Category Integrator - StudioX

VML South Africa; Johannesburg; Hybrid; ZAR 500,000 - 800,000; Full time

Job summary

VML South Africa is looking for a Category Integrator to manage client relationships and lead innovative marketing campaigns. This role requires strategic insight and the ability to foster collaboration across teams, aiming to enhance consumer experiences for large global brands. The successful candidate will drive impactful and creative solutions while building strong partnerships with stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience with multi-channel, global brands.
• Expertise in translating business briefs into consumer E2E agency briefs.

Responsibilities

• Lead client relationships and agency teams for marketing excellence.
• Manage large-scale projects and ensure creative vision execution.

Skills

Client Management

Strategic Insight

Leadership

Problem-Solving

Creativity

Job description

Location: Johannesburg , South Africa

Last Updated: 7/6/2025

Requisition ID: 10767

Who We Are:

At VML, we are a beacon of innovation and growth in an ever-evolving world. Our heritage is built upon a century of combined expertise, where creativity meets technology, and diverse perspectives ignite inspiration. With the merger of VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson, we have forged a new path as a growth partner that is part creative agency, part consultancy, and part technology powerhouse.

Our global family now encompasses over 30,000 employees across 150+ offices in 64 markets, each contributing to a culture that values connection, belonging, and the power of differences. Our expertise spans the entire customer journey, offering deep insights in communications, commerce, consultancy, CRM, CX, data, production, and technology. We deliver end-to-end solutions that result in revolutionary work.

The Role

The Category Intgrator role is a crucial day to day client and campaign management role within the StudioX team. The successful candidate will have extensive experience working with multi-channel, global brands, closely with all departments to develop forward thinking, meaningful cross channel content. As the Category Integrator you will also be a trusted partner to all stakeholders.The Integration Lead works within the OU “X” team model; together they own the ‘vision’ for TCCC’s programmes and together, are responsible for driving magical end-to-end consumer experiences and scaling them.

What You'll Do:

• Responsible for leading a programme and bringing value by building strong client relationships and agency teams to analyze, solve and present viable integrated solutions that move the Coca Cola business into the next realm ofmarketing excellence and consumer experience.
• Responsible for leading the client and assigning and managing the agency team(s) who are charged with executing E2E solutions for each charter.
• Translate business briefs into thoughtful, consumer E2E agency briefs: expertly leading and creating clarity and definitionaround client brand charters.
• Develop toolkits for the dissemination of these solutions to regional and local agency teams.
• Pull together and manage the agency teams who will execute the creative vision of the strategies the Integrated X team creates.
• Brief, inspire, and work with agencies to deliver innovative and creative solutions for each programme.
• Manage and act as a primary day-to-day senior client contact across several large-scale projects
• Lead both WPP and non-WPP agencies through strategic development of consumer experience journeys, creative ideation, production, and flawless execution
• Identify which agency partners / teams are best suited to provide solutions to the programme at hand
• Work with key Capability leads to ensure development delivers against the integrated vision
• Own the integration and shared vision for experimentation at scale in charters
• Bring strategic insight to discussions and ability to refocus both creative teams and clients using strong persuasion and negotiation skills.
• Drive forward impactful creative, partnering with the creative teams to set the work up for selling to clients, and always pushing for better.
• Develop a strong relationship with clients and be able to hold their own with senior stakeholders internally and externally.
• A strong, proactive problem-solver who is also highly effective at managing upwards.
• Partners with strategists to drive the creation and exposition of great strategy
• Helps to defines client’s business/project objectives
  Shape and deliver an over-arching brand strategy
• Ensures there is rigor around briefs and briefing process
• Expert in clients research methodologies and uses them to build ideas rather than
  stagnate them.
• Lead comms plan and develop role for each channel within campaign eco-system

Creativity

• Leadership provides the environment for big, bold and bionic ideas to flourish
• Knows how to challenge, influence and protect work with senior-stakeholders and through research and regulatory checks
• Creates ground for positive reception to ideas and excels in presentation of creative work
• Leads on making sure ideas are executed best for each channel

Client Management and External Parties

• Gain trust, authority and respect from the client at all times and strive to exceed their expectations.
• Develop an excellent understanding of the client’s business, brand and processes.
• Be aware of the bigger picture of the total account and share best practice with the team and the client.

Team Support

• Support team members in the pursuit of delivering the highest standard of service to the client.
• Motivate and encourage the programme team so that together you strive to achieve client satisfaction in all you do.

Leadership

• Leads effective relationships with senior management, clients and stakeholders to create best possible outcome
• Owns client programme relationship and partners with senior internal and external stakeholders to deliver best outcome
• Leads the programme to improve the quality of work & drive effective ways of working
• Navigates unknown or difficult situations to avoid conflict and create a good outcome
• Exceptional presentation and communication skills – acute listening, persuasion and conviction

#Advertising #SouthAfrica #VML #DreamJob #AgencyOfTheYear

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.

When you click "Submit Application", this will send any information you add below to VML. Before you do this, we think it's a good idea to read through ourRecruitment Privacy Policy . California residents should read ourCalifornia Recruitment Privacy Notice . This explains what we do with your personal data when you apply for a role with us, and, how you can update the information you have provided us with or how to remove it.

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

First Name *

Last Name *

Preferred First Name *

Email *

Phone

Location (City) *

Resume/CV

Enter manually

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Enter manually

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

LinkedIn Profile

What is your desired salary? *

If applicable, what is your notice period? *

Are you authorized to work in the country where this job is located? * Select...

Will you in the future require employer sponsorship to work where this job is located? * Select...

Have you worked for a WPP agency in the past 10 years? * Select...

When you click "Submit Application", this will send any information you add below to VML. Before you do this, we think it's a good idea to read through our Recruitment Privacy Policy . California residents should read our California Recruitment Privacy Notice . This explains what we do with your personal data when you apply for a role with us, and, how you can update the information you have provided us with or how to remove it.