Manager, Emerging Talent

WPP Media•New York, NY

7h•$60,000 - $140,000•Hybrid

About The Position

WPP Media is committed to cultivating future industry leaders through our award-winning Launch Pad Program (our associate cohort experience) and our comprehensive Internship Program. The Manager, Emerging Talent Programs is a collaborative role responsible for the end-to-end strategy, execution, and management of both the summer internship and cohort-based associate hiring programs. This role drives the recruitment, operational, and programmatic strategies needed to attract, hire, and retain high-performing, diverse, and non-traditional early career talent. Managing a Recruitment Coordinator, the Manager serves as a key organizational liaison to ensure WPP Media remains a premier destination for emerging talent.

Requirements

Proven experience in early careers/campus recruiting, program management, cohort-based hiring, and event planning.
Demonstrated experience coaching and developing recruitment or operations staff.
Ability to influence, guide, and build consensus with senior leaders and cross-functional teams in a matrixed environment.
Experience designing and managing high-volume/bulk recruitment operations and structured internship programs.
Ability to track, analyze, and leverage KPIs to measure program success and evaluate ROI.
Strong interpersonal skills with an open, collaborative, and professional communication style.

Nice To Haves

Experience managing Canadian or international early career/campus programs.
Proficiency with Greenhouse (ATS), Handshake, and MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, TEAMS).
Experience or domain knowledge in the media, advertising, or creative agency industries.
Ability to travel locally or domestically as needed for recruitment events.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute a data-driven US campus recruiting and early talent strategy aligned with WPP Media’s vision, culture, and inclusion and impact initiatives.
Manage, coach, and develop a Recruitment Coordinator and junior team members on full-cycle recruiting and day-to-day operations.
Onboard and train new Emerging Talent recruiters on recruitment processes, ATS workflows, and ongoing professional development.
Co-manage the campus recruiting budget and evaluate the ROI of all sourcing and programming initiatives.
Oversee the planning, scheduling, and execution of the annual program calendar, including full-time Summer Internships, part-time internships (as offered), and Launch Pad associate cohorts.
Manage operational logistics for each cohort, including data reporting, meeting recaps, and partnership with TA and People Ops to meet offer letter, NHA, and provisioning deadlines.
Partner with the Learning & Effectiveness (L&E) team to establish continuous program assessments. Lead post-program reviews and annual competitor analyses to optimize future cohorts.
Coordinate goal-setting, evaluations, and career conversations with Interns. Partner with hiring managers and Resource Management to transition high-performing interns into permanent roles or alumni networks.
Manage a balanced, reduced requisition load, ensuring a high-touch, structured, and positive candidate experience.
Analyze and report on candidate demographics to ensure diverse, non-traditional talent pools are actively represented.
Partner with MarComms to design and deliver compelling employer branding materials via Handshake, social media, and campus marketing campaigns.
Build and maintain strategic relationships with target universities, career centers, student groups, and national diversity-focused organizations.
Plan and execute virtual and in-person campus events, including information sessions, career fairs, and workshops in collaboration with the Emerging Talent team.
Design and implement structured engagement and alumni initiatives (e.g., mentorship, networking events) to foster long-term connections.
Partner with Resource Management, L&E, and People teams to align program outcomes with business talent needs.
Serve as the primary point of contact for Interns, hiring managers, people partners, and other business stakeholders to resolve program-related issues or feedback.
Track, analyze, and present campus recruiting metrics, hiring trends, and key program KPIs to senior leadership.