Associate Director, Planning

About WPP Media

WPP is the creative transformation company, using the power of creativity to build better futures for people, planet, clients, and communities.
WPP Media is WPP’s global media collective, bringing platforms, people, and partners together to create limitless growth opportunities.

At WPP Media, our culture and people are central to delivering exceptional client and employee experiences. This role is expected to embody our core values:

• Be Extraordinary through collective leadership and transformational creativity
• Create an Open Environment by balancing people and client experiences with trust
• Lead Optimistically by championing growth and development

Role Summary & Impact

The Associate Director, Planning is a senior leadership role responsible for driving the strategic planning product for key clients, with a strong focus on the Dairy / Nutrition (Mom & Kid) category.

Acting as a senior strategic lead and trusted advisor, this role steers client media investment to deliver clear business outcomes, leads senior client relationships, manages a high-performing planning team, and contributes to the agency’s growth and innovation agenda.

A strong ownership mindset and the ability to lead first-in-market and experimental initiatives are critical to success.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Client Partnership

• Lead as the senior strategic advisor for key client relationships.
• Own the media and communications strategy, aligned with client business objectives.
• Drive client WIPs, ensuring clear communication of market dynamics, campaign learning, and strategic actions.
• Challenge clients and teams to deliver measurable business impact.
• Lead contract negotiations, competitive reviews, and business reviews.

Category & Consumer Insight (Dairy – Mom & Kid)

• Demonstrate strong understanding of Dairy / Nutrition categories, including infant and growing-up milk, functional and premium nutrition.
• Apply deep Mom & Kid insight across life stages (mom-to-be; 0–2, 2–6, 6–12).
• Translate consumer and cultural insight into full-funnel, integrated media strategies.
• Lead client conversations by connecting industry trends, consumer behavior, and media opportunities.

Integrated Planning & Media Excellence

• Oversee integrated media recommendations across Digital, Social, Video, Performance, Influencer, Content, and E-commerce.
• Ensure planning outputs meet high strategic and commercial standards.
• Apply strong business and commercial acumen to media investment decisions.
• Use data and post-campaign learning to continuously optimize strategy.

Innovation & First-in-Market Projects

• Lead innovative and experimental initiatives, including first-in-category projects.
• Champion a test-and-learn mindset in environments with limited benchmarks.
• Collaborate with internal specialists (Data, Tech, Content, Commerce, Creative, Platforms) to deliver future-ready solutions.

Team Leadership & Business Growth

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing planning team.
• Foster a culture of ownership, accountability, and continuous learning.
• Contribute to new business pitches and identify opportunities to grow existing client partnerships

Skills & Experience

• 8+ years of media planning experience in a media agency.
• Mandatory experience working with Dairy / Nutrition / Mom & Kid brands.
• Proven leadership experience with strong senior client management capability.
• Solid understanding of integrated media planning across channels.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and negotiation skills.
• Strong business and commercial acumen

Mindset

• Proactive, self-driven, and accountable.
• Curious and open to new ideas, formats, and ways of working.
• Comfortable leading first-in-market initiatives and navigating uncertainty.
• Strategic thinker who can remain hands-on when required.

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. 

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. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process. 

Please read our Privacy Notice (https://www.wppmedia.com/pages/privacy-policy) for more information on how we process the information you provide.  

While we appreciate all applications received, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. 

Please read our Privacy Notice for more information on how we process the information you provide.