Manager, Staffing Strategist

WPP Media•Chicago, NY

2d•$60,000 - $140,000•Hybrid

About The Position

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 . Role Summary and Impact About Resource Management at WPP Media The Resource Management function connects talent to client demand across WPP Media, ensuring the right people are deployed to the right opportunities at the right time. It plays a critical role in enabling internal mobility, improving utilization, and supporting sustainable business growth. The Staffing Strategist plays a critical role within WPP Media, responsible for connecting internal talent to client demand and ensuring effective, timely, and sustainable staffing outcomes. Acting as a key partner within the Resource Management function, this role balances the needs of our people, clients, and the business to optimize workforce deployment while supporting employee development and long‑term organizational performance. Working closely with Capacity Planning Partners, Talent Acquisition, HR, and Client teams, the Staffing Strategist translates workforce demand into actionable staffing solutions. They are accountable for maintaining accurate people and skills data, understanding workforce capability, and proactively identifying opportunities to optimize utilization, enable internal mobility, and reduce reliance on external hiring. This role requires a strong understanding of people, skills, and career aspirations, combined with a strategic, data‑driven mindset. The Staffing Strategist plays a vital role in improving workforce visibility, enabling an internal‑first fulfilment model, and contributing to a more connected, agile, and efficient organization. Staffing Strategists operate across key capabilities including Client Leadership, Media Management & Delivery (MMD), Data, Technology & Analytics, Growth & Marketing, Operations, Finance, and People. They partner closely with Capacity Planning to align available talent with validated demand, supporting a transparent, scalable, and future‑ready resourcing model across WPP Media.

Requirements

Experience in resource management, workforce planning, talent management, or HR‑related roles, ideally within a complex or matrixed organization
Strong understanding of people management principles, employee development, and end‑to‑end talent lifecycle processes
Proven ability to build and maintain effective relationships across multiple stakeholder groups, including HR, Talent Acquisition, Client teams, and Resource Management
Strong data capability, with experience maintaining, analyzing, and interpreting workforce and staffing data to inform decisions
Ability to balance people, client, and commercial priorities when making staffing and deployment recommendations
Experience working across multiple staffing channels, including internal mobility, external hiring, and contracting models
Strong communication and influencing skills, with the ability to manage expectations and provide clear, confident guidance
High attention to detail, particularly in relation to data accuracy, tracking, and reporting
Ability to operate with autonomy, proactively identifying risks, opportunities, and solutions to staffing challenges