Associate Director, Planning, UK

Location: London, United Kingdom; hybrid work with teams in the office around four days a week. This is a UK-based role requiring the right to work in the UK.

Company

hirify.global is WPP's AI-driven media operating unit, combining media, data, partnerships, and WPP Open to deliver personalized communications at scale. WPP 650 is a bespoke agency unit serving UK government clients and designing public communications that influence behavior and improve services.

What you will do

• Develop advanced media planning expertise across channels, channel ecosystems, market trends, and planning best practices.
• Translate strategic approaches, consumer journey thinking, data, and insights into multimedia plans for client briefs and pitches.
• Oversee campaign management, quality control, reporting, in-flight optimization, and future campaign recommendations.
• Build client and agency relationships, understand stakeholder needs, and recommend solutions aligned with business objectives.
• Own planning presentations, lead brainstorms and idea creation, and coordinate inputs from wider teams to meet deadlines.
• Problem-solve independently by integrating and questioning data and insights to develop effective solutions.

Requirements

• Skilled practice-area knowledge, including confidence with media planning tools, technology, techniques, and systems, with the ability to train others.
• Ability to present directly from Open and develop data-driven stories using tools such as Telmar, while answering client questions and liaising with internal teams.
• Skilled problem-solving ability, including critical questioning, broad-perspective analysis, solution generation, and support for escalated issues.
• Skilled stakeholder relationship management with expert knowledge of client and agency structures, decision makers, client sectors, and business challenges.
• Advanced communication skills, including presenting complex information clearly, influencing different levels of seniority, and creating organized communication materials.
• Advanced campaign management skills, including reviewing others' work, coaching, applying best practices, managing escalations, providing actionable insights, and prioritizing resources.
• Skilled compelling storytelling and comms planning, including audience, channel, market, category, measurement, purchase journey, and budget-shift considerations.
• Advanced ideas creation skills, including generating solutions for client objectives, leading new projects, coaching others, and fostering innovation.

Culture & Benefits

• Supportive and collaborative environment centered on curiosity, kindness, growth, and meaningful public-sector communications.
• Access to global hirify.global and WPP networks, employee resource groups, learning opportunities, and thought-leadership events.
• In-office events showcase team achievements, share industry perspectives, and celebrate holidays and milestones.
• Benefits include medical, vision, dental, and group retirement plans, significant paid time off, partner discounts, and mental health awareness days.
• Hybrid working is normally structured around approximately four office days per week, with accommodations or flexibility discussed during the interview process.