Senior Associate, Planning, GCS

3566 - Senior Associate, Planning, GCS

Role Summary and Impact

ABOUT WPP & OPENDOOR

At WPP, we’re constantly reinventing the future of creativity on an ever-broader canvas, bringing together unrivalled talent, resources and skills to provide an integrated offer of communications, experience, commerce and technology.

Over the last decade, we have developed a dedicated global client practice with the mission of accelerating WPP’s impact for our largest clients by bringing them the best of WPP. Each team is custom-built around a client’s specific needs and challenges, providing easy access to the right capabilities. And that’s why we’ve built OpenDoor for Amazon.

OpenDoor is a unique integration of the best of WPP and Amazon – building on their respective strengths and visions. Whether at WPP or at Amazon, every project is an OpenDoor on new possibilities. Anything and everything can be an opportunity for our people to drive impact – for them to innovate, learn, thrive, and occasionally fail too.

The unique OpenDoor partnership model is built to deliver next level Productivity, fueled by our industry-leading approach to People, Platforms, and Process. OpenDoor spans across all WPP agencies and disciplines such as media, business consultancy, communications and brand strategy, tech and commerce, public relations, and production.

OpenDoor’s values are built from Amazon’s own 16 Leadership Principles, and WPP’s core values of Open, Optimistic and Extraordinary. Together, when WPP’s Creative Transformation meets Amazon’s next-level customer centricity, our people come together to challenge and impact what’s done today and build a better future.

By joining OpenDoor, not only are you joining a cross-function team partnering with one of WPP’s top five global clients, but you are also taking a step to challenge yourself and the world around you every day, working in the most unusual way on some of Earth’s most ambitious opportunities in marketing, tech, media, business, and creativity.

ABOUT THE ROLE

We are searching for a talented and enthusiastic individual to join our OpenDoor team as a Planning Senior Executive. This is a full-time position based in London. This role plays a crucial part in supporting WPP's mission to deliver consistency, delivery excellence and best in class service for Amazon. This role is part of the XCM EU Regional Hub team.

XCM is Amazon’s Cross-Channel Marketing division, delivering all communications for Amazon.com, including large tentpole campaigns such as for Black Friday and Prime Day. OpenDoor is XCM’s media partner everywhere in the world except North America and Latin America. XCM is the largest business division within Amazon, the WPP OpenDoor team supporting them in its biggest growth regions across Europe, India, Australia, Middle East and South East Asia.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Media planning:

• Contribute to the development of comprehensive media plans across various channels, aligning with client objectives and budget.
• Conduct in-depth research and analysis of target audiences, market trends, and competitive landscape to inform media strategies.
• Develop DE+I planning and carbon conscious media strategies.
• Utilize media systems and tools, including WPP Open AI platform, to generate insights and optimize campaign performance.
• Stay abreast of the latest trends and innovations in the media industry, sharing knowledge and insights with the team.
• Support the team in developing communication frameworks and cross-media strategies.

Campaign management:

• Support smooth execution of media plans, ensuring adherence to timelines, budgets, and quality standards. This includes (but not limited to) updating schematics, providing media plans to clients, chasing creative, etc.
• Collaborate with activation teams to deliver timely and effective responses to client requests and tactical plans.
• Monitor campaign performance, identify areas for improvement, and implement optimization strategies.
• Support financial processes, including PO trackers, bookings, reconciliations, and query resolution
• Update internal and external status reports.
• Assist in the development of client-facing presentations and reports.

Effective communication:

• Serve as a point of contact for client inquiries and requests, always maintaining professional and appropriate client communication.
• Participate in client meetings, providing updates on campaign progress and performance.
• Facilitate regular meetings with the client and creative agency and collation of documents for those meetings.
• Contribute to a positive and collaborative team environment.
• Work with your line manager to your objectives and goals in line with your role and agency vision.

Skills and Experience

• Have a good understanding and competence in MS Office – PowerPoint and Excel in particular.
• Understanding of industry standard media research tools
• Understanding of how Activation works in different media channels
• Have an awareness and curiosity about media and marketing industry including trends and challenges or concepts.
• Develops a broad understanding of industry tools, technology, techniques and systems as well as application. E.g TGI, Adintel, Pathmatics
• Can run simple tasks independently and either present to clients direct or package for wider team.

BONUS POINTS

• Demonstrates curiosity by asking questions around communication frameworks, plans, approaches, trends and innovations.
• Demonstrates willingness to input into new projects and ideation sessions.
• Assists in the development of communications frameworks and cross media strategy.
• Supports with data reporting, audience intelligence and production of client facing presentations. E.g competitives
• Has basic understanding of media channel dynamics and can discuss how each channel might add to the overall plan.

Life at WPP Media & Benefits 

Our passion for shaping the next era of media is powered by our commitment to Be Extraordinary, investing in our employees to inspire transformational creativity. We also Lead Optimistically, firmly believing in and Championing Growth and Development for every individual. This commitment allows WPP Media employees to leverage the extensive global WPP Media & WPP networks to pursue their passions, build vital professional connections, and learn at the cutting edge of marketing and advertising.  

We Create an Open environment built on trust and respect, where everyone feels they belong and has opportunities to progress. This inclusive culture is fostered through a variety of employee resource groups and frequent in-office events showcasing team wins, sharing thought leadership, and celebrating holidays and milestone events. Our comprehensive benefits package reflects this commitment, including 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 characteristics. We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection in this open and supportive environment. 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 that while our philosophy is the same across WPP, benefits may vary by office/country. 

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

Please read our Privacy Notice (https://www.wppmedia.com/pages/privacy-policy) for more information on how we process the information you provide. 

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

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