Planning Associate Director

OUR COMPANY

Initiative celebrates diversity in an inclusive environment where all of our 6,000+ strong talent across 90+ markets feel seen, heard, and valued. Our vision is to create not only a better media company, but also a better media industry, and maybe even a better world.

We believe in the power of media to reshape our industry and orchestrate a brand’s entire consumer experience, by balancing both what unites people and what makes them different. When brands unite people in culture, they build Fame, and when brands connect individuals to their unique journeys, they build customer Flow. Media responsibility is at the forefront of everything we do, whether it’s creating media plans that reflect the diversity of our communities, promote brand safety, and foster sustainability. 
Our agency celebrates diversity in an inclusive environment where all of our 6,000+ strong talent across 90+ markets feel seen, heard, and valued. Our vision is to create not only a better media company, but also a better media industry, and maybe even a better world.We make a promise to our people that we double down on seeing, celebrating & elevating all the things that make you, uniquely you. And just as we do for our brands and clients, we connect our people to the journeys that matter in building a meaningful career.

There are four I’s in Initiative and these represent our core values and behaviors.

➢ INDIVID[YOU]ALITY – you bring your genuine and unique self to and into the work, every day.

➢ INSTINCT – you’re tuned in and armed with intelligence; you have a bias for action – shit happens when you’re around.

➢ IMAGINATION – your ability to imagine and bring to life the ideas, solutions, and the future of Initiative, makes us THE create media agency in the world.

➢ IMPACT! – you care deeply about the impact you have on our clients, their customers, our community, the media landscape and our world at large.

DISCIPLINE OVERVIEW: COMMUNICATIONS DESIGN

Communications design is the discipline and practice of crafting how a brand idea will be delivered through communications across an owned, earned and paid ecosystem in order to achieve a desired behavioral outcome.

Initiative’s Communications Design team is creating the future of planning.  Borrowing skills from User Experience, Digital, Public Relations and Content, these media professionals are responsible for curating how people connect and participate with brands through culturally rich ideas.  Instead of considering the experience of a brand in components (media / channel planning), Communications Designers think about brand experience in totality (ecosystem planning) ensuring every encounter is useful and impactful. 

The Communications Design team dynamically brings brands to life through their actions.  They:

• Are experts in consumer and communications behavior, and how changes in behaviors are creating new opportunities for connection
• Lead the creation of the dynamic ecosystem approach to deliver a strategy
• Work with partners (media, creative, technology, platforms, Specialty Business Units) to curate how a brand should connect within culture
• Lead the identification of the right audiences to address how to meet business goals, and guide the quantification of connection encounters holistically
• Champion innovative, forward thinking activities that help brands create value with their audience.

ROLE OVERVIEW: ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, COMMUNICATIONS DESIGN

As Associate Director, you are responsible for managing the process of creating impactful communication plans across the full ecosystem of media channels.  This is across the full end-to-end process from the production and application of accurate and insightful consumer, cultural, media and market intelligence, to the selection of channels including usage of tools such as OESP Planner right through to the post campaign analysis.

You are the day-to-day contact and lynchpin for the client and the internal team. You will lead the planning across disciplines to ensure everything is operating smoothly, accurately, and on deadline. You should be an authority on your client’s business to the agency and an authority on Initiative and the SBUs to the clients. You should work with partnerships, media vendors, and your communications design team, you ensure that new opportunities are identified for innovation and test and learn programmes.

In this role, you are responsible for the management of junior team members including appraisals, goal setting and performance management, ensuring that the next generation of brilliant communications designers are effectively supported, trained and developed.

As Associate Director, you are an expert in the Initiative design process, tools and techniques, and how to best apply and adapt these for a given scenario.  You are a gifted planner who is able to synergize multiple data points into cohesive story around the communications idea.  As a leader, you are a strong and nurturing manager, able to ensure your support design talent are able to produce high quality planning inputs that result in an effective, culturally resonant, highly connected communications solution.

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Client

• Responsible for the development of the detailed communications plan to power the idea
• Together with Group Director, CAM and Director, Communications Design present the Connections Design holistic approach to the relevant stakeholders
• Manage the outputs of day to day requirements and workflow of the client
• Responsible for presentation of client education program around Communications Design relevant marketplace trends.

Internal

• Responsible for the management and training of design team in communications planning fundamentals
• Responsible for the best practice application of planning approach including key tools and techniques to surface media and marketing intelligence and insights to produce an impactful, culturally rich communications plan across owned, earned, shared, paid (OESP)
• Write and manage outputs from RFP submissions from the Design discipline, in collaboration with Partnerships leads

Commercial

• Contributor to client Key Performance Indicator (KPI) delivery
• Contributor to Specialty Business Units (SBU) growth and client profitability

New Business

• Contributor to new business as required

Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s):

• Client
  • Able to deliver best in class communications planning solutions that propel the communications idea
  • Able to effectively lead the management of the client’s communications budget to successful outcomes
  • Accurately and effectively manage client’s day to day communications design product requirements

• Internal
  • Able to successfully manage Communications Design planning outputs from team
  • Able to lead the RFP process, including briefing and partner selection together with Partnership colleagues
  • Able to deploy tools and techniques to deliver best in class communications planning outcomes across OESP
• Commercial
  • Contributor to SBU revenue growth through planning outcomes
  • Contributor to organic revenue from communications design

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Ability to delegate and oversee direct reports
• Proven ability to develop and maintain strong professional relationships with clients, colleagues and vendors
• Excellent written, verbal communication and presentation skills

• Strong time-management and organizational skills
• Required PC proficiency and solid working knowledge of Microsoft Office (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)
• Proven problem solving ability
• Ability to work successfully within a team, handling multiple projects and meeting tight deadlines under pressure

Employee Transparency 

At IPG Mediabrands, we celebrate differences and believe this makes us stronger. IPG Mediabrands are equal-opportunity employers committed to championing an inclusive culture that provides a sense of belonging for all our employees. We do not discriminate against any applicant based on age, disability, race, colour, ethnicity, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, belief, marital status or any other characteristic protected by law. 

Please reach out to our Talent Inclusion Specialist Jess at [email protected] if you would like to have a confidential conversation regarding any adjustments that would ensure our recruitment process is accessible for you. Please note requesting a reasonable adjustment will not affect your application. 

The Perks 

We aim to provide all our people with a supportive and fun work environment where you can develop your full potential and benefit from the broad range of opportunities within the agency. When you join us, we want to make sure you feel valued – and that you are rewarded for your fantastic work. So, we also offer a range of benefits:

• Flexi–leave, with 25 days annual leave to be taken as minimum. In addition to your holiday entitlement, the office usually closes between Christmas & New Year 
• Free breakfast and free lunch
• Early finish Fridays
• Core Hours (Mon-Thurs, flexible start/finish times)
• Retail discounts
• Electric vehicle salary sacrifice car scheme 
• Wellbeing programme, including Headspace & flu jabs 
• Interest free season ticket loan
• Paid time off for Volunteering
• Group Income Protection
• Life Assurance
• Private Medical Insurance or Health Cash Plan (dependent on level)
• Group Personal Pension Plan with matched contributions from 3-6%
• Generous Parental Leave & Pay
• Independent mortgage advice
• Financial education
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Free eye tests
• Flexible benefits including Dental, Travel insurance, Cycle to Work, Gym Discounts and many more!