Director, Paid Media in London

Position Overview

The Director, Paid Media at WeDiscover is a multifaceted role encompassing media strategy, delivery excellence and senior client leadership. We expect candidates to have significant experience leading multi-functional teams. Paid Search and Paid Social experience is essential, with SEO, Video, Programmatic and Affiliate preferred. Experience across creative design, data science, analytics or product is beneficial. This role is strategic by design and oversees a group of clients (a pod). Candidates should demonstrate both depth and breadth of expertise, developing comprehensive marketing strategies and driving results across ad formats and platforms.

You will organise and critique projects, media planning and budgeting, ensuring your pod executes targeted campaigns aligned with clients' marketing and business objectives while maintaining cohesion and effectiveness.

Key Responsibilities:

• Responsible for driving operational effectiveness & efficiency: Ensuring that client teams are driving impact as much as observing hygiene best practices. We, as an agency, are interested in the quality over quantity of work - our approach to strategy and activation should reflect this mantra.
• Designing sustainable ways of working that protect quality, pace, and team focus—so the pod consistently delivers client outcomes. Optimises for impact and quality of thinking, not activity volume.
• Challenging current industry "best practices" and constantly seeking new information, devising new solutions to solve client marketing challenges and working with departmental heads to implement learnings across service provisions.
• An always-on approach to collaboration with the Tech and Product teams to solve repeatable challenges in a scalable manner - our approach as an agency requires significant proactivity here to aid results.
• Ownership of media strategy and planning: Responsible and accountable for the creation and delivery of media strategy across their client set - working with channel teams to concept ideas and execute.
• Setting strategy and operational frameworks for your pod, enabling them to deliver on goals effectively and to the high standards expected of our agency.
• Able to coordinate, combine and deliver multi-channel responses (across paid search, paid social, video and SEO) for clients that are both clear and cohesive in solving for a client goal - it is essential that media departments respond as one, not in silo.
• Excellent understanding of paid media channels and how to deploy them based on client objectives - it is imperative that the Director, Paid Media is able to communicate the benefits of different channels and campaign types to their teams and clients together.
• Supports new business through strategic input, credibility in pitches, and shaping the delivery approach (scope, outcomes, measurement, operating model).
• Client relationship management: Own senior client relationships (Director to C-suite), positioning WeDiscover as a strategic partner and sustaining long-term partnerships.
• Manage conversations around resourcing and deliverables to ensure expectations are met.
• Proactively plan ahead of client requests to deliver effective outcomes.
• Maintain high standards of professionalism across team communications.
• Understand commercials and contractual terms to manage expectations, mitigate risk and protect outcomes.
• Review client contracts annually against resourcing expectations and capabilities.
• Negotiate contracts where appropriate to deliver commercial growth.
• Produce multi-channel proposals across current and new service provisions.
• Identify opportunities to broaden impact across services where it genuinely improves results, building a clear value case and delivery plan.
• Responsible for working across media functions to drive alignment: Work closely with Heads of Department to streamline operational processes and improve efficiency.
• Collaborate with other Directors, Paid Media to share learnings and solutions to common challenges, championing cross-agency collaboration.
• Support Product and Technology teams in shaping roadmaps based on client challenges and commercial opportunities.
• Continuously improve communication and contextual understanding across media teams to enhance decision-making and accelerate action.
• Representing WeDiscover: Mentor senior media team members to drive innovation and quality.
• Build trust through candour, rigour and high standards.
• Present internally and at industry events, championing agency capabilities and culture.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, reinforcing our culture of high performance and impact.

Behaviours & Attitudes:

• Client Value & Delivery Stewardship: Translate broad marketing and business briefs into clear, outcome-led plans. Define objectives, KPIs and measurement approaches. Prioritise high-impact work and set a delivery rhythm that protects quality. Make sensible trade-offs on scope, timelines and resourcing, communicating transparently so clients and teams stay aligned. Where expansion opportunities exist, build the case based on client value and delivery feasibility.
• Engaged Leadership: Lead from the front with visibility and proactivity. Set a clear vision that teams and clients buy into. Manage multiple projects assertively - clarity is kindness.
• Exceptional Organisation: Link preparation to proactivity. Manage expectations and sequencing of work with structure and clarity. Communicate precisely what needs to be done, and why.
• Interpersonal Skills: Build deep relationships with stakeholders across client organisations. Translate complex ideas into accessible narratives to drive buy-in and execution. Lead by example.
• Mentoring & Enablement: Develop high-performing teams capable of delivering innovative solutions. Raise standards across teams and clients. Act with integrity, humility and impact focus in furthering WeDiscover's mission.

We believe in creating an environment where teams can build lasting relationships, helping mentor the next generation of performance marketing experts here at WeDiscover. You should embody values like humility and trustworthiness, nurturing brilliance, being impact focused and proving fast. We are seeking people who can act with integrity and be deliberate in their actions to further WeDiscover's mission.

Why Work At WeDiscover:

• In return for your work, time and skills, we offer a competitive salary and some additional benefits:
• Significant Career Advancement: Be part of a fast-growing agency where your contributions will have a direct impact on our growth and culture. You'll have the opportunity to shape the direction of the business, joining at a pivotal stage in our journey.
• Equity in the Business: Gain ownership in WeDiscover through our EMI Options Scheme, allowing you to share in the success you help create.
• Work Flexibility: hybrid working - typically 1-2 days in the office per week, but as needed.
• Top of the Range Tools: We provide top-quality equipment, including a high-spec laptop, screens, and access to our bespoke technology, ensuring you have everything you need to succeed.
• Generous Time Off: Enjoy 28 days of annual leave (plus the usual).