Account Manager, Paid Search

WPP Media; Manchester; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive medical insurance

Group retirement plans

Vision and dental insurance

Generous paid time off

Job summary

WPP Media, the AI-driven media operating unit of WPP, is seeking a results-focused Search Manager to own day-to-day paid search and paid social execution. You will manage campaigns, build robust media plans, and drive optimization while mentoring junior colleagues.

This role operates within WPP Open ecosystems, delivering measurable impact for UK clients. You will collaborate with client teams and suppliers, present performance insights, and help shape testing strategies to maximise campaign

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading paid search and paid social campaigns.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to translate data into action.
• Excellent communication and client-facing skills.

Responsibilities

• Own day-to-day management of paid search and paid social campaigns.
• Develop and justify biddable media plans aligned with client KPIs.
• Mentor and develop team members, ensuring high-quality client deliverables.
• Produce regular performance reports and actionable insights.
• Collaborate with planning teams to align media with wider marketing strategy.

Skills

Leadership

Analytical thinking

Strategic planning

Communication

People management

Tools

Google Ads

Bing Ads

Meta (Facebook)

TikTok

Pinterest

Job description

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.

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 parliamentary 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.

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

Role Summary and Impact

As aSearch Manager, you will own the day-to-day execution of all elements of paid search and paid social activity, leveraging strong platform knowledge and supplier relationships to deliver flawless testing, media plans, optimization, and analysis. You will manage and mentor team members, overseeing their work and their development to successfully execute client deliverables and exceed client expectations. You will act as a key point of contact for colleagues supporting campaign delivery, proactively seeking both tactical and strategic optimization opportunities, contributing to campaign strategy and translating it into effective delivery within the WPP Open ecosystem.

Operating Model & Ways of Working

The NMU is designed to deliver a highly agile and responsive service, operating across three defined speeds of delivery:

• Always‑on activity
  Continuous delivery, optimisation and performance management
• Tactical activity
  End‑to‑end delivery (brief, creative, booking, live) within approximately two weeks
• Reactive activity
  24‑hour turnaround, from brief to creative development and live execution, responding to policy updates, announcements or external events

Key Responsibilities

Line Management

• Manage one or several team members, overseeing their work and development to successfully execute client deliverables. Provide coaching and support, ensuring workloads are effectively managed.

Campaign Management

• Own the day-to-day execution and effective management of designated paid search and paid social accounts, ensuring ongoing and timely optimization and proactively identifying tactical and strategic opportunities and forecasting.
• Develop comprehensive biddable media plans (+ supporting material) aligned with client objectives and KPIs, clearly articulating the rationale for proposed tactics.
• Responsible for end-to-end setup of biddable campaigns across relevant platforms, utilizing advanced features (e.g., bid rules, 3rd party tools).
• Oversee and ensure regular Quality Assurance (QA) checks, monitoring campaign performance, pacing, troubleshooting, and optimizing to improve performance.
• Produce detailed and accurate weekly/monthly campaign performance reports and insightful commentary, including end-of-campaign reporting and quarterly/annual reviews.
• Identify trends and recommend on-platform actions to capitalize/mitigate these trends.

Client & Partner Management

• Develop strong relationships with colleagues supporting campaign delivery, your client, and key suppliers, leading team communications and building rapport to become a trusted advisor.
• Act as a key biddable point-of-contact for clients, ensuring confidence in the team's output and supporting client calls/presentations.
• Demonstrate strong knowledge of the client sector/industry and media/technology developments, identifying strategic issues and opportunities to test and innovate in the biddable space.

People Development

• Act as a motivational manager, leading by example while encouraging and coaching team members, providing feedback and recognition for a job well done.
• Delegate and manage workloads across team members, whilst supporting and educating planning teams on the benefits and purpose of biddable media.
• Assist with the recruitment process for the immediate and wider team when required, attending interviews and acting as an ambassador.

Operational Excellence

• Make full use of technology, implementing processes that maximize operational efficiencies and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Take ownership of issues when they arise, proactively suggesting resolutions and preventative measures.
• Contribute to the development of strategic revenue and services opportunities.
• Ensure financial accuracy, integrating the planning and buying process, and reconciliation of spends, including client terms and fees.
• Collaborate closely with planning teams and other channel specialists to ensure biddable activity complements and enhances the wider marketing mix.

Skills and Experience

• Biddable Expertise: Proven experience in both Paid Search (Google Ads, Bing Ads) and Paid Social (Meta, TikTok, Pinterest etc.), with current certifications (Google and Microsoft Ads, Meta Blueprint desirable).
• Leadership & Innovation: Leads and promotes continuous innovation, and test & learn opportunities for the team and clients. Creates a positive climate to drive team performance whilst motivating others.
• Analytical & Strategic: Excellent knowledge of bid management, core PPC/social technology platforms, and data analysis. Strong analytical skills with an aptitude for handling data to identify trends and actionable insights. Ability to devise campaign strategy and translate it into effective delivery.
• People Management: Proven experience managing individuals, overseeing their work and development, and motivating team members.
• Client & Partner Management: Strong relationship‑building skills with clients, colleagues supporting campaign delivery, and key suppliers; ability to foster good working relationships across client teams.
• Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with people from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and countries, including translating technical points to non‑technical audiences.
• Mindset: Passionate about Biddable media, leading by example, and driving continuous improvement.

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.

At WPP Media we believe in the power of our culture and our people. It’s what elevates us to deliver exceptional experiences for both our clients and each other. In this role it will be critical to embrace WPP & WPP Media’s shared core values:

Be Extraordinary by Leading Collectively to Inspire transformational Creativity. Create an Open environment by Balancing People and Client Experiences by Cultivating Trust. Lead Optimistically by Championing Growth and Development to Mobilize the Enterprise.

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

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