Programmatic and Social Lead in London

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. Connected through WPP Open and powered by Open Intelligence, clients see exactly where, how, and why their media investment is working.

For more information, visit wppmedia.com.

2994 - Programmatic and Social Lead - GCS

Role Summary and Impact

MGM is a legacy Hollywood studio now operating as a subsidiary of Amazon, which acquired the company for $8.5 billion in 2022 and merged it with Amazon Studios. Today, it functions as a premium film and television production label, blending its historic legacy with Amazon's massive streaming platform. MGM releases multiple blockbuster films throughout the year.

Role Context:

• The Programmatic Director provides day-to-day leadership to their direct team across both London and Poland, and the client. You will ensure on-going and timely optimization is delivered whilst constantly looking for opportunities to deliver and improve campaign performance. This role takes the lead on delivering programmatic and paid social excellence for our clients and spearheading innovation both from in-house managed campaigns and via partners and 3rd parties

Key Responsibilities:

Campaign Management

• Oversee and ensure best-in-class campaign activation across relevant accounts, ensuring campaigns are operating at the highest standard and delivering highest quality output for our clients.

• Manage and develop a team of programmatic and social specialists based in Poland.

• Identify data, technology and tools and media sources that can be used to power performance and negotiate and manage these partners to deliver success.

• Work with WPP Media to drive through best practice from across the group into our programmatic outputs

• Adapt and establish processes, templates etc for campaigns management, optimisation and reporting approaches for key trading tactics and optimisation logs.

• Escalation points for your direct team on activation issues and challenges and any conflict between best practice and client requirements and asks

• Be involved in tracking and technical elements of campaign delivery (including mobile campaigns and MMPs), owning project areas as appropriate

• Ensure flawless activation and own/manage topline QA processes

Client and Partner Management

• Responsibility of client interaction and the success of the relationship, with a focus on nurturing key strategic relationship, and team operations/deliverables

• Agree and set business objectives for each campaign and review performance against these objectives

• Create/design programmatic strategy for client portfolio, ensuring strategy is clear and most appropriate to the client's objectives, KPIs and clients industry

• Drive revenue growth through spotting new optimisation opportunities, services or products and delivering excellent results.

• Develop strong relationships with media owners and other service providers to guide team in developing their understanding of the ecosystem.

• Drive understanding of the products and solutions that could be relevant for clients that have been developed within the group.

People Management

• Line management of Associate Social Director

• The ability to manage, motivate and train individuals, in line with business requirements, resource, and development needs

• Ensure individuals workloads are managed and prioritised in line with client needs and SLAs

• To have identified training requirements with Line Manager, and a formal plan for delivery over 12 months

• To be responsible for the team’s development (their 360’s, and task & objectives), and to be tied into their own objectives

• Highlight great teamwork, and client initiatives. Demonstrate examples of Programmatic best practice to the wider team, and contribute to department and wider agency PR and communications

Operational Excellence

• The appropriate use of tools to drive accountability in programmatic buying, operational efficiencies, and actionable business insights, with the scoping of agreed client outputs.

• Ensure financial accuracy, integrating the planning and buying process, and reconciliation of spends, including client terms and programmatic fees, via buying templates and processes.

• Maintain standards and process throughout the end-to-end campaign lifecycle

• Develop productive relationships with key internal departments and help develop new revenue opportunities through matching client needs to resource and facilitate introductions.

• Understand and promote the function and value of the other departments within the Agency and its partners within the group

Skills & Experience

• Passionate about programmatic and paid social activation and driving continued excellence. With proven experience in programmatic multi-channel campaign activation and management.

• Experience in developing and leading client relationships

• Exceptional people management skills, including support and development of junior team members

• Confidence in core trading platforms, in particular DV360, TTD and Amazon.

• An understanding of how Programmatic can integrate with other digital and offline channels

• Ability to translate technical and complex points to non-technical audiences and coach others to do the same.

• Ability to develop and execute comprehensive testing roadmaps in the Programmatic space – audience, media, creative

• Experience working on mobile-focussed campaigns including tracking via an MMP

ABOUT YOU:

• Experience in programmatic media with a good level of expertise across programmatic display

• Strong understanding of paid social platform,s techniques and optimisation mechanisms

• Strong understanding of how display works within the performance and digital ecosystem.

• Experience of setting up a programmatic buying unit.

• Working knowledge of best practices within display.

• Strategic understanding of how performance media can be leveraged to drive business growth

• Hands-on experience in planning, buying and optimising across all channels is useful.

• Ability to set appropriate performance centric KPIs and evaluate activity against these and understand the role of secondary KPIs and how they support media activation.

• Working knowledge of key tracking solutions.

• Proven people management and leadership qualities.

• Ability to manage upwards as well as downwards.

• Possesses initiative and demonstrates resourcefulness.

• All academic backgrounds will be considered – qualifications in maths, data, media of interest.

• Professional digital media/advertising qualifications will be of an advantage.

• Excellent organisational and communication skills.

Life at WPP Media & Benefits

Be Extraordinary, investing in our employees to inspire transformational creativity. We also Lead Optimistically, firmly believing in and Championing Growth and Development for every individual. This commitment allows WPP Media employees to leverage the extensive global WPP Media & WPP networks to pursue their passions, build vital professional connections, and learn at the cutting edge of marketing and advertising.

We Create an Open environment built on trust and respect, where everyone feels they belong and has opportunities to progress. This inclusive culture is fostered through a variety of employee resource groups and frequent in-office events showcasing team wins, sharing thought leadership, and celebrating holidays and milestone events. Our comprehensive benefits package reflects this commitment, including 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 believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection in this open and supportive environment. 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 that while our philosophy is the same across WPP, benefits may vary by office/country.

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

Please read our Privacy Notice (https://www.wppmedia.com/pages/privacy-policy) for more information on how we process the information you provide.

While we appreciate all applications received, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

#LI-Promoted

Please read our Privacy Notice for more information on how we process the information you provide.