Account Manager, Search in Manchester

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.

About WPP 650

Join an award-winning team at the heart of UK government, where your work will genuinely shape lives. As part of WPP 650 you’ll be part of a supportive, collaborative environment that values curiosity, kindness, and growth. Together, we use behaviour change principles to design smarter services, influence better decisions, and help millions of people across the country. Named WPP 650, after the 650 UK parliamentary constituencies, the name is a reminder that our work must reflect the full breadth of the country, every community, every audience. No two days are the same. The challenges are complex, the problems worth solving, and the learning constant. You’ll tackle issues that matter, alongside talented colleagues who care deeply about what they do. It’s demanding – but always rewarding. This is meaningful work with real-world impact – the kind you can point to with pride.

Role Summary and Impact

As a Paid Search Account Manager, you will own the day-to-day execution of all elements of paid search activity, leveraging strong platform knowledge and supplier relationships to deliver flawless testing, media plans, optimization, and analysis. You will manage and mentor team members, overseeing their work and their development to successfully execute client deliverables and exceed client expectations. You will act as a key point of contact for colleagues supporting campaign delivery, proactively seeking both tactical and strategic optimization opportunities, contributing to campaign strategy and translating it into effective delivery.

Reporting Structure: Reports to Paid Search Account Director.

Key Responsibilities

• Line Management: Manage one or several team members, overseeing their work and development to successfully execute client deliverables. Provide coaching and support, ensuring workloads are effectively managed.
• Campaign Management: Effectively manage your and your team’s designated search accounts, ensuring ongoing and timely optimization and proactively identifying tactical and strategic opportunities and forecasting. Take responsibility for wider client or team deliverables (such as performance commentary or weekly reporting) and guide team members on effective execution. Ensure adherence to Paid Search channel best practices for clients and contribute to the development of search best practice.
• Client & Partner Management: Develop strong relationships with colleagues supporting campaign delivery, your client, and key suppliers, leading team communications and building rapport to become a trusted advisor. Demonstrate strong knowledge of the client sector/industry, identifying strategic issues and raising questions to help stakeholders explore and understand their wider business challenges.
• People Development: Act as a motivational manager, leading by example while encouraging and coaching team members, providing feedback and recognition for a job well done. Delegate and manage workloads across team members, whilst supporting and educating planning teams on the benefits and purpose of paid search. Assist with the recruitment process for the immediate and wider team when required, attending interviews and acting as an ambassador for the team.
• Operational Excellence: Making full use of the technology available, implementing processes and practices that maximize operational efficiencies whilst identifying opportunities for process improvement, and providing recommendations. Takes ownership of issues when they arise and proactively suggests ways to resolve these and prevent them from happening in the future. Contributes to the development of strategic revenue and services opportunities.

Skills and Experience

• Paid Search Expertise: Proven experience in Paid Search, with current certifications (Google and Microsoft Ads). Excellent knowledge of bid management, core PPC technology platforms, data analysis, and understanding of strategic/tactical application of Paid Search.
• Leadership & Innovation: Leads and promotes continuous innovation, and test & learn opportunities for the team and clients. Creates a positive climate to drive team performance whilst motivating others to strive for continuous improvement.
• Analytical & Strategic: Strong analytical skills with an aptitude for handling data. Ability to devise campaign strategy and translate it into campaign delivery.
• People Management: Proven experience managing individuals, overseeing their work and development, and motivating team members.
• Client & Partner Management: Strong relationship-building skills with clients, colleagues supporting campaign delivery, and key suppliers; ability to foster good working relationships across client teams.
• Communication: Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to communicate effectively with people from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and countries.
• Mindset: Passionate about Paid Search, leading by example, and driving continuous improvement.

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.

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, and we’re just as committed to employee growth as we are to responsible media investment. 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. Our benefits include 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 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. We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. 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 this is a UK based role and requires individuals to have the right to work in this location.