Senior Programmatic Strategist - Hybrid, ROI-Driven Growth 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.

EssenceMediacom is a new breed of media agency. Grounded in analytics & insights and powered by data & technology, we believe in the power of media and creative to drive breakthroughs for the world’s best brands. We help clients understand the modern marketing paradox and discover the breakthroughs brands need to win with their consumers.

Role: The Programmatic Senior Executive will be responsible for managing and optimising campaigns while developing programmatic plans that exceed our client’s expectations, whether branding or ROI driven. This includes contributing to the execution of programmatic media activity, building strong platform knowledge & supplier relationships to support excellence in delivery of media plans, optimisation, testing, and analysis.

• Campaign Management: Oversight of the implementation, management, and daily optimisation of campaign activity to ensure that you excel in reaching your client objectives and KPIs. Competently create media plans designed to achieve specified KPIs. Support on the day-to-day QA process, minimising errors and ensuring consistent and correct adherence to process. Take ownership of some elements of the testing plans of your clients and suggest innovative ideas for testing, including planning, executing & evaluating tests with methodical accuracy.
• Client and Partner Management: Create/design programmatic strategy for client portfolio, ensuring strategy is clear and most appropriate to the client's objectives and KPIs. Complete client reporting and analyse campaign results extracting insight to supply recommendations for future activity. Drive revenue growth through spotting new optimisation opportunities, services or products and delivering excellent results. Work with partners and attend regular platform training to further develop programmatic skillset.
• Operational Excellence: The right 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.

Skills & Experience: Passionate about programmatic activation and driving continued excellence. Proactive approach to expanding knowledge and capabilities. Confidence in core trading platforms, DV360, TTD and Amazon. Analytically minded with an aptitude for handling large data sets to identify trends and actionable insights. Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, will be particularly important in building & developing client and supplier relationships.

Benefits: Life at WPP Media & Benefits: Our passion for shaping the next era of media is powered by our commitment to 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. Note this is a UK based role and requires individuals to have the right to work in this location.