Lead, MM&D

2558 - MM&D Lead – ELC UK EM

Role Summary and Impact

This is a critical and distinguished leadership position within WPP Media, responsible for leading large divisions, departments, or strategic business units, driving innovation, and ensuring that strategic initiatives are successfully executed to contribute to the organization's growth and competitive advantage. This position demands not only deep functional expertise but also exceptional leadership capabilities, strategic foresight and the ability to inspire and empower diverse teams to achieve ambitious corporate goals, making them key architects of both current performance and future direction.

We are seeking a dynamic, outcomes-oriented candidate, to lead our MM&D (Media Management & Delivery) teams for one of our largest global clients – Estee Lauder Companies. This is a key role which will be the senior point of contact who is accountable for ensuring impeccable quality of media delivery, with a forensic focus on outcomes.

The MM&D Lead will serve as a consultative partner to our clients, constantly identifying opportunities for performance gains and in the process of doing so, will build a pipeline of organic growth opportunities spanning WPPs media solutions and products.
The ideal candidate will be one part expert practitioner in areas of Performance, Activation & Investment, and one part client leader. Key to this role is building a trusted partner relationship with clients with technical expertise as a foundation.

Key Responsibilities

Campaign Planning, Activation & Delivery:

• Oversee the end-to-end delivery of all media campaigns for assigned global clients, ensuring all contractual commitments, performance KPIs, and quality standards are consistently met or exceeded.
• Steward frequent and rigorous optimization processes, ensuring the highest quality standards are in place and that campaign performance is constantly delivering in line with or above client expectations.
• Ensure that all investment pricing & quality objectives are achieved whilst constantly surfacing opportunities for incremental value creation.
• Articulate the impact of campaign performance to senior clients and WPP leadership strategically, aligning insights with macro business objectives and demonstrating tangible ROI.
• Champion the adoption of WPP Media Solutions in campaign planning & activation
• Implement and enforce best practices for media activation, trafficking, and reporting across global teams.

Partnerships, Innovation & Thought Leadership:

• Serve as a senior strategic advisor to global clients, proactively identifying emerging media trends, technologies, and opportunities for innovation that can drive their business forward.
• Identify partnership opportunities and lead vendor JBP workstreams
• Develop and present compelling thought leadership pieces, POVs, and strategic recommendations that position WPP Media as an indispensable partner in the evolving media landscape.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement and innovation within the MM&D teams, encouraging the adoption of new tools, methodologies, and data-driven approaches to enhance client value.
• Cultivate and maintain deep, trusted relationships with senior client stakeholders (C-suite, VPs), acting as a primary strategic partner and key escalation point for all media delivery matters.
• Lead strategic workshops and quarterly business reviews (QBRs) with clients, presenting performance insights, market trends, and future-forward media strategies.
• Champion the integration of WPP's broader capabilities (e.g., data, content, technology) into media solutions to deliver holistic value to clients.

Team Leadership & Evolution:

• Foster a high-performing, collaborative, and accountable culture where all MM&D practitioners are laser-focused on delivering exceptional business outcomes for clients.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a diverse team of media professionals across various global markets, ensuring they have the skills, resources, and support to excel in their roles and grow their careers.
• Drive operational excellence within the MM&D function, optimizing workflows, processes, and resource allocation to maximize efficiency, effectiveness, and consistency across global client teams.
• Responsible for talent acquisition, retention, performance management, and career pathing for the MM&D teams under their purview, ensuring a strong talent pipeline.
• Implement robust training programs and knowledge-sharing initiatives to elevate the collective expertise and capabilities of the MM&D organization.
• Champion diversity, equity, and inclusion within the team, fostering an environment where all team members feel valued and empowered.

Organic Growth & Business Development:

• Proactively identify and cultivate organic growth opportunities within existing client portfolios by understanding client needs, anticipating challenges, and showcasing the full breadth of WPP Media's capabilities.
• Collaborate closely with WPP Media's client leadership, strategy, and product teams to develop tailored solutions and compelling proposals that address client challenges and drive incremental revenue.
• Develop compelling business cases and presentations to articulate the value proposition of new services or solutions to senior clients, securing buy-in and investment.
• Act as a key liaison between MM&D teams and other WPP agencies/capabilities (e.g., creative, PR, consulting) to ensure integrated service delivery and identify cross-selling opportunities.
• Monitor client satisfaction and identify areas for service expansion or improvement, proactively addressing potential issues and turning them into growth opportunities.
• Contribute to new business pitches and proposals as a subject matter expert, showcasing WPP Media's delivery excellence and strategic capabilities.

Skills and Experience

• Proven track record of driving operational excellence and large-scale organizational transformations at a global scale, with successful implementation of new operating models, processes, and technologies.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and motivate teams at all levels, and build strong relationships with senior stakeholders (internal and external).
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities, with a solutions-oriented mindset.
• Demonstrated expertise in leading strategy development and execution in complex, cross-functional, multi-market environments.
• Experience in data, technology, and tooling within a media or marcomms agency context.
• A partnership-led approach, comfortable working with agency and client stakeholders, as well as third parties.
• Reputation as a change agent, able to identify new routes to growth and drive innovation.
• Responsible, accountable leader with significant international media leadership experience.
• Deep understanding of Agile and Lean principles and methodologies, with practical experience applying these frameworks to drive operational improvements.
• Ability to coach and mentor teams on Agile and Lean practices, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
• Empathetic leader comfortable with detailed, written communications.
• Experience managing technical product specialists and related SMEs.
• Experience managing large multi-market and networked teams, preferably with agile working experience.

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 particular 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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