Associate Director, Social, UK

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 . 3834 - Associate Director, Social, UK Role Summary and Impact The Associate Director, Social is a senior leader responsible for the strategic oversight, operational excellence, and overall success of a large group within the campaign delivery function. This role leads a team of Senior Campaign Managers, Campaign Managers, and Executives, setting the standard for executional quality, profitability, and innovation. The Campaign Director is accountable for ensuring their entire group's campaign portfolio is delivered to the highest standard, driving client satisfaction and retention through flawless execution and strategic leadership. Key Responsibilities Departmental Leadership & Operational Excellence • Lead, mentor, and develop a "group" within the campaign team, including Senior Campaign Managers, fostering a culture of excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement. • Take ultimate responsibility for the successful delivery of all campaigns within your group, having visibility over progress without being involved in the day-to-day running. • Organise and delegate work effectively within your group, ensuring efficient campaign execution and accurate workload monitoring. • Champion and enforce all Goat standards and processes, ensuring your team operates with efficiency and accuracy, and that target margins are consistently met. • Consistently develop and implement new processes to improve campaign performance and team efficiencies. Strategic & Commercial Oversight • Take responsibility for client retention and growth within your group, proactively looking for optimisations and opportunities for the account team to upsell. • Act as the senior sign-off for deliverables (up to £500k) and complex influencer contracts (above £20,000) within your group, ensuring they are commercially sound and strategically aligned. • Think about all campaigns from a business perspective, with revenue and profitability always in mind. • Provide senior executional leadership in high-value proposals and pitches, confidently presenting campaign processes and demonstrating expert knowledge of a client's objectives. Team Management & Development • Successfully manage the performance and career progression of your direct reports and wider group, tracking individual progress and providing solutions for underperformance. • Identify and nurture future leaders within your group, highlighting successes and promoting a positive team morale. • Ensure all members of your team have measurable, challenging, and achievable targets. • Lead training initiatives, spotting knowledge gaps and working with other Directors to ensure a consistent and engaging training programme for the global campaign team. Quality Assurance & Senior Escalation • Act as the senior point of escalation for all major executional challenges, able to jump into any campaign to troubleshoot problems and provide solutions. • Be responsible for troubleshooting any major content quality issues before they are escalated to a Senior Director. • Act as the final sign-off on Post-Campaign Analyses (PCAs) for key clients, ensuring th