Manager, Media Activation

WPP Media; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 65,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive medical benefits

Group retirement plans

Vision & dental insurance

Significant paid time off

Partner discounts

Mental health awareness days

Job summary

WPP Media, Toronto, is seeking a Manager, Activation to lead programmatic and digital campaigns across Google Ads and DV360, with a focus on YouTube activation and cross-functional collaboration.

The role requires 3–5 years of hands-on experience, strong communication, and the ability to manage 1–2 direct reports in a hybrid office setting.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of hands-on experience activating programmatic and paid social campaigns.
• Strong working familiarity with Google Ads and DV360; Paid Social experience is a plus.
• Excellent verbal and written communication for client relationships and cross-team coordination.

Responsibilities

• Lead setup, execution, and day-to-day management of programmatic and digital campaigns, focusing on Google Ads and DV360.
• Oversee media buys with emphasis on YouTube activation and external vendors.
• Collaborate with planning and account teams to support multiple brands in the Google portfolio.
• Monitor and optimize campaigns to meet KPIs and client objectives.
• Manage day-to-day relationships with key external partners and coordinate reporting.

Skills

Programmatic activation

Google Ads

DV360

Team leadership

Client communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Google Ads

DV360

Paid Social

Job description

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 ourpioneeringagentic 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.

Manager, Activation

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 ourpioneeringagentic 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.

Manager, Activation – Media Futures Group

Who We Are Looking For

The Media Activation team is responsible for providing thoughtful and exciting recommendations for Social, Display, and Video, owning supplier relationships and then executing those recommendations expertly. The Media Activation team leverages their mastery of each channel to make sure its recommendations are consistently excellent and innovative, and that in-channel performance and data integrity are maximized.

We are seeking an analytical, detail-oriented, and highly motivated Manager, Activation to join Media Futures Group, a dedicated division serving Google.

In this role, you will support a variety of different brands and campaigns, acting as a crucial team player to drive activation success. If you have a solid understanding of digital media—with a primary focus on programmatic advertising—and are eager to learn, adapt, and grow within a collaborative, fast-paced team, we want to hear from you!

What You’ll Do:

• Campaign Activation: Lead the setup, execution, and day-to-day management of programmatic & digital campaigns (i.e. Newsletter & podcasts), primarily focusing on Google Ads and DV360.
• Media Support: Oversee media buys with a heavy emphasis on YouTube activation, while collaborating with various external vendors.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with planning and account teams to support multiple lines of business across the Google portfolio.
• Performance Analysis: Monitor, analyze, and optimize campaigns to ensure key performance indicators (KPIs) and client objectives are met, demonstrating a strong analytical mindset.
• Management of digital publishers: Serve as a point of contact for key external partners while actively managing day-to-day relationships, coordinate reporting and proactively resolve campaign execution issues to ensure successful delivery.
• Data Integrity: Maintain an exceptional level of attention to detail to ensure accurate tracking, budget pacing, and flawless execution.

What We’re Looking For

• Experience: 3 to 5 years of hands‑on experience activating programmatic and paid social campaigns.
• Platform Expertise: Strong working familiarity with Google Ads and DV360 is highly preferred. Experience or understanding of Paid Social is a plus.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written are particularly important in developing client relationships and maintaining efficient communication across the team
• Communication with client stakeholders and effective management of assigned tasks is critical in this role
• High Attention to Detail: A meticulous approach to campaign setup, numbers, and tracking.
• Strong understanding of optimization levers, testing approaches across media buying platforms
• Curious & Eager to Learn: An open mind with a passion for digital marketing and a desire to be trained up on new platforms and strategies.
• Adaptability: The ability to easily pivot and support different campaign types and brands as client priorities shift.
• Communication Skills: Strong verbal and written communication skills to effectively collaborate with internal teams and vendor partners.
• Certifications: Certifications in Google Ads, DV360, or other major programmatic platforms are a strong bonus.
• Oversee a team of 1-2 direct reports

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.

The base salary for this position at the time of this posting may range between the values at the bottom of this posting. Individual compensation varies based on job-related factors, including location, business needs, level of responsibility, experience, and qualifications. $65,000 — $115,000 CAD