Manager, Planning, UK

3977 - Manager, Planning, UK

Role Summary and Impact

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.

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 Manager to join our growing planning team, to create impactful cross channel campaigns and build your media planning skills.

In this role, you will:

Media planning craft:

• Develop an in-depth understanding of media channels including where, when and how to use them based on the client brief.
• Have a skilled knowledge of WPP 650 and industry media planning tools and be able to train other team members.
• Have a skilled understanding of industry best practices and planning theory.
• Develop a fundamental knowledge of WPP 650’s Consumer Journey thinking.

Campaign management

• Ownership of campaign activity including briefing teams, collating response, managing client’s deliverables, and ensuring accuracy across all workstreams.
• Work closely with the planning and activation teams to ensure the day-to-day account is run efficiently and effectively.
• Be able to bring in specialist teams where needed to work on briefs and client questions.
• Ensure financial management processes are always excellent and met in a timely manner.

Effective communication:

• Become a trusted main day-to-day contact for junior clients, learning their business and ways of working. Ensuring that all requests & queries are answered with accuracy and in a timely manner.
• Support in managing Planning Executives to ensure they are on track with daily tasks, mentor and challenge them with new projects to develop their career.
• Start to develop a proactive problem-solving mindset but know when to flag any issues or concerns with Planning Director.

​Core skills:

Practice Area Knowledge – Skilled - Demonstrates knowledge of the media landscape including future trends, best practice and challenges. Comfortable using (or briefing out) of the various products, platforms and systems that comms planning use.

• 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 – Fundamental - Applies focused questioning and systematic research to understand the problem and wider impact. Translates business problems into solutions

• Uses critical questioning and maintains a broad perspective when analysing information to gain a deeper understanding of the problem and wider impact.
• Quickly generates appropriate solutions informed by previous experience.
• Understands how to resolve escalated issues and supports others to problem solve.
• Supports or leads troubleshooting communication for issues.
• Asks questions and performs routine or basic analysis to define problems.
• Generates some solutions in own area of work and suggests additional sources of information to further investigate problems.
• Seeks a variety of perspectives and inputs and probes for more information to fully understand the problem and wider impact.
• Provides communication support for troubleshooting issues internally and externally with third parties.
• Develops a broad understanding of industry tools, technology, techniques and systems as well as application. 
• Can run simple tasks independently and either present to clients direct or package for wider team.

Stakeholder Relationships – Fundamental – Demonstrates knowledge of the agencies (or clients) organization structure and people, client relationships, business strategy, industry and challenges. Cultivates, nurtures and grows relationships with key clients, stakeholders and decision makers internally, externally and virtually.

• Has a good understanding of how the agency operates and works with their clients.
• Knows about the client’s business and who the key decision makers are there.
• Has good understanding of agency and client and their business goals and challenges.
• Builds a working knowledge of market trends effecting the client (and agency).​​​​​​​
• Responds to stakeholder requests in an accurate, timely and professional manner and seeks to have a good understanding of client needs and challenges.

Effective Communications – Skilled - Is able to lead dialogues between and with internal and external people (strategy, comms planning, channel planning and activation teams as well as clients and media partners). Uses simple, clear and human language wherever possible but can be technical when required. Thinks about most appropriate communication channels and styles and employs active listening.

• Breaks down complex technical information into understandable language, guiding others on best practice.
• Uses knowledge and expertise to generate comprehensible, broadly-applicable communications.
• Designs differentiated communications (content focus, style, presentation, etc.) for various internal and external audiences based on an understanding of their differing levels of familiarity.
• Attends client and agency meetings to present.

Campaign Management – Skilled - Manages and takes ownership of several project/tasks accurately and thoroughly and with minimal error- without losing track of important details or deliverables.

• Teaches others the importance of accuracy and thoroughness so that sufficiently detailed information is logged correctly.
• Manages and takes ownership of campaigns from start to completion, maintaining accurate pipeline and campaign information across elements of the plans. E.g creative trackers and booking deadlines
• Delivers accurate reports with value-added insights and actionable findings to improve campaign performance.
• Be accountable for the ongoing management of campaign budgets. g finance reconciliations
• Balances several projects and tasks simultaneously with minimal error and without losing track of important details or deliverables.

Compelling Storytelling – Skilled - Be able to use knowledge of the media ecosystem, industry trends and clients' business pressure points to build a persuasive story and recommendation that acknowledges their preferred communication style.

• Applies big picture thinking in work and proactively leverages an understanding of the organisation and key industry trends.
• Understand the different elements of responses.
• Designs differentiated communications (content focus, style, presentation, etc.) for various internal and external audiences.

Ideas Creation – Skilled - Generates or facilitates new ideas, methods, innovation or creative media solutions that can deliver growth.

• Regularly engages in new projects/activities that can help solve identified barriers or opportunities as part of planning.
• Can identify the relevant partners to bring ideas to life.
• Uses wider industry knowledge and trend understanding to help generate solutions that can deliver against communication objectives.

Comms Planning – Skilled - Find solutions for client business problems using media.

• Applies knowledge of client, audience, channel, market and category to effectively delivery compelling multi-media plans.
• Translates learnings and trends to create marketing communication strategies that are effective with clear measurement.
• Application of consumer journey thinking and visualisation of how the media plan works across channels.
• Translation of strategic direction / platform / provocation into directional role for media, channel role and behaviour in channel.
• Identifies and recommends budget shifts as campaign is in-flight where appropriate.

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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