpp.com.

WPP Media is WPP’s global media collective. In a world where media is everywhere and in everything, we bring the best platform, people, and partners together to create limitless opportunities for growth. For more information, visit wppmedia.com.

Wavemaker positively provokes growth for clients by reshaping consumer decision-making and experiences through media, content, and technology. Our name is both our mission and our method. We do our best work for brave brands and people who relish being challenged to go further and faster, together.

Role Summary and Impact

The planning team are the guardians of creating industry leading, unrivalled work at Wavemaker. We are central conduits to all specialists, striving to push boundaries and have a positive impact on consumers and brand. Wavemaker UK is looking for a Planning Director to join our growing planning team, to drive planning across specific clients and be a media planning expert.

Media planning craft:

• Develop an advanced understanding of media channels, channel ecosystems and planning best practices.
• Start to translate strategic approach into planning practices for specific client briefs and pitches.
• Have an advanced understanding of Wavemaker’s Purchase Journey thinking and planning philosophy across all client work.
• Have an expert overview of the media market landscape, trends and start to build media owner relationships.

Campaign management & effective communication:

• Oversee campaign management, ensuring quality control and output is of the highest standard.
• Build and maintain client and agency relationships at a mid-senior level, to ensure a comprehensive understanding of stakeholders and client business.

Comms planning and storytelling:

• Own planning presentations including defining the inputs needed and working with the wider teams to compile work and meet deadlines.
• Lead brainstorm and idea creation for campaigns.
• Start to independently problem solve, including integrating and questioning data and insights and find solutions based on knowledge and experience.

Skills And Experience

At WPP Media, we believe in the power of our culture and our people. It’s what elevates us to deliver exceptional experiences for both our clients and each other. In this role it will be critical to embrace WPP & WPP Media’s shared core values:

• Be Extraordinary by Leading Collectively to Inspire transformational Creativity.
• Create an Open environment by Balancing People and Client Experiences by Cultivating Trust.
• Lead Optimistically by Championing Growth and Development to Mobilize the Enterprise.

Practice Area Knowledge -Skilled-

• Develops breadth and depth of industry understanding.
• Becomes confident using tools, technology, techniques and systems and is able to train others.
• Comfortable presenting both direct from platform and developing a story from data.
• Can confidently answer client questions and liaise with internal teams on best solutions to use.

Problem Solving – Skilled -

• Uses critical questioning and maintains a broad perspective when analyzing information to gain a deeper understanding of the problem and wider impact.
• Quickly generates appropriate solutions informed by previous experience.
• Understands how to resolve escalated issues and supports others to problem solve.

Stakeholder Relationships – Skilled -

• Has an expert knowledge of client and agency structures.
• Can identify key decision makers and understands their perspectives which is used to build relationships.
• Identifies strategic issues and raises questions to help stakeholders explore and understand their wider business challenges.

Effective Communication -Advanced-

• Leads the delivery of relevant and accurate information to drive maximum impact.
• Consistently delivers communications to influence and educate all levels of seniority.
• Creatively develops presentations and comms to help with the understanding/education of complex information.

Campaign Management – Advanced -

• Reviews the work of others to ensure accuracy and thoroughness objectives have been met.
• Applies best practice to campaign management and acts as the escalation point for issues.
• Provides actionable insights during mid and post campaign reports to improve in-flight optimizations and future campaign brief recommendations.

Compelling Storytelling – Skilled -

• Applies big picture thinking in work and proactively leverages an understanding of the organization and key industry trends.
• Designs differentiated communications for various internal and external audiences.

Ideas Creation – Advanced -

• Lead new projects/activities that can create ideas to deliver effective solutions to clients business objectives.
• Ability to proactively generate ideas to provoke and deliver against broader business strategies.

Comms Planning – Skilled -

• Applies knowledge of client, audience, channel, market and category to effectively deliver compelling multi-media plans.
• Translates learnings and trends to create marketing communication strategies that are effective with clear measurement.

Life at WPP Media & Benefits

Our passion for shaping the next era of media includes investing in our employees to help them do their best work. WPP Media employees can tap into the global WPP Media & WPP networks to pursue their passions, grow their networks, and learn at the cutting edge of marketing and advertising. We have a variety of employee resource groups and host frequent in-office events showcasing team wins, sharing thought leadership, and celebrating holidays and milestone events.

WPP Media is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to particular characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.

Please note this is a UK based role and requires individuals to have the right to work in this location.