Manager, Strategy & Activation

Kepler Group; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 38,000 - 46,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Wellness allowance

Cycle scheme

Season ticket loan

Work from Anywhere (4 weeks)

Job summary

Kepler Group is seeking a Manager to join the Strategy & Activation team in London. You will own client operational work from media responses and planning to campaign set-up and optimization in digital buying platforms. You will collaborate with Analysts to ensure campaigns hit goals.

You will lead client interactions, build relationships, create cross-channel briefs, and work with external agencies to ensure cohesive planning. The role emphasizes data-driven decisions and team coaching.

Qualifications

• 2+ years hands-on platform experience across digital channels.
• Extensive Google Ads in‑platform experience required.
• Digital planning experience (client, agency or DSP side).
• Excellent client service approach with ability to multitask.
• Technical/analytical mindset.
• Enjoyment when working as part of a team.
• Coaching or line management experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day client contact (calls/face-to-face) to ensure campaigns meet expectations.
• Build strong client relationships and anticipate needs.
• Create cross-channel digital briefs and media plans with clear rationale.
• Collaborate with external media and creative agencies for cohesive planning.
• Manage campaign execution and QA within buying platforms; troubleshoot issues.
• Optimize campaign performance and drive ongoing improvements.
• Provide insights and analysis of results across channels and devices.
• Build relationships with media partners and vendors to deliver opportunities.
• Identify additional revenue opportunities and create proposals.
• Train Analysts and grow the team; contribute to wider initiatives.

Skills

2+ years platform experience

Google Ads in‑platform

Digital planning

Client service

Technical mindset

Team player

Coaching or leadership

Job description

Kepler executes engineered marketing, where every message and ad delivered helps create a more personalized and productive relationship between brands and their consumers. We do this by acting as clients’ agency of record, as their in-house team, or some hybrid of the two – and by harnessing data and technology across all paid digital media and data-driven CRM channels.

• We're transparentwith our employees. You'll hear updates on company financials, how we're performing against bonus goals, and how we're responding to challenges we face.
• We're growing. For you, that means unparalleled growth opportunities and a role in shaping the direction of the company.
• We're fun. You'll work with and learn from the smartest people in the industry and have a blast doing it.

Overview

The Strategy & Activation team is the main interface between our clients and the rest of the business. We are not only responsible for building great relationships with our clients and delivering award winning digital campaigns, we are also accountable for the growth and development of our client’s businesses. Whether that involves being first to market with new digital channels, supporting measurement journeys, providing innovative optimisation solutions or educational workshops, we pride ourselves on the strong client partnerships built.

We are currently looking for aManager to join the team and become part of our close-knit family of passionate Activators.

Role Overview

The Manager plays a key role within the Strategy & Activation team. Reporting into the Associate Director or Senior Manager, the Manager owns all client operational work from media responses and planning to campaign set-up and optimisation within the digital buying platforms. You will work closely with Analysts to ensure campaigns run smoothly and deliver to the campaign goals.

About the Role

• Lead day to day contact with clients (calls and/or face-to-face) to ensure campaign planning and management is in-line with client expectations, providing feedback and data driven recommendations on how to achieve the best performance
• Build strong client relationships, anticipating needs that support their primary focus areas
• Create cross-channel digital brief responses and media plans which effectively meet client business and campaign goals, providing a clear rationale
• Collaborate with external media and creative agencies to ensure cohesive planning and optimal campaign execution
• Manage campaign execution & QA within the buying platforms, proactively troubleshooting issues as they arise
• Optimise campaign performance (brand and/or acquisition) against forecasts, driving results for continued improvement and providing new ideas and solutions
• Provide clear and concise insight and analysis of campaign results across the various digital channels and devices (Display, Video, Social, Search, Audio, OOH etc)
• Build relationships with key media partners and technology vendors (e.g. Google, Meta, Amazon) to deliver best in class service and opportunities for our clients
• Identify additional revenue opportunities and create accompanying proposals
• Train and coach Analysts to develop and grow within the team
• Work with the other (Senior) Managers to brainstorm and implement wider company and client focused initiatives

Desired Experience and Skills

• 2+ years of hands‑on in platform experience, ideally across a minimum of 2 of the following digital channels: Programmatic Display, Video, Paid Search and/or Paid Social
• Extensive Google Ads in‑platform experience is required
• Digital planning experience (client, agency or DSP side)
• Excellent client service approach and ability to multitask with great attention to detail
• A technical/analytical mindset
• Enjoyment when working as part of a team
• Coaching or line management experience

Our compensation strategy is designed to attract, reward, and retain the talented employees that drive Kepler’s growth and success. We aim to offer competitive direct compensation that demonstrates the value we place on our employees and their well‑being.

Our salary banding for this role starts at £41,800 per annum.

• 25 days annual leave, increasing to 28 days after 3 years. Option to buy additional annual leave allowance up to 30 per year
• Monthly Wellness Allowance
• Ride to work cycle scheme
• Season ticket loan scheme
• ‘Work from Anywhere’ (WFA) for up to 4 weeks per year
• Hybrid working 3 days onsite and 2 days remote per week
• Flexible working with start and finish times between 8am - 10am and 4.30pm - 6.30pm
• Company pension contributions
• Enhanced parental leave policies
• Annual tuition budgets for out of work study
• Mobile phone, home broadband reimbursements
• Working from home equipment budget
• Weekly free breakfast, fruit and drinks
• Regular paid socials, and social budgets

The increasing adoption of AI is reshaping our industry. As part of your application, please include a brief disclosure of which AI tools (if any) you have used to assist with your preparation. Our interview process includes a discussion surrounding your experience experimenting with these tools and how to leverage them effectively within a professional setting. Please be aware that in line with GDPR, we do not allow use of AI for recording/transcripts during interviews without all attendees consent.

In order for us to provide an inclusive recruitment process, please let us know if you require any reasonable adjustments: Examples that may be helpful in removing barriers that may affect you include, but are not limited to: additional time to complete interview tasks if you are Dyslexic or having a copy of the questions ahead of the interview if you are Autistic / a non native English speaker

This is a hybrid role which requires you to be present in our London office a minimum of 3 days per week.

Please note that, at this time and for this position, we cannot accommodate long term future sponsorship needs for UK work authorisation. Please note in your application if you fall under this category.