Senior Insights Lead — AI-Driven Audience Intelligence

As a senior insight leader within WPP 650's specialist research & insight unit, The Citizens Consultancy, you will be at the heart of WPP 650's mission, responsible for driving our digital and data‑driven insight capabilities. The role leverages data sets, digital signals and social commentary to explore, understand, and surface citizens’ voices, sentiment and experiences, ensuring strategy is grounded in robust data, delivering complex analyses and ensuring insights fuel strategy, planning and buying. You will deliver a variety of workstreams collaboratively with the team and our data partners and will also contribute to emerging areas such as AI‑driven discovery and LLM visibility.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as an expert on audience intelligence, surfacing insights from a range of digital signals such as TikTok, Reddit, search and social data; deliver cultural intelligence and use dashboards to keep trends and content insights current.
• Champion the integration of AI and machine learning into workflows, automating data processes and enabling real‑time trend detection; continuously seek new analytic techniques, data sources, and tools, leading the development of AI‑driven discovery and LLM visibility.
• Be the primary day‑to‑day contact for insight, cultivating robust relationships with data experts and leaders across WPP 650 and wider stakeholders, managing key partnerships with digital insight and data providers, and proactively evaluating new suppliers.
• Design, establish and deliver digital and data insight projects, ensuring quality delivery, strong narratives and client value; drive team capability in digital research and analytics and contribute to thought leadership in client and agency meetings.
• Provide expert knowledge of legal practices including GDPR and AI regulations, with a strong emphasis on data privacy in digital contexts.

Skills & Experience

• 7+ years of experience in digital research methods, platforms and tools, with exceptional expertise in mining the digital ecosystem for audience insights and trends; extensive experience with social listening platforms such as Brandwatch, Talkwalker or Pulsar.
• Profound understanding of UK consumer trends, media consumption trends and their impact on diverse audiences; fluent in internet culture and subcultures.
• Mastery of collecting, processing and organizing complex quantitative data, with proven ability to perform sophisticated analyses and develop breakthrough insights that drive strategy.
• Superior ability to lead dialogues, present complex digital information clearly and compellingly to all levels of seniority, and design high‑impact presentations and thought leadership.
• Strong relationship building and collaboration skills, demonstrating influence and willingness to foster cross‑functional collaboration.
• Expert project management, ensuring timely, on‑budget and high‑quality deliverables for complex digital insight projects.

Preferred (Not Essential)

• Knowledge of media industry, research tools & sources such as TGI, YouGov Profiles, IPA Touchpoints.

Life at WPP Media & Benefits

We offer a supportive, inclusive environment with opportunities for growth, professional development and networking across the global WPP Media & WPP networks. Our benefits include competitive medical, vision and dental insurance; group retirement plans; paid time off; preferential partner discounts; and employee mental health awareness days. The role is UK‑based and requires the right to work in the UK.

Equal Opportunity Employer

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 are together, fostering creativity, collaboration and connection in an open and supportive environment.