Planning Manager

Wavemaker UK is looking for a Planning Manager to join our growing planning team, to create impactful cross‑channel campaigns and build your media planning skills.

Media Planning Craft

• Develop an in‑depth understanding of media channels including where, when and how to use them based on the client brief.
• Have a skilled knowledge of Wavemaker and industry media planning tools and be able to train other team members.
• Have a skilled understanding of industry best practices and planning theory.
• Develop a fundamental knowledge of Wavemaker Purchase Journey thinking and Provocative Planning Philosophy.

Campaign Management

• Ownership of campaign activity including briefing teams, collating response, managing client’s deliverables, and ensuring accuracy across all workstreams.
• Work closely with the planning and activation teams to ensure the day‑to‑day account is run efficiently and effectively.
• Bring in specialist teams where needed to work on briefs and client questions.
• Ensure financial management processes are always excellent and met in a timely manner.

Effective Communication

• Become a trusted main day‑to‑day contact for junior clients, learning their business and ways of working.
• Support in managing Planning Executives to ensure they are on track with daily tasks, mentor and challenge them with new projects to develop their career.
• Start to develop a proactive problem‑solving mindset but know when to flag any issues or concerns with the Planning Director.

Skills And Experience

• Practice Area Knowledge – Skilled: Develop breadth and depth of industry understanding. Become confident using tools, technology, techniques and systems and is able to train others. Comfortable presenting both direct from platform (OS, Architect etc.) and developing a story from data but delivered outside of platform (Telmar etc.). Can confidently answer client questions and liaise with internal teams on best solutions to use.
• Problem Solving – Fundamental: Uses critical questioning and maintains a broad perspective when analysing 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. Supports or leads troubleshooting communication for issues.
• Stakeholder Relationships – Fundamental: Has a good understanding of how the agency operates and works with their clients. Knows about the client’s business and who the key decision makers are there. Has good understanding of agency and client and their business goals and challenges.
• Effective Communications – Skilled: Breaks down complex technical information into understandable language, guiding others on best practice. Uses knowledge and expertise to generate comprehensible, broadly‑applicable communications.
• Campaign Management – Skilled: Teaches others the importance of accuracy and thoroughness so that sufficiently detailed information is logged correctly. Manages and takes ownership of campaigns from start to completion, maintaining accurate pipeline and campaign information across elements of the plans.
• Compelling Storytelling – Skilled: Applies big picture thinking in work and proactively leverages an understanding of the organisation and key industry trends.
• Ideas Creation – Skilled: Regularly engages in new projects/activities that can help solve identified barriers or opportunities as part of planning.
• Comms Planning – Skilled: Applies knowledge of client, audience, channel, market and category to effectively deliver compelling multi‑media plans.

Life at WPP Media & Benefits

WPP Media is an equal‑opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to characteristics. The role is UK based and requires the right to work in the UK. WPP Media offers a comprehensive benefits package including competitive medical, group retirement plans, vision and dental insurance, significant paid time off, partner discounts and mental health awareness days.