WPP

Implementation and Activation Director

Posted One Month Ago

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Sydney, New South Wales, AUS

In-Office

Expert/Leader

AdTech • Marketing Tech

The Role

Leads digital media strategy, planning, and activation for major entertainment clients. Manages the digital team, ensures campaign quality and compliance, advises senior stakeholders, and aligns direct and biddable media with client KPIs. Owns the client’s data and digital transformation roadmap, drives testing and measurement, addresses feedback, and delivers continuous improvement across digital campaigns.

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.

Role Summary and Impact

EssenceMediacom, part of WPP, 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.

As the Implementation & Activation Director, you are a pivotal leader responsible for driving digital media strategy, planning, and activation for these key entertainment clients. This role oversees a dedicated team focused on digital (direct and biddable) media, collaborates strategically across departments, and champions data-driven approaches to achieve client business objectives and lead digital transformation. You will ensure best-in-class campaign execution, effective client engagement, and robust compliance management, acting as a trusted advisor to senior client and internal stakeholders. This role is instrumental in leading the development and implementation of the client's data/digital transformation roadmap, ensuring measurable solutions and continuous improvement across all digital efforts.

Core Responsibilities

Lead and manage the Digital Team, ensuring high-quality output, efficient workflow, and proactive quality control.
Collaborate with Planning and Activation leadership to deliver holistic and integrated responses to client briefs and core projects.
Consult within the broader Strategic & Activation Planning team, ensuring the quality, integration, and accuracy of digital responses prior to client presentation.
Provide expert guidance and coaching on best-in-class digital activation practices for both Direct and Biddable Digital team members.
Engage and lead specific client portfolio projects, aligning digital strategies with client business KPIs and collaborating across internal and external stakeholders (Client Leadership, EM experts, NZ/Global teams, and the Client Digital Director).
Spearhead the development and implementation of the client's data and digital transformation roadmap for 2026 and beyond.
Proactively address client feedback, implementing measurable solutions and actionable plans in a timely manner.
Ensure robust digital compliance management across all campaigns and strategies.

Skills and Experience

What Makes You Great

Deep expertise in both direct and biddable digital media, with a strong comprehension of its role within the broader marketing/media mix.
Proven expertise in effective digital campaign planning principles.
Strong capabilities in audience profiling and insights into media usage behavior.
Expertise in the strategic role of device, platform, and format in digital media.
Adept at leveraging 1st, 2nd, and 3rd party data for audience targeting, including setting up and managing test campaigns in collaboration with our Transformation team.
Proficiency in defining measurement metrics and setting effective KPIs for digital campaigns.
Strategic understanding of when to apply Direct vs. Biddable buying models for optimal campaign performance.
Ability to establish and measure test hypotheses, fostering a strategic test-and-learn framework.
Demonstrated effective engagement and communication with diverse stakeholders, including client leadership, strategic and planning leads, functional experts (including our Transformation team) within EM, and both junior and senior clients.

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.

WPP Media is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to 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.

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Skills Required

Deep expertise in direct and biddable digital media and its role within the broader marketing and media mix.
Proven expertise in digital campaign planning principles.
Strong capabilities in audience profiling and understanding media usage behavior.
Expertise in the strategic application of devices, platforms, and formats in digital media.
Ability to leverage first-, second-, and third-party data for audience targeting and test campaign development.
Proficiency defining measurement metrics and effective KPIs for digital campaigns.
Strategic understanding of when to use direct versus biddable buying models.
Ability to establish and measure test hypotheses and support a test-and-learn framework.
Demonstrated communication and stakeholder engagement skills across client leadership, planning teams, functional experts, and clients.

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.