Executive, Principal Insight & Research in Manchester

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.

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.

This is an opportunity for someone excited by the media industry and curious about consumer behaviour to join the Research and Insight team of EssenceMediaCom in our central Manchester campus. The Research and Insight team exists to be the voice of the consumer in the agency, collating, curating and sharing game‑changing insight with our agency colleagues and clients across EssenceMediaCom offices in Manchester and Leeds. We fulfil this in 4 key areas:

• Answering specific client questions through bespoke research projects. We are a full‑service qualitative and quantitative research team using a range of research techniques.
• Merging the use of industry standard insight tools with other digitally led and first‑party data sources.
• Producing industry leading thought leadership pieces that answer the big and/or pertinent questions and developing new insight products that feed into media planning.

In this role you will be working across our client base, steering us towards our goal of delivering “best in class” research and insight, driving income opportunities and supporting the agency to make our understanding of audiences second to no other agency.

Responsibilities

• Working with internal teams to develop solutions to insight questions.
• Answering client questions and feeding the planning process using our range of insight tools.
• Scoping and analysing tailor‑made research solutions e.g., online Quant surveys, Focus Groups or Online Research Communities with the Director, ensuring that projects are run to timescale and budget, liaising with clients and suppliers.
• Preparation of high‑quality client reports by translating complex data into clear insights and impactful visualisations.
• Co‑authoring pro‑active research pieces and thought leadership documents to be used in PR and new business.
• Working with other EM Offices and WPP companies in the development and implementation of new insight products.
• Keeping up with the world of insight as it evolves with the use of AI and identifying ways in which we can embrace AI in our work for the benefit of our clients.

Skills and Experience

• Passionate about understanding people and our role as a media agency to communicate effectively with them using all available channels.
• Knowledge of key industry standard insight tools including Brandwatch, TGI, YouGov Brand Index etc.
• Experience with web analytics and search data e.g. Similar Web, Google Keyword Planner/Trends.
• Analytical mindset and ability to develop a clear narrative through data.
• Ability to analyse, interpret and present information in a creative and interesting fashion.
• Proficient in using Microsoft office tools – e.g. Excel and Powerpoint and a love of turning large datasets into powerful insight stories.
• Experience juggling multiple projects and responsibilities at once.
• Confident communication style, independent and proactive when dealing with clients.
• Mature and confident style – enthusiastic about presenting and ability to tailor messaging to your audience.
• Excellent attention to detail.

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