Overview

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.com.

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 wppmedia.com.

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.

Role Summary and Impact

We are currently looking for a Director– Strategy to join us for one of the biggest global brands. In this role, you will drive the end-to-end strategic planning for all brands in the portfolio, brand activations and consumer media journeys to deliver brand goals.

Reporting of the role

This role reports to Senior Director - Strategy

Three best things about the job

• Application of business growth models, brand media mapping and marketing frameworks to design a custom marketing roadmap for brands that will deliver ambitious business growth – short term and long term.
• You will work with client specialist teams and external partners in conceptualizing, developing and bringing partnerships to life in the form of IPs/ Programs, platforms and Partners. Interaction with senior decision makers, CMOs and CEOs at client end to present WPP Media’s perspective and become a trusted partner in their growth plans.
• Work with regional and local cross-functional specialist teams on planning, activation, data and measurement to ensure alignment with the strategic roadmap for the business. You’ll own strategic project approval and closure till execution handshake.

Responsibilities of the role

• Demonstrate strong understanding of brand challenges, consumers, cultural trends and regional nuances.
• Interpret data/tool outputs and drive storytelling to develop end-to-end briefs on brands.
• Interact with diverse specialist teams, engaging them to work on your brief, curate and enhance their ideas so that they are on brief.
• Mentor the team to proactively and reactively work on end-to-end briefs within deadlines.
• Communicate emerging opportunities and best-in-class work with client teams to keep them engaged and responsive.

Impact

• Be fully immersed in strategic brand challenges and campaigns, AI-led audience profiling, media understanding, cultural context and best campaigns in the competitive set – nationally and globally.
• Bring superior understanding of audiences, category, competitive landscape, best practices and growth models to the client portfolio we handle. Eg: rising rise of live experiences in GenZ impacting content consumption and hence reduced impact of digital investments.
• Distill this understanding into implications on brand and campaign strategy and partnerships for upcoming campaigns, product launches and regional activations & reviews.
• Demonstrate strong understanding of brand challenges, consumers, cultural activation/partnership spaces and regional nuances.
• 4 key client engagements with senior stakeholders delivering strategic roadmaps.
• Collate audiences x brand learnings and create strategic playbooks by brand.
• Land 3 super-sized partnership projects on large brands (IP/ Programs/ Platforms) along with buzz-worthy innovations on individual touchpoints as standalone/integrated campaigns.
• Recommend and drive content partnerships as part of overall brand strategy.
• Interpret insights, learnings, data/tool outputs and drive brand strategic recommendations.
• Interact with diverse specialist teams, engaging them to work on your brief, curate and enhance their ideas so that they are on brand goals.
• Mentor the team to proactively and reactively work on strategy and partnership briefs within deadlines.
• Communicate emerging opportunities and best-in-class work with client teams to keep them engaged and responsive.

Skills and Experience

• Minimum ~7–10 years of progressive leadership in strategy, planning, consulting, or media roles.
• Ability to work under pressure.
• Strong ability to dissect complex brand, market, competitive, and internal data to build brand strategy and achieve brand goals.
• Experience in Media & platforms.
• Presenting a compelling strategic narrative to diverse audiences: senior leadership, client teams, and external partners.
• Persuasion and negotiation to gain stakeholder buy-in.
• Problem-Solving & Critical Thinking.

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 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, 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 are 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.

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