Media Planning and Effectiveness Lead

Ocado Retail Ltd; Hatfield; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading online supermarket is looking for a Media Planning and Effectiveness Lead in Hatfield. This permanent role involves managing the media budget, developing media strategies, and collaborating with agencies and internal teams. Candidates should possess experience in media planning and econometrics, proven ability to manage agency relationships, and exceptional communication skills. Join the team to contribute to innovative online retail solutions while enjoying a hybrid work model and competitive benefits.

Benefits

Private medical insurance

Annual bonus scheme

Pension contributions

Gym membership discounts

Flexible holidays

Qualifications

• Proven experience in media planning or effectiveness roles.
• Experience with marketing mix modelling and econometrics.
• Ability to manage a major media agency relationship.

Responsibilities

• Manage and steward the media budget effectively.
• Develop and refine full-funnel media strategy.
• Act as liaison to media agency and internal teams.

Skills

Media planning expertise

Econometrics

Collaboration

Financial acumen

Communication skills

Job description

Vacancy Name Media Planning and Effectiveness Lead

Vacancy No VN1172

Job Type Permanent

Location Hatfield

Job Details

Media Planning and Effectiveness Lead

Contract type: Permanent

Location: Hatfield (Hybrid working - 3 days in the office)

Working hours per week: 40 hours

Level: Lead

Application Closing Date: Thursday 25th December 2025

About us

Our mission is to deliver joy in every shop, through unbeatable choice, unrivalled service, and reassuringly good value.

We’re Ocado Retail, a market‑leading joint venture between Ocado Group and M&S, and the world’s largest dedicated online supermarket. Not only is Ocado.com the only place to shop a full range of M&S food online, it’s also the home to the widest online supermarket range in the UK and champion of small, independent brands. We’re also the brains behind Clubshop, our same‑day grocery delivery service.

About the team and the role

The Media Planning and Effectiveness Lead is a pivotal role, responsible for ensuring we are planning our media budget effectively across paid, owned and earned activity and constantly interrogating its effectiveness to ensure we are maximising ROAS and budget impact. This individual will be the steward of the overall media budget, ensuring its strategic deployment across the full marketing funnel to achieve core business and marketing objectives. Success in this role requires a blend of hands‑on media expertise, a deep understanding of marketing effectiveness, econometrics and exceptional collaborative skills to coordinate effective media deployment across internal teams and external partners.

What you’ll do

Strategic Media Planning & Budget Management (in collaboration with individual owners)

• Budget Stewardship: Manage and steward the end‑to‑end media budget, making data‑driven decisions on allocation across channels (e.g., brand building, performance, acquisition) to optimise full‑funnel performance and in line with the agreed media tenets.
• Full‑Funnel Strategy: Develop, champion, and continually refine the full‑funnel media strategy, ensuring integration between upper‑funnel (e.g., brand, awareness) and lower‑funnel (e.g., conversion, performance) activities.
• Deployment Coordination: Act as the central coordinator for media deployment, working closely with channel owners and marketing execution teams to ensure flawless and timely activation of the plan.

Media Effectiveness & Measurement

• Econometrics Expertise: Serve as the internal subject matter expert for marketing mix modelling and econometrics. Interpreting outputs to derive actionable insights, translate findings into revised media strategies (in partnership with channel owners), and challenge established norms. Develop a robust programme of work to test and iterate current economic model to continually improve measurement approach and recommendations for the future.
• KPI Management: Define and track key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics across all media activities, ensuring a clear link between media inputs and marketing outcomes.
• Test & Learn: Champion a rigorous and innovative test‑and‑learn agenda, across channels, to continuously improve media effectiveness and efficiency allowing us to future‑proof new ideas to reach new audiences.

Agency Management & Collaboration

• Key Agency Liaison: Act as the primary point of contact and lead relationship manager for our media agency partner.
• Performance Oversight: Hold media agency accountable for delivering against strategic objectives, challenging their recommendations, and ensuring the quality and accuracy of their media plans and reporting.
• Internal Collaboration: Be a great collaborator, proactively partnering with internal teams (e.g., Brand, Performance, Analytics, Finance) to ensure media plans are fully aligned with creative assets, budget constraints, and business forecasts.

Who you are

• Proven experience of progressive experience in media planning, strategy, or effectiveness roles, client‑side or agency.
• Demonstrable first‑hand experience in designing and implementing full‑funnel media plans that effectively balance long‑term brand building with short‑term performance goals.
• Mandatory experience with Econometrics (Marketing Mix Modelling), including interpreting results, briefing MMM studies, and applying findings to media decisions.
• Proven ability to manage and influence a major media agency relationship, ideally with experience managing a group such as Havas.
• Exceptional collaborator with the proven ability to influence cross‑functional teams without direct reporting lines.
• Strong financial acumen and experience managing significant media budgets and forecasting media ROI.
• Excellent communication skills, capable of presenting complex media strategies and results to senior stakeholders.

What’s in it for you

By joining Ocado Retail, you’ll have the chance to experience life at the world’s largest online retailer, work with an amazing bunch of people who challenge what’s possible each day, and grow your skills and career in online retail.

If that’s not enough to tempt you, you’ll also get access to loads of great benefits to sweeten the deal. Here’s a taste of what we offer:

Health & Wellbeing: Private medical insurance with option to add your family, Digital GP appointments, market‑leading family policies, mental health support, discounted gym memberships, dental insurance, and more.

Spend & Save: Annual bonus scheme split between personal and business objectives, recognition with reward platform, up to 7% matched pension contributions, 15% Ocado discount, 20% M&S discount, free breakfast every day in the office, electric vehicle leasing scheme, and free shuttle bus from Hatfield station to the office.

Never miss the moments that matter: Hybrid working, 26 days holiday plus 8 flexible bank holidays, options to buy extra holiday, 2 weeks work from anywhere, and lifestyle break opportunities.

Our Hiring Process

Lucky for us, we receive a high volume of applications and genuinely appreciate the time and effort invested by every candidate. To ensure a fair and thorough process, every application is reviewed by a member of our team. If your skills and experience are a strong match, a Talent Partner will contact you to discuss the role and guide you through the next steps of our hiring process.

Your Application and AI

In the spirit of innovation, we welcome you to use AI tools in your application, just as we use them in our own business at Ocado Retail. However, as you leverage this technology, please don’t lose sight of the most important element: your unique self. Your experiences, passions, and personality are what truly set you apart. Ensure that your application still authentically conveys who you are and why you’re a great fit for us.

Everyone’s welcome