Associate Director - Commercial Finance London, England

Group M Worldwide Inc.; London; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading media agency in London seeks an Associate Director to drive the success of local contracts with major brands. The role involves leading negotiations, managing client relationships, and developing business strategies to enhance profitability. Applicants should bring extensive experience in commercial management and a deep understanding of client needs.

Benefits

Competitive medical and dental insurance

Group retirement plans

Generous paid time off

Preferential partner discounts

Mental health awareness days

Qualifications

• Significant experience in contract negotiation and commercial strategy.
• Proven track record in business growth and profitability.
• Strong analytical and leadership skills.

Responsibilities

• Drive commercial success of multi-million-dollar contracts.
• Lead negotiations and manage client portfolio.
• Ensure contract compliance and maximize profitability.

Skills

Negotiation

Commercial management

Client relationship management

Education

Degree in Business, Marketing, or related field

Job description

AboutWPP 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 EssenceMediacom: A Leading WPP Media Brand

EssenceMediacom is a new breed of media agency. Grounded in analytics & insights and powered by data & technology, we believe in the power of media and creative to drive breakthroughs for the world’s best brands. We help clients understand the modern marketing paradox and discover the breakthroughs brands need to win with their consumers. We are designed for the new communications economy — built on data & technology, built for people & algorithms, built around diverse schools of thought, built to test & learn at scale, and, crucially, built to evolve.

Role Summary and Impact

Drive the commercial success of multi-million-dollar local contracts for some of the world's most recognisable brands. As an Associate Director in the UK Commercial team, you will have the opportunity to lead complex negotiations, build strong client relationships, and contribute to revenue growth while ensuring contract compliance and maximising profitability. You may oversee a mix of Commercial Analysts.

This role offers an exciting opportunity to be involved in the commercial management of and negotiations with existing and potential new clients. You will have the opportunity to manage your own client portfolio and partner with Commercial Directors on complex negotiations, gaining valuable experience and developing your commercial expertise.

Skills and Experience

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 Growthand Development to Mobilize the Enterprise.

Responsibilities:

• Business Growth & Profitability
• Identify and pursue opportunities for revenue growth.
• Develop competitive pricing and remuneration models that maximise profitability for GroupM while delivering value to our clients.
• Commercial Management & Reporting
• Develop and implement commercial strategies for a portfolio of clients, ensuring alignment with overall agency goals and client objectives.
• Oversee all commercial aspects of assigned client accounts, including meticulous contract compliance, accurate reporting, adherence to payment terms and effective incentive management.
• Stakeholder & Client Engagement
• Serve as the primary commercial contact and trusted advisor for a designated portfolio of local clients, fostering strong relationships with clients and internal stakeholders.
• Proactively manage client communication, skilfully navigating complex discussions with confidence and providing expert commercial guidance to both clients and internal stakeholders.
• Contract Negotiation and Compliance
• Lead and manage client contract negotiations (with the support from the Legal Team), ensuring favourable terms and conditions to GroupM while maintaining positive client relationships.
• Support client contract compliance audits, collaborating with our internal client compliance team to provide necessary documentation where required.
• Support the media leadership team in day-to-day management of client account
• Reviewing SOW with support from legal
• oversee Commercial Analysts in pricing on-going and one-off projects
• Team Leadership & Mentorship
• Support, mentor and guide any direct reports fostering a collaborative and high-performing team environment.
• Provide ongoing coaching, training, and development opportunities to enhance the skills and capabilities of team members, contributing to their professional growth and success.

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 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.