Planning Lead - leading network media agency

Location – London

Hybrid working (3 days a week in office)

An exciting Planning Lead position has arisen at a leading, award-winning network media agency to join its senior planning team.

This is an exciting opportunity for a senior media planner who is passionate about the ‘craft’ of media planning to play a pivotal role in elevating the planning across the agency

The team are looking for someone with 8-10 years media planning experience who can lead integrated communications planning across a portfolio of key client accounts.

You’ll work closely with senior planning leadership, client stakeholders and specialist teams across strategy, activation, data, investment and creative. The role will suit someone who is confident providing senior-level strategic counsel while remaining close enough to the detail to drive planning quality and execution.

The Role

As Planning Lead, you will:

• Lead the development of integrated media strategies and communications plans across key client accounts.
• Provide strategic counsel and planning leadership to senior client stakeholders.
• Ensure planning recommendations are audience-led, insight-driven and channel-neutral.
• Work collaboratively with digital, data, investment, activation and creative specialists.
• Champion high standards of planning thinking and output across your client portfolio.
• Apply a strong understanding of consumer behaviour, media channels and data to develop effective strategies.
• Support the application of established planning methodologies and frameworks.
• Help integrate digital, data and emerging technologies, including AI, into planning approaches.
• Mentor and develop junior planners, helping to build a high-performing planning culture.
• Contribute to thought leadership, case studies, knowledge sharing and planning best practice.
• Support senior leadership with new business pitches and growth opportunities where required.
• Work closely with investment and activation teams to ensure plans are commercially viable and deliverable.

Your profile

• 8–10 years’ experience in media planning, ideally within a leading agency environment.
• Strong experience developing integrated, multi-channel communications strategies.
• A proven ability to translate business objectives into effective media strategies.
• Confidence presenting strategic recommendations to senior client stakeholders.
• Strong knowledge of media channels, consumer behaviour, data and planning frameworks.
• Experience working across specialist media disciplines and bringing teams together around a common strategy.
• Experience mentoring, coaching or developing junior planners.
• A commercially minded approach, with an understanding of how strong planning translates into client and business outcomes.
• A curious and innovative mindset, with a genuine interest in the evolution of media, communications and technology.

The Opportunity

This is a senior planning opportunity within a leading media agency, offering the chance to take ownership of planning excellence across major client relationships while working alongside specialists across the wider agency network.

You’ll have the influence to shape strategic thinking for some of the world’s most recognisable brands and introduce new approaches to how clients solve their communications challenges.

Please apply to find out more.