Business Director, Programmatic

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.

1540 - Business Director, Programmatic

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

Join an award-winning team at the heart of UK government, where your work will genuinely shape lives. As part of WPP650 you’ll be part of a supportive, collaborative environment that values curiosity, kindness, and growth. Together, we use behaviour change principles to design smarter services, influence better decisions, and help millions of people across the country.

Named WPP 650, after the 650 UK constituencies, the name is a reminder that our work must reflect the full breadth of the country, every community, every audience. No two days are the same. The challenges are complex, the problems worth solving, and the learning constant. You’ll tackle issues that matter, alongside talented colleagues who care deeply about what they do. It’s demanding – but always rewarding.

This is meaningful work with real-world impact – the kind you can point to with pride.

As a Programmatic Business Director, you will provide strategic leadership within the Media Activation team, driving programmatic excellence for key clients. This leadership role is responsible for guiding programmatic advancement, ensuring optimal campaign performance, and maximizing in-channel performance and data integrity. You will lead and develop programmatic activation teams, cultivate strong client and partner relationships, and define advanced programmatic strategies that align with business objectives and drive growth. Your expertise will provide rigorous and exciting recommendations across Programmatic, ensuring innovation and continuous optimisation.

• →Strategic Programmatic Leadership:
• →Design and lead advanced programmatic strategies for client portfolios, ensuring clear alignment with client business objectives, KPIs, and industry context.
• →Provide consultative analysis on programmatic supply chain optimization, technology, and platforms.
• →Translate complex client requirements into precise campaign delivery briefs, overseeing execution for optimal performance, budget, and timelines.
• →Client & Partner Relationship Management:
• →Take ultimate responsibility for client interaction and relationship success, focusing on key strategic relationships and operational deliverables.
• →Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, key platform partners (DSPs, technology providers, data partners), and media owners.
• →Proactively drive and lead workstreams with experienced clients, influencing their programmatic advancement and identity resolution solutions.
• →Team Leadership & Development:
• →Provide day-to-day leadership, coaching, and development to direct programmatic activation teams, fostering programmatic excellence and growth.
• →Manage, motivate, and train individuals, ensuring workloads are prioritized, and supporting career development plans (e.g., 360s, objectives, training).
• →Champion programmatic best practices and drive knowledge sharing across the team and wider agency.
• →Operational Excellence & Innovation:
• →Oversee operational excellence, including financial accuracy, data integrity, and end-to-end campaign management processes.
• →Act as an escalation point for programmatic activation issues, troubleshooting, and resolving conflicts between best practice and client requirements.
• →Drive innovation by building annual learning agendas and test plans for assigned portfolios (audience, media, creative), fostering continuous optimization.
• →Work with client data teams and local markets to ensure programmatic setups are robust and effective across various regional partners.
• →Commercial Growth:
• →Drive revenue growth by spotting new optimisation opportunities, services, or products, and delivering excellent programmatic results.

• Deep Programmatic Expertise: Proven experience in a digital media agency with specialisation in programmatic activation, multi-channel campaign management, and optimization.
• Platform Proficiency: Confidence in core trading platforms (e.g., DV360, TTD, Amazon) and strong proficiency in Excel (Pivot Tables, VLOOKUP's).
• Strategic & Analytical Acumen: Strong understanding of optimisation levers and testing approaches. Excellent analytical skills (quantitative analysis) and critical thinking capability.
• Leadership & People Management: Exceptional people management skills, with proven experience leading, coaching, and developing programmatic teams and responsibility for career development.
• Client & Stakeholder Management: Proven ability to build and lead strong relationships with clients, platform partners, and internal/external stakeholders, driving complex workstreams and providing consultative analysis.
• Communication & Influence: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to translate technical concepts for diverse audiences. Self-starter who can proactively influence clients and drive innovation.
• Integrated Perspective: Strong understanding of how Programmatic integrates with other digital and offline channels.
• Mindset: Passion for digital, active interest in online advertising industry trends, and proactive in evolving best practices.

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.