Director, Planning (Hiring Immediately)

About WPP Media

WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. With exceptional talent, trusted data and intelligence, and world-class partnerships – all united by our pioneering agentic marketing platform, WPP Open – we help clients navigate change, capture opportunity, and deliver transformational growth. 

WPP Media is WPP's AI-driven media operating unit, bringing together media, data, and partnerships to deliver creative personalisation at scale. Connected through WPP Open and powered by Open Intelligence, clients see exactly where, how, and why their media investment is working.

For more information, visit wppmedia.com .

1852 - Director, Planning

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 WPP 650

Join an award-winning team at the heart of UK government, where your work will genuinely shape lives. As part of WPP 650 you’ll be part of a supportive, collaborative environment that values curiosity, kindness, and growth. Together, we use behaviour change principles to design smarter services, influence better decisions, and help millions of people across the country.

Named WPP 650, after the 650 UK constituencies, the name is a reminder that our work must reflect the full breadth of the country, every community, every audience. No two days are the same. The challenges are complex, the problems worth solving, and the learning constant. You’ll tackle issues that matter, alongside talented colleagues who care deeply about what they do. It’s demanding – but always rewarding.

WPP 650 is a bespoke agency unit within WPP, dedicated to serving the evolving communications needs of government clients. We bring together the best of WPP's talent, technology, and insights to deliver impactful, modern, and effective public communications. We are at the forefront of reimagining how government engages with its citizens.

This is meaningful work with real-world impact – the kind you can point to with pride.

Role Summary and Impact

Planning Director

About the role:

The planning team are the guardians of creating industry leading, unrivalled work at WPP 650. We are central conduits to all specialists, striving to push boundaries and have a positive impact on consumers and brand.

WPP 650 is looking for a Planning Director to join our growing planning team, to drive planning across specific clients and be a media planning expert.

In this role, you will:

Media planning craft:

• Develop an advanced understanding of media channels, channel ecosystems and planning best practices.
• Start to translate strategic approach into planning practices for specific client briefs and pitches.
• Have an advanced understanding of WPP 650’s Consumer Journey thinking and planning philosophy across all client work. Including being an expert in a broad set of internal tools, as well as external tools to build a deep understanding of the consumer, the client’s business and its specific opportunities.
• Have an expert overview of the media market landscape, trends and start to build media owner relationships.

Campaign management & effective communication:

• Oversee campaign management, ensuring quality control and output is of the highest standard.
• Develop a skilled understand of commercial practises and of the wider agency.
• Build and maintain client and agency relationships at a mid-senior level, to ensure a comprehensive understanding of stakeholders and client business.

Comms planning and storytelling:

• Own planning presentations including defining the inputs needed and working with the wider teams to compile work and meet deadlines.
• Lead brainstorm and idea creation for campaigns
• Start to independently problem solve, including integrating and questioning data and insights and find solutions based on knowledge and experience.

Core skills:

Practice Area Knowledge -Skilled-Develops breadth and depth of industry understanding. Becomes confident using tools, technology, techniques and systems and is able to train others. Comfortable presenting both direct from platform (Open) and developing a story from data but delivered outside of platform (Telmar etc). Can confidently answer client questions and liaise with internal teams on best solutions to use.

Problem Solving – Skilled - Uses critical questioning and maintains a broad perspective when analyzing <