Senior Manager, Social & Influence

VML Canada (French); Kuala Lumpur; Hybrid; MYR 180,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

VML, part of WPP, seeks a senior leader in social media and influencer marketing in Malaysia to drive client growth and strategic initiatives. You will lead pitches, shape influencer strategies, and coordinate cross-functional teams.

The role demands senior client engagement, deep platform knowledge, and a track record of delivering measurable results. We offer a hybrid work model and the chance to shape award-winning campaigns.

Qualifications

• 7–8+ years' experience in social media, digital marketing, or influencer relations.
• Proven ability to lead and win high-value new business pitches.
• Strong understanding of agency business models, pricing, and profitability.
• Exceptional ability to translate business challenges into social-first campaigns.
• Demonstrated leadership of multi-layered teams under tight deadlines.
• Flawless presentation and persuasion skills in English; Mandarin/Bahasa Melayu a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead and win major social and influencer pitches for key clients.
• Drive growth by upselling social and influencer offerings across clients.
• Set strategy for influencer marketing and build long-term brand partnerships.
• Oversee cross-functional collaboration between Social@Ogilvy, Content Studio, PR and Creative.
• Guide measurement, ROI analysis, and platform partner collaborations.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Pitch experience

Commercial acumen

English communication

Other language bonus

Team management

Job description

Who We Are

VML is a global creative company that combines brand experience, customer experience, and commerce to create connected brandsthat drive growth. Guided by a Human First philosophy, VML is known for its innovative work for brands and consistently ranks among the world’s leading creative companies, including the WARC Creative 100.VML’s global network spans 55+ markets with principal offices in Buenos Aires, Kansas City, London, New York, São Paulo, Shanghai and Singapore.

VML is part of WPP, the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. Powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform WPP Open, WPP unites cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, creativity, production, enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel.

For more information, please visit www.vml.comand follow along on LinkedIn #WeAreVML.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Business Growth & New Business Pitches

• Key person in response teams for major social and influencer RFPs, designing winning pitches and presenting social-first integrated ideas.
• Drive commercial growth by upselling and cross-selling social and influence offerings to the wider Ogilvy client roster.
• Elevate the agency’s proprietary tools, frameworks, and packages to keep Social@Ogilvy at the cutting edge of the market.

1. Client Partnership & Strategic Counsel

• Act as a strategic partner to senior client stakeholders (CMOs, Marketing Directors), leading quarterly business reviews (QBRs) and high-level strategy workshops.
• Proactively identify and brief clients on macro social shifts, creator economy dynamics, and early adoption of emerging platforms.
• Direct counsel during high-stakes social media crises, crafting communication strategies to protect brand reputation.

1. Partner Network & Operational Excellence

• Define and optimise collaborative processes between Social@Ogilvy, the Content Studio, PR, and Creative teams.
• Cultivate strategic, preferred-partner alliances with major platforms (Meta, TikTok, Google) and top-tier creator agencies.

1. Influencer Practice Leadership & Strategy

• Define the agency’s overarching point of view, proprietary methodology, and strategic framework for influencer marketing.
• Champion long-term, “always-on” brand-ambassador models and affiliate/social-commerce strategies (e.g., TikTok Shop, XiaoHongShu integrations) for key clients.
• Drive the evaluation, onboarding, and scaling of influencer marketing platforms and analytics tools within the agency.
• Standardise the data-led approach to influencer identification, ROI, and fraudulent follower detection.
• Represent Social@Ogilvy in the broader marketing and creator community, building elite partnerships directly with platforms (Meta, TikTok, Google) to secure exclusive alpha/beta program access for influencer campaigns.

1. Team Empowerment & Culture

• Set the training curriculum for the wider social team, fostering a culture of relentless curiosity, creative bravery, and strategic precision.
• Inspire and nurture a diverse team of social practitioners, driving retention and professional growth across all levels.

QUALIFICATIONS & SKILLS:

• Experience: 7–8+ years of industry experience in social media, digital marketing, or influencer relations (with at least 4 years in a leading agency environment).
• Commercial Acumen: Strong understanding of agency business models, scoping, pricing, and overall project/account profitability.
• Pitch Experience: Proven track record of leading and winning high-value new business pitches.
• Strategic Mastery: Outstanding capability to translate business challenges into culture-shaping, social-first and influencer-led creative campaigns.
• Leadership: Exceptional leader who can guide, inspire, and keep a multi-layered team focused and motivated under tight deadlines.
• Communication: Flawless presentation and persuasion skills in English. Proficiency in Mandarin and/or Bahasa Melayu is a strong advantage.

We believe the best work happens when we’re together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That’s why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office an average of four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.

WPP (VML) is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.