Associate Director, Performance & 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 .

About WPP Media

WPP is the creative transformation company. We use the power of creativity to build better futures for our people, planet, clients and communities. For more information, visit wpp.com.

WPP Media is WPP’s global media collective. In a world where media is everywhere and in everything, we bring the best platform, people, and partners together to create limitless opportunities for growth. For more information, visit wppmedia.com.

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 .

About Wavemaker: A Leading WPP Media Brand

Wavemaker positively provokes growth for clients by reshaping consumer decision-making and experiences through media, content, and technology. Our name is both our mission and our method. We do our best work for brave brands and people who relish being challenged to go further and faster, together. The Media Buyer is responsible for the overall execution and management of their assigned client’s investment requirements, purchasing and monitoring all assigned campaigns to ensure all objectives are met.

Role Summary

The Associate Director, Performance Strategy is responsible for ensuring that performance media campaigns are effectively executed, continuously optimized, and aligned with client business objectives. Acting as a critical link between Planning, Analytics, and Activation teams, this role drives real-time performance improvements, enforces measurement frameworks, and translates strategic direction into executional success.

This is a hands-on, analytical, and execution-focused role that requires strong collaboration, commercial thinking, and the ability to turn data insights into actionable performance strategies.

Key Responsibilities

Campaign Execution & Optimization

• Oversee the execution of performance media campaigns to ensure delivery against business and campaign objectives.
• Monitor campaign performance in real time and make tactical adjustments to improve effectiveness and efficiency.
• Identify opportunities for optimization across channels, audiences, budgets, and tactics.

Performance Measurement & Reporting

• Ensure performance campaigns are aligned to agreed KPI frameworks and measurement standards.
• Partner closely with Analytics teams to monitor performance trends and translate findings into actionable insights.
• Support reporting processes and help ensure performance outcomes are clearly communicated to internal teams and clients.

Cross-Team Collaboration

• Act as a key connection point between Planning, Analytics, and Activation teams.
• Ensure strategic direction is properly translated into execution across campaigns.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to drive seamless delivery and improve overall campaign effectiveness.

Client Engagement & Support

• Work with client teams to ensure performance media delivery aligns with business priorities and strategic goals.
• Support the communication of performance results, optimizations, and recommendations to internal and external stakeholders.
• Provide informed, data-led recommendations that improve media outcomes and support client success.

Required Skills and Experience

• Proven experience in performance media planning, execution, and optimization.
• Strong understanding of campaign measurement frameworks, KPI tracking, and performance analysis.
• Advanced ability to interpret data and translate insights into actionable recommendations.
• Experience collaborating across Planning, Analytics, and Activation teams.
• Strong campaign management and optimization capabilities.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, client-facing environment.
• Strong understanding of digital media platforms and performance marketing best practices.

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. Our benefits include 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 particular 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.

We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. 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.

WPP Media is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to, among others, individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans. If you need an accommodation because of a disability to search and apply for a career opportunity with WPP Media, please send an e-mail to WPP Media Leave Administration at Leave.Administration@groupm.com or call (212) 297-8507 and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information.