Senior Associate Director, Search

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WPP Media is WPP's AI-driven media operating unit, bringing together media, data, and partnerships to deliver creative personalisation nected through WPP Open and powered by Open Intelligence, clients see exactly where, how, and why their media investment is working.

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The SEM Senior Associate Director acts as our client’s senior partner and expert for all paid search for an area of business. This role is responsible for delivering best in class media campaigns to meet our client’s KPIs, including managing Google Marketing’s very own Google Ads, SA360, and other SEM portfolios. Success in this role involves providing strategic insight across a breadth of products and channels, partnering with our client and planning leads on projects, owning best practice and optimization strategies, and inspiring a large team (including ultimate responsibility for quality of work within this team).

• Support Activation lead and Client Services in capacity planning & resource management for the team
• Be the ultimate owner of media activation best practices, adherence, and automation for your team, while coordinating with the NA/EMEA/APAC teams to ensure consistency and excellence across regions
• Develop strong relationships with key clients, fostering strong relationships and collaborating to deliver innovative thinking and inform our future activation product roadmap
• Supports the strategic vision and drives the overall growth of campaigns, acting as the senior strategic advisor to key clients.
• Delivers actionable, top-level recommendations that empower the team to drive continuous performance improvement and exceed client expectations.
• Ultimate accountability for adherence to controls and best practices across all relevant platforms and help to manage regional development of search best practice
• Escalating any potential conflicts between best practice and what is best for their region
• Be the primary contact point of contact between the Media Activation team and regular stakeholders both internal & external
• Develop strong relationships with your client, and key suppliers, leading team communications with these stakeholders. Be able to communicate with clients on subjects outside your remit, and provide them with useful insight, working independently
• Showcase thought leadership pieces & POVs throughout the course of the year to galvanise and elevate the role within wider industry as an expert
• Deliver quarterly, semi-annual, or annual updates on work quality as it relates to owned work streams
• Be an inspiring and motivational Leader, leading by example while encouraging and coaching juniors on the team
• Gain a more strategic understanding of the client’s business and KPIs, and keep up to date with latest Industry news and be proactive in spotting trends, product releases, and other opportunities which could enhance our activity
• Contribute to the wider regional paid search strategy & goals, provide strategic insight to individual campaign wrap-ups
• Provide timely and actionable feedback to the team to aid in their development, improvement, and progress. Provide awareness and recognition for jobs well done

• Demonstrated progression in a role managing a staff of 5+
• Strong written and verbal communication skills across all platforms
• Expert organisational skills,…