Associate Director, Client Services

About WPP Media

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 our pioneering agentic 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.

For more information, visit wppmedia.com.

About WPP Media 

WPP is the creative transformation company. We use the power of creativity to build better futures for our people, planet, clients and communities. For more information, visit wpp.com. 

WPP Media is WPP’s global media collective. In a world where media is everywhere and in everything, we bring the best platform, people, and partners together to create limitless opportunities for growth. For more information, visit wppmedia.com 

At WPP Media, we believe in the power of our culture and our people. It’s what elevates us to deliver exceptional experiences for both our clients and each other. In this role it will be critical to embrace WPP & WPP Media’s shared core values: 

• Be Extraordinary by Leading Collectively to Inspire transformational Creativity. 
• Create an Open environment by Balancing People and Client Experiences by Cultivating Trust. 
• Lead Optimistically by Championing Growth and Development to Mobilize the Enterprise. 

About EssenceMediacom: A Leading WPP Media Brand, 

EssenceMediacom is a new breed of media agency. Grounded in analytics & insights and powered by data & technology, we believe in the power of media and creative to drive breakthroughs for the world’s best brands. We help clients understand the modern marketing paradox and discover the breakthroughs brands need to win with their consumers. We are designed for the new communications economy - built on data & technology, built for people & algorithms, built around diverse schools of thought, built to test & learn at scale, and, crucially, built to evolve.  

Reporting of the role

This role reports to Vice President, Client Services 

3 best things about the job:

• You would be working in one of the most exiting agencies and leading FMCG accounts
• Scope to work on various target segments
• Systematized working process
• Vertical Learning Curve

Measures of success - In three months:

• You would be expected to have full understanding on your portfolio of brand/s
• Understand the different stakeholders within agency and start building relationship with them.
• Helping your team to craft the agency response to the client briefs.

In six months:

• Ability to lead strategic & executional discussions with clients.
• You should be able to have full understanding of what is happening on your clients & lead your team in that aspect.
• Be visible as the leader of your team within the agency as well as with clients
• Start interacting with our regional agency teams on client where applicable

In 12 months:

• Lead the annual planning process for our clients.
• Be the seamless bridge between local clients & regional/global agency team.
• Converse on measurement metrics across touchpoint based on campaign objectives
• Win awards in both internal and external forums like FOM, Cannes, Smarties, RAMAI, etc.
• Ability to start driving agency KPIs; balanced with client KPIs
• Leading client engagement for a set of accounts with total billing 500+ cr. You’ll need to have a thorough knowledge of traditional media, opportunities available and build constructive relationships with key media owners where relevant using an innovative approach: in use of media, analysis to showcase efficiencies

Responsibilities of the role:

• Brand guardianship on assigned brands
• Build a relationship as the client’s strategic advisor on all communication related issues related to the brand / category
• Clarify, formalize and manage client expectations on an ongoing basis.
• Develop strategic thinking for the brands handled
• Supervise and lead Annual Operating Plans and Communication Review work with teams
• Be the key contact for the Brand/Media Manager for the set of brands handled
• Push the planning thinking by utilizing MediaCom’s research, systems and tools
• Search and reapply regional/ global learnings
• Create monthly media reviews/reports
• Proactively use all information to address P&G business issues
• Lead conceptualization of local media campaigns/initiatives
• Team supervision and development
• Lead and manage the sub-teams, maintaining high level of motivation amongst team members
• Ensure basic training and orientation of new team members and Mediacom/P&G
• Ensure strict adherence to all SOPs and audit rules

What you will need:

• Minimum 5-7 years of experience in a similar set up.
• Ability to lead the team with full authority. Also being able to motivate the team & take them along during times of high media activity.
• Being able to overcome the typical media agency pitfalls - build relationship with team members across the planning, buying, operations & the finance/billing teams.
• Being process driven
• Having a good relations with media partners
• Ability to have a business acumen along with being a fundamentally strong media professional
• Business Acumen with the ability to understand 360* degree media.

Life at WPP Media & Benefits  

Our passion for shaping the next era of media includes investing in our employees to help them do their best work, and we’re just as committed to employee growth as we are to responsible media investment. WPP Media employees can tap into the global WPP Media & WPP networks to pursue their passions, grow their networks, and learn at the cutting edge of marketing and advertising. We have a variety of employee resource groups and host frequent in-office events showcasing team wins, sharing thought leadership, and celebrating holidays and milestone events. Our benefits include 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 are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.

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 around four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process. 

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