Associate Director, Activation in London

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

Role Summary and Impact: The Activation Associate Director is a pivotal senior position within the WPP Media Solution Activation team, responsible for managing both people and advertising operations to achieve client and business objectives. This role involves leading a top-tier team, excelling in activation expertise, to deliver WPP Media Solutions. Additionally, the Associate Director oversees weekly and monthly forecasting of demand and supply. Reporting to an Activation Director, this role encompasses leadership of a dedicated agency/business segment and guidance of both onshore and offshore activation specialists.

Activation Excellence & Delivery:

• Oversee campaign pacing and performance within your team's remit.
• Oversight of successful end-to-end campaign activation for your assigned WPP Media Solutions portfolio.
• Serve as the primary stakeholder for key projects, overseeing their execution across the team.
• Guide and coach the activation team to deliver client outcomes.
• Oversee and coordinate the campaign lifecycle for Tier 1 clients, ensuring the team effectively handles setup, optimization, and reporting to achieve client goals.
• Support Client Leadership and Client Services to meet KPIs.
• Act as the voice of activation, offering programmatic expertise.
• Lead business projects to enhance solutions and servicing.
• Provide escalation support and technical troubleshooting for your assigned WPP Media Solutions portfolio.
• Report and elevate conflicts between best practice and client requirements.
• Collaborate with Client Services on targeting recommendations and forecasting.
• Implement data, AI, and analytics solutions with the Activation Director and Marketing Science.
• Contribute to AdTech Product Development with a focus on activation requirements.
• Handle troubleshooting and communication with technology partners.

Performance and Demand Management:

• Oversee campaign pacing and performance, forecast demand, and manage margins.
• Guide the team in recommending and implementing optimisations to achieve campaign KPIs.
• Guide and mentor team in investigation and resolution of delivery, performance issues and any discrepancies.
• Foster collaborative practices with internal and Operations teams to enhance client performance.
• Key stakeholder in monthly and weekly forecasting of demand and supply, in partnership with WPP Solutions and WPP Premium Supply.
• Conduct detailed analysis for monthly and weekly ADTV demand forecasts, communicate critical information to stakeholders, and manage issues, including portfolio management considering multiple clients and supply points.

Processes and Operational Efficiencies:

• Collaborate with the Director, Activation to refine processes and best practices, enhancing quality, efficiency, and accuracy across campaigns.
• Ensure your team adheres to established activation controls and best practices.
• Drive quality and efficiency through automation, offshoring, and specialist training and certification amongst others.
• Work with Associate Directors and stakeholders for cross-vertical and agency knowledge sharing.
• Deploy data, AI, and analytics working in collaboration with WPP Associate Directors to elevate campaign results.
• Integrate onshore and offshore hubs to ensure seamless collaboration in delivering client campaigns.
• Facilitate knowledge sharing and training, ensuring processes and best practices are well-documented and accessible.
• Monitor campaign delivery using available systems, addressing any recurring issues within your team.
• Coordinate with internal teams to align business processes with activation team needs and ensure compliance.
• Collaborate with Marketing Science and data teams to implement data, AI, and analytics solutions.
• Approval of supplier reconciliations from across the agency Patch.

Team & Culture:

• Act as the escalation point for your agency "patch", providing your team with support for troubleshooting, technical assistance, and serving as a liaison for your agency teams.
• Mentor team members and manage their performance.
• Uphold high standards of behaviour and professionalism.
• Collaborate effectively with WPP UK for campaign success.
• Focus on team career development, training and continuous improvement towards their goals.
• Oversee effective management of onshore and offshore teams and resources to achieve business objectives.
• Handle recruitment, onboarding, and training processes for new team members.
• Ensure your team maintain up-to-date market and technical knowledge, including platform certification.
• Drive accountability with clear performance KPIs.
• Foster a 'one team' ethos with WPP Solutions for client growth, locally and regionally.
• Encourage a culture of curiosity and learning through partner engagements.

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 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. While we appreciate all applications received, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. Please read our Privacy Notice for more information on how we process the information you provide.