Senior Associate, Media Planning, 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 . 3783 - Senior Associate, Media Planning, UK Role Summary and Impact The Senior Associate, Media Planning is an essential engine within the MFG Media Planning team, responsible for driving day-to-day campaign tactical planning work across end-to-end (E2E) processes and tools. In this role, you will ensure all media deliverables are accurate, timely, and comprehensive—moving beyond just the “what” to understand and communicate the “why.” As a multi-tasking professional, you will execute core media operations with increasing independence, spot emerging trends and patterns across campaign data, and actively partner with cross-functional disciplines to help craft solutions and recommended next steps. Key Responsibilities: ​ ​Tactical Planning & Operational Excellence • End-to-End Media Execution: Drive day-to-end planning tasks, including audience research, media plan matrix management, creative spec collation, trafficking coordination, and financial reconciliation. • Tool & Process Proficiency: Utilize core agency and planning platforms (e.g., GWI, Olive, PFC, ad servers) with speed and precision. • Quality Assurance (QA): Ensure operational accuracy across campaign setups, tracking tags, media briefs, and billing milestones before deliverables go out. • Time & Priority Management: Manage your own daily schedule effectively, prioritizing tasks to consistently meet and exceed deadlines across concurrent campaigns. Cross-Functional Collaboration & Communication • Internal Team Partnership: Foster strong collaborative relationships with key discipline counterparts—including Client Services (CS), Activation, Analytics, and Ad Operations. • Cross-Discipline Alignment: Proactively initiate conversations across internal teams to troubleshoot issues, gather required inputs, and ensure seamless handoffs. • Lateral Management: Work laterally within the pod/discipline team to ensure alignment on campaign milestones and shared project timelines. Meeting Support & Accountable Follow-Through • Meeting Contribution: Actively participate in internal campaign, tactical, and status meetings. • Action Item Ownership: Partner with Planning Managers to accurately capture meeting notes, open questions, and agreed next steps. • Resolution Driver: Take accountability for following up on assigned media actions and liaising with stakeholders to obtain timely answers. Reporting, Data QA & Emerging Insights • Reporting Pull & Verification: Own the compilation and rigorous data QA of regular reporting deliverables (e.g., weekly pacing/performance, DCA inputs). • Pattern Recognition: Answer tactical, campaign-level questions (e.g., data source timing, pacing variances) and begin identifying noteworthy trends in performance data. • Solution-Oriented Thinking: Help outline initial observations and potential solutions for campaign hurdles alongside your Planning Manager. Continuous Learning & Self-Growth • Category & Discipline Fluency: Deepen your understanding of client Product Areas (PAs), historical campaign performance, competitive context, and audience dynamics. • Communication Skills: Continu