Marketing Science Manager - Audience Strategy

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.

2494 - Marketing Science Manager - Audience Strategy - UK

Role Summary and Impact

The Manager for Planning and Addressability Strategy is a hands-on audience and data expert who combines strong technical delivery with confident client engagement. This role sits at the intersection of platform design, data onboarding, and planning best practice , ensuring that audience solutions are built to a high standard, activated effectively within Open Media Studios, and communicated clearly to both internal teams and client stakeholders. The Manager is a reliable, proactive presence who drives quality and consistency across the accounts they support.

Key Objectives

• Own the end-to-end data onboarding process across supported accounts, ensuring partner data is integrated accurately and activated effectively within OMS

• Design and maintain best practice frameworks for audience planning that are rigorous, scalable, and grounded in real campaign learnings

• Support with platform configuration within Open Media Studios to support account-specific planning needs

• Support client engagement directly ,attending meetings, presenting recommendations, and building credibility with client stakeholders

• Champion correct tool adoption and planning methodologies across planning teams

• Proactively identify opportunities for improvement and bring forward recommendations that strengthen audience solutions

Key Responsibilities

1. Data Onboarding & Platform Design

• Own the onboarding of first and third-party data across supported accounts, managing end-to-end integration into OMS and proprietary planning tools

• Support in the design and configuration of audience solutions within Open Media Studios, tailored to account-specific planning requirements

• Build and maintain technical workflows that make data activation efficient, accurate, and auditable

• Ensure data integrations meet quality standards and are structured for consistent, scalable use

• Serve as a primary escalation point for data and platform issues across supported accounts

2. Best Practice Frameworks & Planning Excellence

• Design and maintain best practice frameworks for audience planning, data selection, and targeting methodology

• Champion consistent application of planning tools and methodologies across planning teams

• Create and maintain documentation, playbooks, and guides that make best practice accessible and actionable for planners at all levels

• Monitor tool adoption and proactively address barriers to usage

• Incorporate campaign learnings into planning processes so the approach improves continuously

3. Client-Facing Support & Consultancy

• Attend client meetings as an audience and data strategy expert, presenting recommendations and solutions with confidence

• Translate complex data and audience concepts into clear, commercially relevant narratives for client stakeholders

• Support the delivery of bespoke audience solutions in response to complex or high-value client briefs

• Build strong working relationships with client stakeholders, contributing to Media Solutions' reputation as a trusted authority on data-driven planning

4. Proving the Value of Data

• Work closely with the measurement team to develop approaches that demonstrate the incremental value of audience solutions across supported accounts

• Develop frameworks that articulate the performance impact of data-driven targeting in terms relevant to client business objectives

• Translate campaign performance metrics into clear business value narratives for both client and internal audiences

5. Data Partner Management

• Manage day-to-day relationships with key data partners, ensuring data is current, correctly integrated, and performing as expected

• Support the evolution of data attribution models and audience insights

• Coordinate with partners to resolve issues promptly and maintain high servicing standards

• Identify opportunities to strengthen or expand partner relationships in line with capability needs

6. Industry Knowledge & Innovation

• Maintain strong working knowledge of the digital media landscape and emerging addressability technologies

• Proactively identify trends and capabilities , including the role of AI and automation , that could strengthen planning and audience solutions

• Bring forward innovation ideas and contribute to the broader capabilities roadmap

• Stay informed on privacy regulations and identity developments and their implications for audience strategy

7. Project Management & Process

• Manage multiple concurrent workstreams across supported accounts, driving projects from brief through to delivery

• Design robust, scalable processes for audience builds, data onboarding, and planning workflows

• Maintain clear documentation and visibility across all active projects and their platform or data dependencies

Skills & Qualifications

Technical & Industry Expertise

• Solid understanding of data integrations, audience builds, and planning principles , with hands-on experience in OMS or equivalent planning platforms

• Working knowledge of digital media channels including CTV, DOOH, Digital Audio, Display, and Video

• Familiarity with marketing theory and its practical application in media planning

• Understanding of privacy regulations and identity solutions as they relate to audience strategy

Client Presence & Communication

• Confident presenting to senior client stakeholders , clear, credible, and capable of holding the room

• Ability to translate technical complexity into accessible, commercially relevant language

• Strong written and verbal communication skills

Analytical & Problem-Solving

• Strong analytical capability with a structured, solution-oriented approach to problems

• Numerically competent and comfortable working with data to derive and communicate insights

Project & Process Management

• Organised and detail-oriented, with the ability to manage multiple priorities concurrently

• Experience designing or improving business processes to increase efficiency and scalability

Strategic & Proactive Thinking

• Able to spot patterns and opportunities beyond the immediate task and bring recommendations forward

• Comfortable working with a degree of autonomy while keeping senior stakeholders informed

Life at WPP Media & Benefits

Our passion for shaping the next era of media is powered by our commitment to Be Extraordinary, investing in our employees to inspire transformational creativity. We also Lead Optimistically, firmly believing in and Championing Growth and Development for every individual. This commitment allows WPP Media employees to leverage the extensive global WPP Media & WPP networks to pursue their passions, build vital professional connections, and learn at the cutting edge of marketing and advertising.

We Create an Open environment built on trust and respect, where everyone feels they belong and has opportunities to progress. This inclusive culture is fostered through a variety of employee resource groups and frequent in-office events showcasing team wins, sharing thought leadership, and celebrating holidays and milestone events. Our comprehensive benefits package reflects this commitment, including 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 characteristics. We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection in this open and supportive environment. 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 that while our philosophy is the same across WPP, benefits may vary by office/country.

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

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While we appreciate all applications received, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

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