Social Director

WPP Media; Greater London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Pension plan

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Paid time off

Employee discounts

Mental health days

Job summary

WPP Media is seeking a paid social specialist stepping into an Account Director role to lead day-to-day paid social output for client accounts. You will oversee a hybrid team across local and Global Hub staff, ensuring high-quality plans and campaigns across major platforms.

You will build client relationships, translate data into actionable insights, and drive performance across markets including DE, FR, IT, ES while mentoring junior colleagues and coordinating with US, Germany and APAC teams.

Qualifications

• Experience in performance media with a good level of expertise across paid social.
• Strong understanding of how paid social works within the performance and digital ecosystem.
• Experience in setting Social brand and performance KPIs for clients.
• Hands-on experience in planning, buying and optimising across all channels is useful.
• Professional digital media/advertising qualifications will be of an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Overseeing day-to-day paid social output for one or more client accounts.
• Develop and present comprehensive paid social plans aligned with client objectives.
• Manage paid social brand and performance campaigns (web sign ups and app installs).
• Supervise a hybrid team across local and Global Hub employees.
• Train junior team members on advanced features and QA processes.
• Lead weekly/monthly performance reports and client calls.
• Identify trends and provide on-platform recommendations.

Skills

Performance media

Paid social expertise

Planning & buying across channels

KPIs & reporting

People management

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Communication skills

Analytical mindset

Tools

Meta Ads Manager

TikTok Ads

Twitter Ads

Snap Ads

Job description

WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. With exceptional talent, trusted data and intelligence, and world-class partnerships – all united by ourpioneeringagentic marketing platform, WPP Open – we help clients navigate change, capture opportunity, and deliver transformational growth.

WPP Media is WPP's AI-driven media operating unit, bringing together media, data, and partnerships to deliver creative personalisation at scale. Connected through WPP Open and powered by Open Intelligence, clients see exactly where, how, and why their media investment is working.

Audible is Wavemaker World wide’s largest client and one of the world’s favourite platforms for audio content, from podcasts to audio books to Audible Originals . Audible have ambitious growth targets that we will help them achieve through both branding and performance campaigns across four major markets: France, Italy, Germany and Spain giving the applicate an opportunity to work across market and understand how different markets behaviour and respond to media.

Role Context:

We are looking for a paid social specialist to continue their career as Account Director. This person will assume day-to-day responsibility for the paid social planning, activation and general output of a busy client account (/accounts). They will help oversee a team of more junior staff responsible for the everyday running of the account and ensure our strategic audience first approach to performance to made reality. This person will also be required to develop strong relationships with clients, suppliers, and our counterparts in the US, Germany and APAC region to become a trusted voice for all things paid social. As such the ideal candidate is someone with extensive knowledge of paid advertising across all of the key social channels (Meta, Instagram, Snap, TikTok etc) who has a deep understanding of best approaches and practices to performance both direct to site and app downloads (MAI – app installs).

Key Responsibilities:

Account Directors are charged with responsibility for the day-to-day paid social output of one (or more) client accounts, with several key areas of focus. These include:

Campaign Management

• Overseeing the production of comprehensive paid social media plans (+ supporting material) that align with client’s objectives and KPIs. Able to clearly articulate the rationale for proposed campaign tactics (channels, budget, audience, formats etc.) and present these back, both to internal and external stakeholders.
• Managing both the paid social brand and performance campaigns (web sign ups and Monthly app installs), with the ability to manage a set of highly knowledgeable Social clients.
• Overseeing a hybrid team (made up of both local and Global Hub employees) responsible for the end-to-end setup of paid social campaigns across all the relevant social platforms.
• Comfortable troubleshooting and helping train junior team members to use advanced features such as bid rules and 3rd party optimisation/creative/measurement tools.
• Responsible for maintaining the standard of regular quality assurance (QA) checks undertaken by those working on the account to ensure campaigns are set up to defined best practice standards (and helping to evolve these best-practices as necessary).
• Working with team to ensure the standard and accuracy of weekly/monthly campaign performance reports. Leading client calls on a regular basis and supporting the wider team to present results as necessary.
• Ensuring all performance commentary delivers valuable insight and recommendations to clients. Working with the team to identify trends and recommend actions on-platform to capitalise/mitigate these trends as necessary.
• Ensuring the standard of end-of-campaign reporting and quarterly/annual reviews. Leading standalone research projects as required by the client.

Client & Partner Management

• Responsible for delivering on the over-arching paid social strategy across the account(s) and ensuring this ties in with the wider digital and comms strategy.
• Become thought leaders on Paid social for audible the 4 markets, DE, FR, IT, ES. Driving change and advanced.
• Acting as a key social point-of-contact for your client(s) ensuring their continuing confidence in the quality of the team and agency’s social output.
• Demonstrating a deep understanding of the media and technology developments that influence your client’s business.
• Able to identify opportunities to test and innovate in the paid social space, presenting these opportunities to stakeholders and securing client backing.
• Managing internal and external stakeholders to ensure multiple projects can be delivered simultaneously and to the required standard.
• Building and maintaining relationships with the key media partners including Meta, Twitter, Snap, TikTok, Pinterest and others.

People Management

• Ensuring the effective management of both the local team (de, fr, it, es) and Global Hub employees, ensuring workloads are sufficiently monitored & prioritised to ensure deadlines are met.
• Establish and continue to foster relationships with Wavemaker offices across the globe. US, EU, APAC.
• Working your Account Manager and the team leadership to help train and develop entry level team members. Leading by example to motivate and encourage all those with less experience on the team.
• Communicate clearly and in a timely manner with internal and external stakeholders as required across email, chat, video and in-person. Leading presentations where necessary.
• Attend and lead regular internal meetings and training sessions in order to actively contribute to a collaborative and friendly paid social community.
• Leading the recruitment process for your immediate team and working with the head of department to assist with wider team recruitment as needed. This will involve leading interviews, making staffing decisions and acting as an ambassador for the team to potential candidates.

Operational Excellence

• Identify opportunities to test and innovate in the paid social space. Presenting these opportunities to stakeholders and securing client backing. Developing these into initiatives that can be used to further evolve the standard & efficiency of paid social buying across the wider team.
• Developing tailored testing/learning agendas for clients that drive clear and actionable insight on each social platform.
• Working closely with planning team + other channel specialists to ensure paid social activity compliments and enhances the wider marketing mix.
• Collaborating on thought-leadership pieces and POVs for the agency and GMS social community.
• Responsible for the accurate and effective management of agency finance processes. Ensuring the immediate team fulfil the mandatory finance process in a timely and accurate manner to ensure prompt payment/invoicing and minimise finance queries.

Skills and Experience

• Experience in performance media with a good level of expertise across paid social
• Strong understanding of how paid social works within the performance and digital ecosystem.
• Working knowledge of best practices within social.
• Understand of mobile app download campaigns within social platforms.
• Experience in performance social campaigns.
• Experience setting Social brand and performance KPIs for clients.
• Working knowledge of key tracking solutions.
• Proven people management and leadership qualities.
• Ability to manage upwards as well as downwards.
• Possesses initiative and demonstrates resourcefulness.
• All academic backgrounds will be considered – qualifications in maths, data, media of interest.
• Professional digital media/advertising qualifications will be of an advantage.
• Excellent organisational and communication skills.
• Hands-on experience in planning, buying and optimising across all channels is useful.

Life at WPP Media & Benefits

Our passion for shaping the next era of media is powered by our commitment to Be Extraordinary, investing in our employees to inspire transformational creativity. We also Lead Optimistically,firmly believingin and Championing Growth and Development for every individual. This commitment allows WPP Media employees toleveragethe extensive global WPP Media & WPP networks to pursue their passions, build vital professional connections, and learn at thecutting edgeof marketing and advertising.

We Create an Open environment built on trust and respect, where everyone feels they belong and has opportunities to progress. This inclusive culture is fostered through a variety of employee resource groups and frequent in-office eventsshowcasingteam wins, sharing thought leadership, and celebrating holidays and milestone events. Our comprehensive benefits package reflects this commitment, including 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 characteristics. We believe the best work happens whenwe'retogether, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection in this open and supportive environment.That'swhywe’veadopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office around four days a week. If yourequireaccommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process. Please note that while our philosophy is the same across WPP, benefits may vary by office/country.

Please note this is a UK based role and requires individuals to have the right to work in this location

While we appreciate all applications received, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

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