Business Director, Performance Planner

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 .

2259 - Business Director, Live Planning

Role Summary and Impact

Mindshare delivers Good Growth for its clients. As “Growth Architects," we drive growth that benefits all stakeholders — better for people, planet, and business — by using media with intention. This approach creates more meaningful connections with consumers, increases consumer trust in the brand, and delivers better outcomes for all stakeholders.

Role Objective

We are recruiting for a Business Performance Director who is an exceptional and driven performance media planner, to join our Implementational Planning team. The Performance Director is responsible for translating client business goals into high-impact, cross-channel performance plans that drive measurable outcomes. You will shape the tactical performance direction across Search, Social, Programmatic, Affiliate and emerging platforms—translating strategy into activation frameworks that accelerate client growth.

You will be working on the Ford account in the UK. We work in a unique ‘full service’ model meaning that the media teams collaborate closely with creative and account management teams within the Ford agency structure (primarily working with VML).

Therefore we foster a fully integrated team approach across media, creative and client, working together across the agency and client locations - 2 days (Mon-Tue) at Ford’s Dunton office (a short taxi from Shenfield on the Elizabeth Line- Travel costs are covered), 1 day (Thurs) at Rose Court in London and 2 days (Weds and Fri) are flexible at the location of your choosing.

More detailed information below

Key Responsibilities

Performance Strategy

• Design the connections system and cross-channel activation plan, collaborating closely with Search, Social, Programmatic, Affiliate and Data teams.
• Ensure continuous, proactive knowledge sharing so activation teams are informed, aligned and delivering consistently.
• Lead the performance planning approach and drive workstreams that elevate our digital performance product.
• Leverage analytics outputs (MMM, MTA, Adobe Analytics, platform insights) to guide planning and optimisation.
• Provide expert advice on data activation—including audience strategies, first-party data usage, and signal strengthening.
• Develop experimentation agendas, test-and-learn frameworks, and feed insights back into activation planning.

Relationship Management

• Maintain strong partnerships across Ford UK, VML, Channel teams, central agency teams, and other cross-agency partners.
• Act as primary strategic liaison with VML teams for responsive inputs, creative assets, and delivery management.
• Ensure consistent, transparent communication across all campaign developments and changes.

Campaign and Budget Management

• Own the strategic management and adaptive allocation of annual always-on performance campaigns including budget management
• Identify potential campaign risks and proactively manage mitigation strategies to safeguard performance.
• Ensure campaigns deliver effectively against set KPIs, adapting strategies in real-time as needed.
• Oversee & contribute regularly to reporting as relevant to clients

Innovation and Collaboration

• Collaborate closely with central strategy teams to integrate local initiatives with broader strategies.
• Continuously explore and introduce innovative media solutions to enhance campaign effectiveness. Working closely with planning & activation teams.
• Champion digital innovation and emerging media platforms to maintain Ford UK's competitive advantage.
• Continuously & proactively taking learnings to clients shared from channel teams

Skills and Experience

At WPP Media, we believe in the power of our culture and our people. It’s what elevates us to deliver exceptional experiences for both our clients and each other. In this role it will be critical to embrace WPP & WPP Media’s shared core values:

• Be Extraordinary by Leading Collectively to Inspire transformational Creativity.
• Create an Open environment by Balancing People and Client Experiences by Cultivating Trust .
• Lead Optimistically by Championing Growth and Development to Mobilize the Enterprise .
• 7+ years across paid media, digital performance, strategy, retail or consulting.
• Deep understanding of at least two performance disciplines (Search, Social, Programmatic & Affiliates).
• Ability to turn complex data into compelling activation stories that influence senior stakeholders.
• Strong knowledge of measurement, data tracking, platforms and AdOps.
• Proven experience managing large, complex performance accounts with measurable business results.
• Exceptional communication, leadership and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to evaluate financials, model budgets and influence investment decisions.
• Confident operating in matrixed organisations, providing leadership through change and maintaining high team performance.
• Experience guiding indirect teams and cross-functional specialists through shared KPIs.
• Thrives in fast-paced environments and capable of driving teams to deliver high performance under pressure.

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