WPP is the creative transformation company. We use the power of creativity to build better futures for our people, planet, clients, and communities.
Working at WPP means being part of a global network of more than 100,000 talented people dedicated to doing extraordinary work for our clients. We operate in over 100 countries, with corporate headquarters in New York, London and Singapore.
WPP is a world leader in marketing services, with deep AI, data and technology capabilities, global presence and unrivalled creative talent. Our clients include many of the biggest companies and advertisers in the world, including approximately 300 of the Fortune Global 500.
Our people are the key to our success. We're committed to fostering a culture of creativity, belonging and continuous learning, attracting and developing the brightest talent, and providing exciting career opportunities that help our people grow.
About WPP Media
WPP is the creative transformation company. We use the power of creativity to build better futures for our people, planet, clients and communities. For more information, visit

WPP Media is WPP's global media collective. In a world where media is everywhere and in everything, we bring the best platform, people, and partners together to create limitless opportunities for growth. For more information, visit

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.

The Role Objective

The Planning Director is primarily responsible for developing consistent, high quality plan recommendations, through a deep understanding of the category & brand challenges. This role will be focused on turning business objectives into communications objectives and defining clear KPIs for measurement, and driving innovation that is founded in clear audience insight.

This is a leadership role, with a key responsibility for managing client relationships and internal team members.

Responsibilities:

Planning Lead

• Plan, develop, present and lead execution of our full funnel media strategy on multiple channels including TV, OOH and digital
• Maintain strong relationship with key media partners and lead negotiations to get best possible output and value for client
• Manage relationship with partner agencies to deliver a strong, integrated delivery to clients
• Client facing and work closely with other planning team members to establish and achieve specific media goals and objectives
• Provide insight and analysis to the client lead to support the development of data driven strategic recommendations for the client

Client Account Management

• Develop strong relationships with clients, be their go to person for Planning expertise
• Work closely with global EM team to ensure the quality of work produced by the team is at global standard
• Lead on relevant part of client meetings, campaign approach presentations and workshops, etc.
• Keep clients lead up to date on best practices and industry trends

Operating and Technical Requirements

• Data oriented, able to navigate various platforms to query and generate necessary reports on competitive spends, consumer behavior, relevant category data and campaign performance
• Review consumer insight and competitive reports interpretation and key learnings (aggregate and integrate research data in the plans)

People Management

• Work collaboratively with the client lead to develop the capability, skills and knowledge of our team.
• Mentor and provide direction to team members, challenge the team members to think creatively and break out from the comfort zone

Other Areas

• Demonstrate a business sense and a commercial understanding of profitability.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the media and technology developments that influence clients' business.
• Be an advocate of continuous improvement, enthusiastic and positive with a "Can Do" attitude Flags up any serious performance issues immediately and seek help to manage them accordingly

Key Performance Indicators:

• Product: outstanding plan execution & operational excellence. KPI TBC
• Client: satisfaction, retention and growth, contributing to a high score for strategy and activation planning in agency evaluation.
• Commercial: client profitability. KPI Client Profitability target
• Personal development: positive Culture Amp (internal feedback from manager, peers and clients.

Education, skills and behaviours

• 10+ experience in planning role including at least 3 years of senior role that involves overseeing and guiding planning, managing & training team members
• Fluent English Speaking, Writing & Presentation skills – Japanese speaking skills is a nice to have b
• Adaptability and Agility to a fast moving category – you need to think fast, move fast and be able to connect the dots and see the big picture
• Evidence of being able to influence and manage senior client stakeholders (media leads and marketing directors)
• Strong analytical skills to identify consumer journey planning
• Strong target orientation e.g. very results driven, ability to work effectively to targets
• Strong customer relationship management experience and proven ability in developing senior customer stakeholder relationships
• Evidence of strong collaboration skills used to develop team and client knowledge in order to grow shared understanding and knowledge to facilitate a step-change in strategic planning
• The ability to delegate, up and downwards, to coordinate between groups and departments and to be able to sell strategies, initiatives and ideas convincingly.

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.

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.

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. We are designed for the new communications economy — built on data & technology, built for people & algorithms, built around diverse schools of thought, built to test & learn at scale, and, crucially, built to evolve.

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.
WPP 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.
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