Planning Director

LONDON, UK (Hybrid Working – 3 days in the office per week)

Benchmark salary £64,560 to £74,310. Salary level determined by skills and experience within the progression framework.

Planning Directors are responsible for growing our clients’ businesses by matching incisive strategy with the plan to deliver it. In the Strategy & Planning team you’ll be the main point of contact for our clients, requiring strategic smarts, detailed knowledge of media and media planning, and the ability to build transformative partnerships with senior marketing leaders. You will be client‑centric, communicate exceptionally, and be a self‑starter driving multiple projects.

Adaptability, resilience, and analytical insight are essential, as is a willingness to take calculated risks and question the status quo.

• Work closely with senior client stakeholders to identify and solve key marketing challenges, collaborating internally with other teams at Croud to produce strategy with broad buy‑in and media plans.
• Steer Croud’s relationships with key clients, gain a deep understanding of the commercial drivers of their business, and work with the Client Partner to map the client’s organisation and identify key stakeholders.
• Be present at every stage of the campaign planning process: interpreting client objectives, creating measurement frameworks, writing incisive strategy, building testing methodologies, and diagnosing performance.
• Cross‑channel media planning, ensuring that investment decisions are rigorously informed by data.
• Create media strategy covering all paid media channels – online and offline.
• Oversee measurement and testing strategy across channels, driving constant improvements in performance.
• Oversee audience, market, and competitor intelligence projects, ensuring work is insightful and actionable.
• Drive revenue for Croud through existing account growth and contribution to business development.
• Engage in complex marketing problem‑solving, turning solutions into strategies presented to clients.
• Represent Croud at industry events, public speaking, and thought leadership.
• Manage a Planning team within a client hub, including line management of Planning Managers.
• Ensure high‑quality, timely deliverables for clients and accurate billing from media campaigns.

• Demonstrable experience as a Planner or Account Director (or in comms, media or digital planning, or strategy roles).
• Proven experience developing integrated campaign strategies delivering measurable client outcomes across online and offline channels.
• Experience with print planning (and ideally buying) required.
• Experience working with luxury brands across various sectors and a strong understanding of luxury consumers (bonus).
• Extensive experience presenting to clients and selling in ideas, working closely with senior stakeholders to solve problems and guide digital media budget decisions.
• Hands‑on experience with key digital marketing platforms – Google Analytics, Google Ads, Facebook Ads Manager, DV360, etc.
• Hands‑on experience with industry planning & insight tools – TGI, Global Web Index , Comscore (nice‑to‑have).
• Excel at turning data (audience behaviour or campaign performance) into actionable insights.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel/Google Sheets and Microsoft PowerPoint/Google Slides.
• Experience winning big accounts and turning pitch strategy into industry‑leading performance (desirable).

• Sabbatical:
  Paid sabbatical at 7 years with an option to take it unpaid at 5 years.
• 25 days holiday a year.
• Discretionary annual performance‑based incentive.
• Sale commission.
• Recruitment referral bonus.
• Health & Wellbeing contribution.
• 2 recharge days each holiday year.
• Ride‑to‑Work scheme.
• Railcard.
• Season Ticket loan.
• Home office screen.
• Daily office perks: free fruit, breakfast cereals, snacks, and tea & coffee.
• Weekly treat: complimentary lunch every week.
• Enhanced primary and secondary family leave, extended parental leave and shared family leave.
• Life insurance and income protection.
• Medical cash plan.
• Pension.
• Curated third‑party learning platform and access to Croud Campus.
• Peer‑to‑peer recognition scheme ‘bonusly’.
• Team…