WPP

Account Director, Search (FTC)

Posted 5 Days Ago

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London, Greater London, England, GBR

In-Office

Senior level

AdTech • Marketing Tech

The Role

Lead strategic vision and growth for search campaigns, advise on test design and innovation frameworks, ensure best practices across platforms, guide regional EMEA nuances, manage stakeholder relationships, and drive continuous performance improvements and campaign governance.

Summary Generated by Built In

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.

2509 - Account Director, Search (FTC)

About WPP Media

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

About EssenceMediacom: A Leading WPP Media Brand

EssenceMediacom is a new breed of media agency. Grounded in analytics & insights and powered by data & technology, we believe in the power of media and creative to drive breakthroughs for the world’s best brands. We help clients understand the modern marketing paradox and discover the breakthroughs brands need to win with their consumers. We are designed for the new communications economy — built on data & technology, built for people & algorithms, built around diverse schools of thought, built to test & learn at scale, and, crucially, built to evolve.

About the role

The Search Associate Director supports the strategic vision and drives the overall growth of the account, acting as the senior strategic advisor. They’ll provide oversight through strategic reviews of all tactics, ensuring modern search methodologies and best practices are consistently applied. A core part of their role involves offering expert consultancy on test designs and innovation frameworks to shape the account's learning agenda. Leveraging deep EMEA knowledge, the Director provides guidance on regional nuances, such as market-specific dynamics, seasonal shifts, and key cultural moments. Ultimately, they deliver actionable, top-level recommendations that empower the team to drive continuous performance improvement and ensure all programs exceed client expectations.

Some of the things we’d like you to do

Supports the strategic vision and drives the overall growth of campaigns, acting as the senior strategic advisor to key clients.
Builds campaigns with modern search methodologies and ensures best practices are consistently applied.
Offers expert consultancy and provides a point of view on test designs and innovation frameworks to shape the account's learning agenda.
Leverages deep EMEA knowledge to guide the team on regional, seasonal, and cultural nuances (e.g., market-specific dynamics, holidays, language prioritisation).
Delivers actionable, top-level recommendations that empower the Global team to drive continuous performance improvement and exceed client expectations.
Ultimate accountability for adherence to controls and best practices across all relevant platforms and help to manage regional development of search best practice
Escalating any potential conflicts between best practice and what is best for their region
Be the primary contact point of contact between the Media Activation team and regular stakeholders both internal & external
Develop strong relationships with your client, and key suppliers, leading team communications with these stakeholders. Be able to communicate with clients on subjects outside your remit, and provide them with useful insight, working independently
Share and maintain in-depth knowledge of all search platforms and bid management platforms, operating as in-agency expert in your field of specialism, whilst showing a good understanding of the overall media landscape
Gain a more strategic understanding of the client’s business and KPIs, and keep up to date with latest Industry news and be proactive in spotting trends, product releases, and other opportunities which could enhance our activity
Contribute to the wider regional paid search strategy & goals, provide strategic insight to individual campaign wrap-ups

Competencies (Specific knowledge, skills and abilities):

Strong written and verbal communication skills across all platforms
Expert organisational skills, great attention to detail
Provides high-level oversight through strategic reviews of all tactics
Concrete knowledge of all areas of digital marketing and media
Ability to adhere to and meet deadlines and project manage multiple requests
Excellent client relationship and management skills
Proven problem-solving skills and ability to think outside of the box for creative solutions
Ability to lead and motivate team members in a positive light
Detail oriented and responsive, deadline-driven with strong quantitative reasoning skills
Delivers results against priorities proactively with little or no senior input
Apple search experience (preferred but not required)

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.

Please note this is a UK based role and requires individuals to have the right to work in this location

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Skills Required

In-depth knowledge of search platforms and bid management platforms
Experience building campaigns using modern search methodologies and best practices
Proven client relationship and stakeholder management skills
Strong written and verbal communication skills
Excellent organisational and project management skills, meeting deadlines and handling multiple requests
Ability to lead, motivate and provide high-level oversight to teams
Detail oriented with strong quantitative reasoning and problem-solving skills
Deep EMEA market knowledge, including regional, seasonal and cultural nuances
Apple Search experience
Right to work in the UK

WPP Compensation & Benefits Highlights

The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about WPP and has not been reviewed or approved by WPP.

Wellbeing & Lifestyle Benefits — Wellbeing support includes a global Employee Assistance Programme and company-wide initiatives, with modern multi‑agency campuses and on‑site amenities positioned as part of the experience. This indicates a holistic focus across mental, physical, emotional, and financial wellbeing.
Retirement Support — Retirement offerings commonly include a US 401(k) with employer matching, though specifics can differ by operating company. This provides a recognizable savings framework that many candidates expect in large employers.
Parental & Family Support — Family benefits can be above average in parts of the network, such as VML’s paid parental leave for adoptive and foster parents. These signals suggest meaningful support for certain family‑forming needs.