Manager, Solutions Planning in Manchester

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.

Role Summary and Impact

WPP Media Solutions (WMS) sits at the heart of WPP's media, data, technology, and performance ecosystem, bringing together best-in-class planning, activation, data, and commerce capabilities to solve complex client growth challenges. Working across WPP's agency brands and specialist units, Media Solutions is designed to deliver integrated, future-proofed media strategies that are people-first, privacy-safe, and outcomes-driven.

In 2026, WPP Media Solutions continues to lead the industry in applying AI-enabled planning, advanced measurement, and cross-channel innovation to help brands connect with audiences in meaningful, measurable ways.

Role Overview

The Manager, Solutions Planning is responsible for ensuring the gold standard delivery of client campaigns, audience strategy, and all supporting collateral across the agency patch. This role involves leading educational sessions and maintaining an exemplary knowledge of products and solutions. The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of the media landscape and will be adept at strategic decision-making with senior agency planners and independent clients. They will lead by example and ensure every client interaction with us is a positive one, resulting in continued growth for all.

Key Responsibilities:

• Solution Planning Expertise: Maintain an exemplary understanding of WMS planning and measurement frameworks, applying this knowledge to address key client business challenges, with a view to continuous innovation and improvement.
• Campaign Management: Oversee the delivery of high importance campaigns and complex brief responses, ensuring high standards across the agency patch and identifying when senior escalation is required.
• Line Management: Mentor and develop AMs, fostering their growth, enhancing their capabilities and ensuring we are collectively working towards delivering our objectives to an excellent standard.
• Agency education initiatives: Working with agency counterparts, owning campaign surgeries and individual team education sessions on core solutions and planning process to share knowledge and best practices.
• Agency Engagement: Develop and maintain strong relationships with agency clients, understanding their clients’ business challenges and providing strategic solutions, resulting in trusted, long-term relationships and growth on key accounts.

Skills and Experience

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.

Core role competencies:

• Data Application for Audience Strategies: Understanding how data can be used to build audience strategies to deliver against client objectives.
• Programmatic & Cross-Channel Knowledge: Knowledge of programmatic landscape and cross channel execution.
• Agency/Account Management Experience: Proven experience in agency or account management, with a strong understanding of the media market, dynamics, and competition.
• CRM & Workflow Tools: Confident in CRM management and using various workflow tools.
• Commercial Awareness: Proactively identify revenue at risk, highlight fluctuations in spend to internal stakeholders, elevate investment blockers and protect margins by consistently adhering to rate card guidelines.
• Client Satisfaction & Problem Mitigation: A track record of establishing high levels of client satisfaction, adept at navigating challenging conversations and proactive problem mitigation.
• Problem Solving: Identify and take ownership of day-to-day issues end to end, driving resolution with pace and accountability. To elevate to SLT when more input is needed.
• Independent Work & Leadership: Demonstrable ability to work independently, lead by example, and maintain high standards across all tasks.
• Team Management/Mentoring: Experience in positively managing or mentoring team members would be beneficial.
• Exceptional Communication & Interpersonal Skills: Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, capable of building and maintaining long-standing, valuable relationships with clients, agencies and stakeholders in other WMS functions.
• Process-Driven Approach & Efficiency: Adopts a process-driven approach, proactively identifying gaps and opportunities to streamline workflows and improve operational efficiency.
• Attention to Detail (Compliance): Meticulous attention to detail, ensuring compliance with established guidelines and contributing to continuous improvement.
• Attention to Detail (Proactive): Demonstrates exceptional attention to detail while proactively identifying opportunities, mitigating risks, and driving account success.
• Technical Proficiency: Proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint.
• Proactive Learning & Contribution: A proactive learner, keen to stay updated with industry trends, and a positive contributor to wider company initiatives.

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.

• Competitive medical group retirement plans
• Vision and dental insurance
• Significant paid time off
• Preferential partner discounts
• 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. 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.

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