Associate, Direct Activation

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.

Position: Associate (Assistant), Direct Activation
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.

Role OVERVIEW:

WPP Media is looking for a curious, detail-oriented and collaborative media professional to join our Direct Activation team.

As an Associate (Assistant), Direct Activation, you will play an important role in bringing our clients’ media strategies to life and you will gain hands-on experience across the full media investment lifecycle — from marketplace intelligence and negotiations through campaign activation, optimization, measurement and financial reconciliation.

This is a cross-functional media investment role, providing exposure across both offline and online channels, including Broadcast, Digital Display/Video, CTV/OLV, OOH/Print and other emerging media platforms. You will work directly with some of the world's largest media companies and technology platforms while developing the skills, knowledge and relationships needed to build a successful career in media investment.

We are looking for someone who is comfortable working with numbers, naturally curious about how media works, highly organized and eager to take ownership. You don't need to know everything — but you should be someone who wants to learn quickly, asks thoughtful questions and takes pride in getting the details right.

HOW YOU WILL MAKE AN IMPACT

• Support the development and execution of media investment recommendations by gathering marketplace intelligence, requesting proposals and evaluating opportunities.
• Work with media partners to understand their offerings, audiences, pricing, capabilities and value propositions.
• Participate in vendor meetings and industry discussions to build your understanding of the evolving media landscape.
• Translate approved media strategies into accurate and effective media buys.

Own campaign activation and stewardship

• Maintain media investments, including buy entry, insertion orders and trafficking coordination.
• Work closely with Planning and Ad Operations teams to ensure campaigns launch accurately and on time.
• Monitor campaign delivery and proactively identify opportunities, discrepancies or issues that may impact performance by maintaining accurate documentation of buy changes
• Support ongoing campaign optimization to ensure investments are aligned with client objectives.

Use data to make better decisions

• Conduct pre-campaign checks and validations to ensure media is set up correctly and can be measured accurately.
• Contribute to post-campaign analysis and identify insights that can improve future investments.
• Maintain accurate client budgets and investment trackers

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

In this role, success means becoming someone the team can rely on to:

• Manage campaigns accurately, efficiently and on time.
• Take ownership of assigned investments and follow through from activation to reconciliation.
• Build strong relationships with vendors and internal partners.
• Continuously expand your knowledge across traditional, digital and emerging media.
• Motivated by continuous learning, professional development and growth.

WHAT YOU BRING

• A keen interest in developing expertise across both off-line and digital direct media
• Comfortable working with budgets, numbers and data, with strong mathematical and analytical skills
• College or University education is an asset
• Exceptional organizational skills and strong attention to detail.

• Excellent time-management skills with the ability to prioritize multiple projects and deadlines.
• Naturally curious with a desire to understand how things work and why decisions are made.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment where priorities can change.
• Comfortable with ambiguity and willing to jump in wherever the team needs support.
• Collaborative, inclusive and respectful of different perspectives.
• Confident communicating with both internal stakeholders and external media partners.

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.

Please read our Privacy Notice (https://www.wppmedia.com/pages/privacy-policy) for more information on how we process the information you provide.

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

Please read our Privacy Notice for more information on how we process the information you provide.