Director, Planning and Buying

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.

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.

We are looking for a Planning Director to join our growing planning team, to drive planning across specific clients and be a media planning expert. 

Media planning craft: 

• Develop an advanced understanding of media channels, channel ecosystems and planning best practices. 

• Start to translate strategic approach into planning practices for specific client briefs and pitches. 

• Have an advanced understanding of Purchase Journey thinking and planning philosophy across all client work. Including being an expert in a broad set of internal tools, as well as external tools to build a deep understanding of the consumer, the client’s business and its specific opportunities.  

• Have an expert overview of the media market landscape, trends and start to build media owner relationships. 

Campaign management & effective communication: 

• Oversee campaign management, ensuring quality control and output is of the highest standard. 

• Develop a skilled understand of commercial practises and of the wider agency. 

• Build and maintain client and agency relationships at a mid-senior level, to ensure a comprehensive understanding of stakeholders and client business. 

Comms planning and storytelling: 

• Own planning presentations including defining the inputs needed and working with the wider teams to compile work and meet deadlines. 

• Lead brainstorm and idea creation for campaigns 

• Start to independently problem solve, including integrating and questioning data and insights and find solutions based on knowledge and experience. 

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.