Media Planning Manager

poltronesofà UK; Sunderland; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Holidays 33 days

Car allowance

Discount platform

Colleague discount

Career progression

Maternity / paternity leave

Employee assistance

Job summary

poltronesofà UK is seeking a Media Planning Manager to lead UK media investment, driving advertising effectiveness and brand awareness. You will own the relationship with Carat, deliver integrated, insight-led media plans, and oversee budget and performance reporting.

Hybrid working is available with two days per week in Sunderland. You will collaborate with Italian teams to align strategy and maximise investment while prioritising measurement and commercial return.

Qualifications

• UK cross-channel media planning and buying knowledge, including broadcast and digital.
• Strong numeracy, Excel, budget forecasting and ability to interrogate agency plans and delivery data.
• Audience research, reach and frequency planning, local catchment analysis and commercial judgement.
• Understanding of brand tracking, attribution, incrementality and the role of marketing mix modelling.

Responsibilities

• Integrated media planning across channels to balance brand building and trading needs.
• Lead day-to-day agency planning, buying oversight and performance reviews with Carat.
• Maintain UK media budget, forecasts and pacing within delegated authority; manage bookings and invoices.
• Assess TV, online video, paid social, search, audio and outdoor for impact and reach.

Skills

Media planning

Budget forecasting

Audience research

Brand tracking

Attribution modelling

Agency management

Performance analysis

Tools

Excel

Job description

Department: Marketing

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Sunderland - Customer Support Centre

Reporting To: UK Marketing Director

Description

As Media Planning Manager, you will lead UK media investment, driving greater advertising effectiveness to build brand awareness and consideration, generate qualified showroom and digital traffic, and deliver profitable sales.

You will own the day-to-day relationship with our media agency, Carat, providing strong UK leadership while working closely with Italian colleagues to ensure alignment and maximise investment.

Bringing together audience-led planning, effective budget management and robust measurement, you will deliver one integrated, rolling customer plan, ensuring every investment decision is insight-led and commercially focused.

Hybrid working, with two days per week based in our Sunderland office.

What does the role involve?

Integrated planning

Translate brand, commercial and trade priorities into audience-led media briefs and costed plans. Balance long-term brand building with trading needs, using customer insight, seasonality and store catchments to recommend channel mix and timing.

Carat management

Lead day-to-day agency planning, buying oversight and performance reviews. Challenge assumptions, rates and recommendations; agree clear deliverables and ensure specialist buying teams execute approved plans accurately.

Investment control

Maintain the UK media budget, forecasts, commitments and pacing within delegated authority. Reconcile bookings, delivery and invoices with Carat and Finance; identify variances, credits and value opportunities and seek approval for reallocations.

Channel and audience delivery

Assess TV, broadcaster video on demand, online video, paid social, search, audio and outdoor where relevant. Scrutinise reach, frequency, audience duplication, geographic coverage and quality, including local store needs.

Measurement framework

Agree objectives and baselines before launch. Combine delivery data, brand tracking, digital journeys, store traffic and sales to assess awareness, consideration, commercial contribution and return on marketing investment.

Testing and effectiveness

Build a prioritised test programme with agency and insight partners, using geographic tests, holdouts or marketing mix modelling where appropriate. Distinguish attributed sales from incremental impact and explain data limits and confidence.

Joined-up activation

Work with Creative Campaign on formats, deadlines and creative tests; align paid social with Brand, Social & Content and coordinate Retail Marketing and Digital around the trade plan. Manage UK and Group planning hand-offs.

Reporting and optimisation

Provide concise recommendations on investment, delivery and effectiveness. Monitor performance, resolve under-delivery and optimise approved plans. Keep transparent records of buying terms, fees, brand safety and agency service levels.

Measures of success

Approved spend controlled and reconciled; audience reach and coverage delivered; stronger awareness, consideration and incremental commercial return.

Who are we looking for?

• UK cross-channel media planning and buying knowledge, including broadcast and digital.
• Strong numeracy, Excel, budget forecasting and ability to interrogate agency plans and delivery data.
• Audience research, reach and frequency planning, local catchment analysis and commercial judgement.
• Understanding of brand tracking, attribution, incrementality and the role of marketing mix modelling.
• Confident agency challenge and clear presentation of recommendations; awareness of brand safety and responsible data use.
• Owning integrated media plans in a UK agency or advertiser role.
• Evidence of managing material budgets, external partners and campaign evaluation that informed decisions.
• Hands-on interpretation of broadcast and digital performance; collaboration with buying or analytics specialists.
• Multi-site or considered-purchase retail, geographic testing and exposure to econometrics.
• Relevant qualification or equivalent practical experience; advanced modelling delivered with specialist partners.

What’s in it for you?

• 33 days holidays including bank holidays
• Car cash allowance
• Employee benefits platform – access to 100s of high street discounts and more – holiday discounts, gym discounts, cinema discounts, e-vouchers, cashback and more!
• Colleague Discount
• Career progression
• Enhanced Maternity, Paternity and Adoption Leave
• Access to our dedicated Employee Assistance Programme – to give you free access to advice and information on a range of topics
• Virtual GP – Access to a GP service 24/7
• Salary finance scheme
• Pension Scheme
• Death in Service