Senior Manager, Media Planning

Role Summary and Impact

As a Senior Manager, Planning, you will support the development and execution of integrated media strategies that drive business growth and brand impact across multiple markets. Working closely with the Market Lead and cross-functional teams, you will help translate client objectives into data-driven planning frameworks that guide campaign strategy and investment decisions.

This role requires a strong balance of strategic thinking, analytical capability, and cross-market collaboration, with the ability to synthesize insights and identify opportunities that strengthen media planning and campaign performance. You will partner with internal strategy, activation, and analytics teams while supporting the Market Lead in engaging global client stakeholders.

You will also contribute to strengthening planning excellence across markets by sharing insights, supporting the adoption of best practices, and helping introduce new tools and capabilities that enhance planning effectiveness.

 

Skills and Experience

 

Key Responsibilities and Impact

Strategic Media Planning

• Support the development of integrated media strategies aligned with client business objectives, audience insights, and market dynamics.
• Translate data and insights into clear planning recommendations that guide channel roles, investment priorities, and campaign frameworks.
• Work closely with the Market Lead and internal teams to ensure planning recommendations support broader business and marketing objectives.

Cross-Market Collaboration

• Partner with regional and local market teams to ensure the planning strategies are effectively translated into local execution.
• Facilitate the sharing of insights, best practices, and market learnings to strengthen planning effectiveness across markets.
• Support efforts to align planning processes, frameworks, and reporting standards where appropriate.

Client & Stakeholder Support

• Support the Market Lead in providing strategic planning perspectives to client stakeholders.
• Contribute insights and recommendations to client discussions and presentations.
• Build strong working relationships with internal teams and client stakeholders across scoped markets.

Innovation & Capability Development

• Identify opportunities to leverage new tools, data sources, and technologies that strengthen media planning and campaign performance.
• Work with internal capability teams to explore and apply innovative solutions that support smarter planning and optimization.
• Contribute to the adoption of advanced tools, including AI-enabled solutions, to improve insight generation and strategic decision making.

Planning Excellence & Continuous Improvement

• Contribute to the development of best practices and planning frameworks across markets.
• Identify opportunities to improve planning workflows, collaboration, and knowledge sharing within the team.
• Support initiatives that strengthen strategic thinking and planning capability across the organization.

 

What Success Looks Like

In the First 3 Months

• Build Strong Working Relationships: Establish strong collaboration with the Market Lead, internal planning teams, and key client stakeholders.
• Develop Strategic Context: Gain a strong understanding of the client’s business objectives, category dynamics, consumer audiences, and market priorities.
• Contribute Planning Insights: Begin contributing planning perspectives and cross-market insights in strategic discussions and planning forums.
• Strengthen Market & Competitive Understanding: Analyze category and competitor activity to identify insights that can inform planning opportunities.
• Explore Tools & Capabilities: Develop familiarity with internal tools, platforms, and data capabilities that support planning and campaign performance.

 

In 6 Months

• Support Strategic Planning Development: Work with the Market Lead and strategy teams to refine planning approaches that support campaign objectives across markets.
• Strengthen Client Engagement: Contribute to client conversations by providing clear insights and planning recommendations.
• Leverage Data & Technology: Begin integrating advanced insights, WPP Open capabilities, and planning tools into the planning process.
• Enhance Cross-Market Collaboration: Facilitate stronger knowledge sharing across markets, identifying useful insights and best practices.
• Demonstrate Strategic Contribution: Deliver measurable contributions to planning recommendations, campaign optimization, or cross-market alignment.

 

In 9 Months

• Become a Trusted Planning Partner: Be recognized internally and by clients as a reliable strategic contributor who supports planning development and campaign orchestration.
• Support Cross-Market Planning Alignment: Contribute to planning discussions across markets, helping ensure strategies are aligned with broader campaign objectives.
• Strengthen Planning Frameworks: Support the development and adoption of consistent planning practices that improve efficiency and clarity.
• Contribute to Innovation & Growth: Identify opportunities to introduce new planning approaches, tools, or insights that add value to client strategies and support business growth.

What you will need

• 5+ years of experience in media planning, strategy, or client leadership, with exposure to regional or global campaigns.
• Experience across CPG clients is a good to have
• Proficiency in Mandarin both written and verbal due to supporting of Mandarin-speaking markets for this role. Deep understanding of Mandarin-speaking markets, cultural nuances, and consumer insights will be essential.
• Strong strategic thinking and analytical skills, with the ability to translate complex data into actionable insights and support media and communications strategies.
• Solid understanding of digital media ecosystems, planning frameworks, and performance measurement, and the ability to connect recommendations to business outcomes.
• Familiarity with AI ecosystems like GPT, Claude, and an understanding of how they can support planning, consumer insights, and strategy development.
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects and stakeholders simultaneously, demonstrating strong organization, prioritization, and coordination skills.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills, with the confidence to support the Market Lead in delivering planning insights and recommendations.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively across cross-functional and international teams within a matrix organization.
• Strong commercial awareness, with the ability to identify opportunities that support client goals and contribute to business growth for WPP Media.
• Proactive and solutions-oriented, with a focus on identifying gaps, supporting improvements, and helping drive continuous enhancement of planning processes.
• Ability to think strategically with a global perspective, while supporting the Market Lead in balancing local market nuances with broader business objectives.
• Experience navigating complex stakeholder environments, contributing insights and influencing outcomes alongside senior leaders.

 

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. 

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