Associate Director, Media Activation

WPP Media•Los Angeles, CA

2d•$75,000 - $180,000

About The Position

As an Associate Director, Media Activation at WPP Media, you will lead the strategic development, activation, and optimization of cross-channel biddable media programs, with a strong emphasis on Programmatic and YouTube, while supporting Paid Social and other digital channels. The role bridges day-to-day activation with broader media strategy and planning, providing leadership across campaign execution, performance, and client recommendations. You will help drive integrated media strategies, identify opportunities for optimization and innovation, and ensure operational excellence. You will also mentor and develop team members and foster collaboration across media, analytics, strategy, and creative disciplines. 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, it helps clients understand where, how, and why their media investment is working.

Requirements

5+ years of experience in biddable media activation, with a strong background in Programmatic and YouTube advertising.
Hands-on experience with The Trade Desk (TTD), DV360, and Google Ads/YouTube.
Strong understanding of programmatic buying, campaign optimization, audience targeting, measurement, and performance reporting.
Experience balancing hands-on campaign activation with strategic planning and team leadership.
Significant client-facing experience, including presenting performance insights and strategic recommendations.
Prior experience managing and mentoring junior team members.
Strong communication, problem-solving, and collaboration skills, with the ability to work across multiple teams and priorities.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree in Business, Analytics, Marketing, Communications, Advertising, or equivalent professional experience.
Experience across additional Paid Social platforms such as Meta, TikTok, Snapchat, Pinterest, Reddit, and X.
Agency experience is highly preferred.
Experience supporting entertainment, theatrical, or film marketing campaigns.

Responsibilities

Lead the development and execution of Programmatic and YouTube strategies, while supporting integrated Paid Social and broader biddable media initiatives.
Oversee campaign activation across Programmatic Display, Video, CTV, YouTube, Paid Social, and other emerging digital channels.
Provide strategic recommendations, performance insights, and proactive optimization opportunities to clients and internal stakeholders.
Bridge day-to-day activation with broader media planning and strategy to ensure campaigns align with client business objectives.
Partner with analytics and measurement teams to establish KPIs, evaluate campaign performance, and translate findings into actionable recommendations.
Identify testing and innovation opportunities across audience targeting, platform capabilities, automation, and emerging advertising technologies.
Oversee campaign execution, pacing, optimization, quality assurance, and budget management to ensure operational excellence.
Provide hands-on guidance and oversight to junior team members, helping troubleshoot campaigns and maintain activation best practices.
Collaborate with media partners, ad technology platforms, publishers, and internal stakeholders to identify new opportunities and improve campaign performance.
Develop and implement best practices and processes that improve campaign effectiveness and team productivity.
Support cross-functional collaboration with strategy, investment, analytics, and creative teams.
Mentor and develop team members through coaching, technical guidance, and leadership.
Keep senior leadership informed of key client opportunities, performance trends, potential risks, and strategic recommendations.