Associate Director, Social

About the role

<div class="content-intro"><p><strong>About WPP Media</strong></p> <p>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. </p> <p>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.</p> <p>For more information, visit <a href="wppmedia.com">wppmedia.com</a>.</p></div><p><strong>3431 - Associate Director, Social - Manchester</strong></p> <p><strong>Role Summary and Impact</strong></p> <p>As a Associate Director, Social, you will be a core strategic leader responsible for driving the commercial success, operational excellence, and overarching roadmaps for key clients. This role requires an elevated blend of senior paid social expertise, macro strategic vision, and deep commercial acumen. You will assume overarching strategic and commercial accountability for your portfolio, ensuring paid social strategies directly accelerate client business transformation and deliver high-impact commercial results.</p> <p>You will act as a trusted advisor to senior level stakeholders, navigating complex matrix environments and articulating the strategic value of paid social in the broader marketing mix. Leading a multi-tiered team of social managers and specialists, you will foster a culture of creative innovation, rigorous testing, and continuous professional growth. Furthermore, you will play a pivotal role in driving agency growth by supporting with new business pitches, developing Joint Business Plans (JBPs) with platform partners, and establishing yourself as an authoritative voice in the wider media industry.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Key responsibilities:</strong></p> <p>Senior Associate Directors have several key areas of focus. These include:</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Strategic Leadership &amp; Innovation</p> <ul> <li>Formulate and execute macro-level paid social strategies aligned with broad client business outcomes (e.g., brand equity, customer lifetime value, market penetration).</li> <li>Spearhead innovation across first-party data strategies, privacy-first media planning, conversion APIs (CAPI), and AI-driven social operations.</li> <li>Champion cross-channel integration, collaborating closely with search, programmatic, strategy, and creative teams to deliver cohesive omni-channel campaigns.</li> </ul> <p>Commercial Management &amp; Agency Growth</p> <ul> <li>Maintain commercial oversight across your portfolio, driving organic account growth and ensuring client profitability.</li> <li>Develop paid social strategies for new business pitches and RFPs, delivering compelling proposals that win new client accounts.</li> <li>Own joint business plans (JBPs) with platform partners (Meta, TikTok, Pinterest, Snap, LinkedIn, Reddit), securing priority alpha/beta testing access for clients.</li> </ul> <p>Client &amp; Executive Stakeholder Relations</p> <ul> <li>Serve as a senior point of escalation and trusted partner for client and planning leads.</li> <li>Deliver high-impact presentations, translating complex technical data into clear, boardroom-ready commercial insights.</li> </ul> <p>People Management &amp; Operational Excellence</p> <ul> <li>Lead, mentor, and build a high-performing team of social specialists, setting clear KPIs and development plans.</li> <li>Oversee team resourcing, capacity planning, and operational workflows to ensure high-quality, faultless campaign delivery across all accounts.</li> <li>Establish and govern agency best practice, QA frameworks, and compliance standards across all social channels.</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><s

Skills