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.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

About EssenceMediacom: A Leading WPP Media Brand

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.

Role Summary and Impact

EssenceMediacom handles the media planning and buying for some of the world's smartest advertisers. Supported by keen consumer insight, analysis, and experience, we are part of the largest media planning and buying network in the world.

We are the only agency to simultaneously hold the title of Agency Network of the Year across all 5 of the industry’s biggest awards, whilst recently being named Campaign’s Media Agency of the Decade.

We are looking for a diligent OOH Senior AD with extensive experience in OOH planning and has a good understanding of how OOH fits in the wider media system and how to leverage those opportunities through great relationships with GroupM Outdoor and our key media owner partners.

This role is across three of EssenceMediacom’s internal Business Units. The role reports directly to an OOH Director, who you will work closely with to ensure the smooth running of the team and delivery of client guarantees. You will also work closely with the rest of the OOH team as we use an agile approach to manage resource across all the Business Groups.

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 Growthand Development to Mobilize the Enterprise.

A key part of your role will be ensuring the delivery of guarantees across all the clients in the Business Unit. You will have the opportunity to be involved in innovative, ground-breaking work, on clients such as Coca-Cola and Mars. Extensive experience of working and negotiating with auditors is essential to this role.

You will be responsible for managing your clients, developing your team, and working with the Directors in the OOH team to manage the shape of the team, provide leadership and direction for each of the OOH specialists in the team.

Responsibilities of the role

• The Senior Associate Director will be responsible for owning the client relationship when it comes to OOH. They will be viewed by the client as an OOH expert who has an authoritative opinion on both their plans and the wider media market.
• The Senior Associate Director also works with clients and Business Directors to uncover business opportunities that exist outside of – or in conjunction with – ongoing media planning/buying activity. With an OOH-specific focus, the Senior Associate Director aims to work with and improve the connected system planning process by uncovering new and innovative areas for clients to focus on.
• Client education and thought leadership is a core part of the role; developing a deep understanding of your clients’ business objectives and problems will be essential.
• Key to the role will be managing the relationship between GroupM Outdoor and EssenceMediaCom on behalf of our clients. This will include strong commercial acumen to manage Mars and Coca-Cola targets.

What you will need

• Detailed knowledge of the wider business, each division including the benefits and key role they play in making EssenceMediaCom a leader.
• High degree of commercial awareness including utilising budgets/spend, fees and allocation of resource.
• Ability to identify what ‘the real’ key issues are & find solutions that are a win/win or satisfy both the client/EssenceMediacom agenda.
• Actively listens, considers opinions of others.
• Composed while under pressure or when facing challenging behaviour, with the ability to turn around difficult situations.
• Ability to question and challenge ideas and individuals while maintaining or building a relationship.
• Questioning mindset.
• Challenges the status quo, anticipates problems, and finds creative solutions.
• Develops new ideas that benefit the wider agency.
• Not afraid to make tough decisions, using sound reasoning to do so.
• Leads by influence and example to inspire and motivate the team.
• Multi-media understanding and how OOH works with and complements other media on our client’s media plans.
• Knowledge of industry media planning tools (Route, Aureus, Space etc.)
• Implementational knowledge of multi-media planning tools (TGI, Media Multiplier, Touchpoints)

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.

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

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