The posting
The Director owns the planning strategy and the senior client relationship across one or more key accounts. This role blends strategic planning leadership with client management and team leadership — shaping integrated media strategies, guiding the team that delivers them, and acting as a trusted advisor to client stakeholders. The Director is accountable for the quality of planning, the strength of the client relationship and the commercial health of the accounts they lead.
Strategy & Planning Leadership
- Lead the development of integrated media strategies and planning frameworks that translate client business objectives into clear channel, audience and investment recommendations.
- Own the end-to-end planning process, from briefing and insight through to channel mix, budget allocation, activation handover and post-campaign review.
- Set the planning point of view across paid, owned and earned touchpoints, including how organic content and paid media work together to build awareness and drive consideration.
Client Leadership & Relationship Management
- Act as the senior day-to-day lead for one or more key clients, owning the relationship from working level through to senior stakeholders.
- Lead client meetings, business reviews and planning presentations, communicating strategy, performance and recommendations with a clear point of view.
- Anticipate client needs and challenges, proactively bringing ideas, market insight and solutions rather than waiting for a brief.
- Manage expectations, scope and timelines, and act as the escalation point on client issues, resolving them quickly and constructively.
- Identify opportunities to deepen and grow client partnerships, including scope expansion and new capabilities from across the Omnicom network.
Team Leadership & Development
- Lead, coach and develop Managers and Senior Planners, setting clear priorities, quality standards and development goals.
- Review and sign off team outputs, including plans, presentations and reporting, to ensure consistent quality and strategic rigour.
- Foster a collaborative, accountable and inclusive team culture, resourcing work effectively and supporting wellbeing in a deadline-driven environment.
Investment, Performance & Measurement
- Define the KPIs and measurement framework for each client, aligned to business goals and the funnel stages being planned for.
- Oversee ongoing performance tracking and optimisation, ensuring learnings feed back into planning and creative recommendations.
- Champion a test-and-learn culture, including structured criteria for selecting which content and formats receive media investment.
- Ensure reporting and post-campaign analysis quantify the value of media investment and deliver clear, actionable next steps.
Financial & Commercial Management
- Own the media plan budget and ensure delivery is on time, within budget and in line with agreed KPIs
- Oversee billing, reconciliation and invoicing accuracy, ensuring financial processes are completed within agreed timeframes.
- Manage account profitability and resourcing, working with Finance and senior leadership to protect margin and identify growth.
Cross-Functional Collaboration & Business Growth
- Partner closely with performance, creative, ad operations, data and analytics, and regional/global teams to ensure joined-up delivery.
- Collaborate with creative and content teams to ensure media plans and creative strategy work together.
- Contribute to new business pitches and thought leadership, bringing fresh thinking and strategic credibility.
REQUIRED SKILLS & EXPERIENCE
- Bachelor’s degree with 7 to 10 years’ experience in media planning, strategy, or integrated client leadership, including time in an agency environment.
- Proven experience managing and developing teams, with a track record of coaching junior and mid-level talent.
- Demonstrated success leading client relationships and presenting confidently to senior stakeholders, including C-suite.
- Strong strategic thinking, with the ability to turn data and insight into compelling, commercially grounded recommendations.
- Solid understanding of the full media ecosystem across paid, owned and earned channels, including digital, social and traditional media.
- Excellent communication, negotiation and stakeholder-management skills.
- Proactive, resilient and comfortable operating in a fast-paced, multi-client environment.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience across multiple markets or regional account structures.
- Familiarity with planning, audience and measurement tools (e.g. GWI, Comscore, Nielsen, Google Analytics, Looker Studio, Tableau) and advanced Excel/Google Sheets.
- Experience building frameworks that connect creative, social and paid media performance.
- Platform certifications (e.g. Google, Meta Blueprint) and working knowledge of programmatic and DSP environments.
