Associate Director, Planning

WPP Media; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 75,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Retirement plans

Vision & dental insurance

Paid time off

Mental health days

Job summary

WPP Media in Chicago, IL seeks an Associate Director of Planning to supervise client implementations and coordinate with global marketing teams. You will ensure productive collaboration between client, agency planning, and cross-functional teams.

You will lead staffing and workload, bring strategic rigor to plans, and drive 360 media planning. A Bachelor’s degree and 5–8 years in media/communications planning with leadership are required, with strong presentation skills across digital

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in advertising, marketing, business administration, and communications; OR equivalent professional work experience.
• 5-8 years of account planning or related media/communications planning experience, with a focus on team leadership and management.
• Experience and comfort facilitating ideation sessions.
• Excellent strategic thinking.
• Good client relationship skills, including experience interacting and presenting to senior-level clients.
• Experience working in and across multiple communication disciplines, including digital.
• Fully conversant with all major desktop research tools and qualitative research techniques.
• Excellent quantitative skills, including analytical abilities and math proficiency.
• Ability to work within and effectively manage a team, prioritizing and organizing multiple assignments for both self and team direct reports, where applicable.
• Demonstrate genuine curiosity and interest in our clients and their business.

Responsibilities

• Supervise the group in the interpretation of competitive and other research data.
• Oversees the development of objectives and strategies, as well as the development of plans and presentations.
• Maintain day-to-day client contact and agency contact regarding their area of responsibility.
• Act as the liaison between internal teams as well as various partner vendors to ensure media performance.
• Maintain a deep understanding of business, target audiences and wider communications environment.
• Listen, identify, and articulate compelling drivers, barriers and channel relationship insights.
• Understand, embrace, and integrate client and creative agency research into plans.
• Package strategic frameworks, contextual frameworks and engagement ideas for clarity and client presentation.
• Assist in crafting compelling selling strategies.

Skills

Client contact

Objectives & strategies

Research interpretation

Team leadership

Ideation facilitation

Strategic thinking

Client relationships

Cross-disciplinary experience

Quantitative skills

Multidisciplinary work

Education

Bachelor’s degree in advertising/marketing/business

Tools

Desktop research tools

Qualitative research techniques

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.

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 personalization at scale. Connected through WPP Open and powered by Open Intelligence, clients see exactly where, how, and why their media investment is working.

For more information, visit wppmedia.com.

AboutEssence Mediacom: A Leading WPP Media Brand
This role is within Essence Mediacom, a leading brand within WPP Media, where you will be instrumental in driving breakthroughs for the world’s best brands through data-driven media and creative strategies.

Role Summary & Impact
As an Associate Director of Planning, your primaryobjectiveis to supervise all implementation needs and communication with the client(s) and agency client/planning/other teams. You will liaise and coordinate with global marketing teams as understanding international marketing will be essential to your duties. In addition, you will oversee the client implementation team to ensure productivity, including managing staffing and workload issues at the client team level. You will provide strategic rigor to implement ideas and ensure integration of the work between creative and media. You will also be well versed in 360 media planning to effectively convey and manage the media deliverable within the agencies.

Skills and Experience

• Maintain day-to-day client contact and agency contactregardingtheir area of responsibility.
• Overseesthe development ofobjectivesand strategies, as well as the development of plans and presentations.
• Supervises the group in the interpretation of competitive and other research data.
• TrainsandevaluatesSupervisors, Managers and Associates on the team.
• Act as the liaison between internal teams as well as various partner vendors to ensure media performance.
• Maintain a deep understanding of business, targetaudiencesand wider communications environment.
• Listen,identify, and articulate compelling drivers,barriersand channel relationship insights.
• Understand, embrace, and integrate client and creative agency research into plans.
• Package strategic frameworks, contextualframeworksand engagement ideas for clarity and client presentation.
• Assistin crafting compelling selling strategies.
• Bachelor’s degree in advertising, marketing, business administration, and communications; OR equivalent professional work experience.
• 5-8 years of account planning or related media/communications planning experience, with a focus on team leadership and management.
• Experience and comfortfacilitatingideation sessions.
• Excellent strategic thinking.
• Good client relationship skills, including experienceinteractingand presenting to senior-level clients.
• Experience working in and across multiple communication disciplines, including digital.
• Fully conversant with all major desktop research tools and qualitative research techniques.
• Excellent quantitative skills, including analytical abilities and mathproficiency.
• Ability to work within and effectively manage a team, prioritizing and organizing multiple assignments for both self and team direct reports, where applicable.
• Demonstrate genuine curiosity and interest in our clients and their business.

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 believing in and Championing Growth and Development for every individual. This commitment allows WPP Media employees to leverage the extensive global WPP Media & WPP networks to pursue their passions, build vital professional connections, and learn at the cutting edge of 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 events showcasing teamwins, 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 when we're together, 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 yourequireaccommodationsor 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 read our Privacy Notice(https://www.wppmedia.com/pages/privacy-policy) for more information on how we process the information you provide.

The base salary range for this position at the time of this posting is indicated below. Individual compensation varies based on job-related factors, including location, business needs, level of responsibility, experience, and qualifications. We offer a competitive benefits package, go to https://mybenefits.wpp.com/public/welcome for more details.

US Pay Range

$75,000 - $180,000 USD

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