Digital Media Planning Manager, Performance Media - Boots UK

BOOTS; Greater London; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading retail company seeks a Digital Media Planning Manager to drive omni-channel growth through best-in-class strategies. This role involves leading a performance-first team, developing integrated campaigns, and collaborating with both in-house specialists and external partners. The ideal candidate will have strong agency experience in performance media, strategic thinking skills, and a passion for nurturing talent. Join us to shape the future of digital media planning in a collaborative environment.

Benefits

Boots Retirement Savings Plan

Discretionary annual bonus

Generous employee discounts

Enhanced parental leave pay

Flexible benefits scheme

Access to Employee Assistance Programme

Qualifications

• Strong cross-channel agency experience in digital media, particularly performance-led media.
• Ability to think strategically from consumer behavior to programmatic media buying.
• Commitment to nurturing and developing talent in the team.

Responsibilities

• Lead a performance-first digital media planning team.
• Own the full briefing process to activation teams.
• Pioneer new media types through testing proposals.
• Utilize AI tools in media planning.

Skills

Cross-channel agency experience

Strategic thinking

Digital media knowledge

Leadership

Understanding performance media

Job description

Closing Date: Tuesday 23rd Dec

Location: Manchester

Contract: Permanent

Recruitment Partner: Frankie McCallister-Lyas

Overview

Boots UK Performance Media are an award‑winning in‑house team responsible for driving omni‑channel growth for our Retail business through best‑in‑class online advertising strategy and activation. We’ve built one of the UK's most successful, innovative brand‑side teams by bringing together industry‑leading talent with the very best tech & AI solutions.

As our Digital Media Planning Manager, you will lead, plan and construct the key strategic responses for the Performance Media in‑house Agency – fusing together integrated campaigns, key trade moments such as Valentine’s or Black Friday or new performance‑led growth opportunities. You’ll act as the catalyst for bringing together agency partners, in‑house specialists and media partners to produce best‑in‑class strategy that drives growth, mixing your commercial acumen with digital media planning knowledge.

This role is a key part of our Performance Media leadership team and will lead a team of two as well as a resource at our external digital agency. We’re looking for strong leadership capability, great communication and channel knowledge but above all, someone who truly values the people they lead.

Key Responsibilities

• You’ll lead a performance‑first, digital media planning team made up of 1 x Executive and 1 x Specialist to proactively deliver best‑in‑class, data‑led strategies to drive growth.
• Own the process of brief receipt, right through to the hand‑off to activation teams, driving plan optimisation through surfacing key‑insight and post‑campaign measurement.
• Establish and maintain strong partnerships with agency consultants, platform partners and internal activation teams to ensure strategic responses are as robust as possible.
• Adopt and embed the performance media principles of Data, Measurement, Creative and Technology as the fundamental pillars of planning – combining strong audience planning with technical platform knowledge to craft innovative strategic responses.
• Pioneer new media types through robust testing proposals that clearly define an ROI‑led scaling strategy, working alongside media partners and activation teams.
• Utilising AI tooling, weave new technology into our media planning and strategy for performance‑first digital media.
• Lead the team's ownership of the promotions and offers into performance channels plan, ensuring all key promotions land in channel and are well represented throughout.
• Utilising your 60% channel knowledge, independently and/or collaboratively, construct digital‑media‑led brief responses for demand‑generative and demand‑harvesting layers of the funnel.
• Regularly present and communicate performance‑first digital media plans and strategies, clearly articulating an ROI‑first narrative.

What you’ll need to have

• Strong cross‑channel agency experience in digital media, particularly performance‑led media, with a minimum of 60% knowledge in each channel and an ability to confidently, independently construct data‑led strategies that meet the brief objective.
• An ability to think strategically – from a zoomed‑out understanding of consumer behaviour, right down to the intricacies of programmatic media buying, possessing an ability to confidently talk with affiliates, PPC, paid social, display & video channel specialists & our tech & AI team.
• An understanding of demand generation vs demand harvesting strategies, full‑funnel advertising and the role that performance plays within the funnel.
• A strong commitment to nurturing and developing great talent to achieve their best, while developing a positive, high‑performing culture within your team.
• A high‑performance managerial mindset, understanding how we can go‑one‑more to beat the competition, learn and scale fast.
• A leader in media – passionate about digital media, its future and inspiring young talent with a keenness to share knowledge.

Why Boots

At Boots, we foster a working environment where consideration and inclusivity help everyone to be themselves and reach their full potential. We are proud to be an equal‑opportunity employer, passionate about embracing the diversity of our colleagues and providing a positive and inclusive working environment for all.

Our benefits

• Boots Retirement Savings Plan
• Discretionary annual bonus
• Generous employee discounts
• Enhanced maternity/paternity/adoption leave pay and gift card for anyone expecting or adopting a child
• Flexible benefits scheme including holiday buying, discounted gym membership, life assurance, activity passes and more.
• Access to free, 24/7 counselling and support through TELUS Health, our Employee Assistance Programme.

We have a great range of benefits in addition to the above that offer flexibility to suit you – find out more at boots.jobs/rewards. (Please note, any salary estimates given on third‑party sites are not provided or endorsed by Boots and may not be accurate).

What's next

If your application is successful, our in‑house recruitment team will be in touch to arrange an interview and to answer any initial questions you have. If you have not been successful on this occasion, you’ll be notified by email.

Where a role is advertised as full‑time, we are open to discussing part‑time and job share options during the application process. If you require additional support as part of the application and interview process, we are happy to provide reasonable adjustments to help you to be at your best.