ROLE OVERVIEW

WPP Media is looking for an experienced, strategic, and high-impact media professional to join our team as Manager, Direct Activation in Toronto.

In this role, you will be the primary activation and investment lead across an assigned portfolio of major client accounts, orchestrating multi-million-dollar buys across TV, Radio and Digital Direct. You will drive holistic investment strategies, lead high-stakes partner negotiations, ensure operational and financial excellence, and actively coach and mentor a team of Associates and Senior Associates.

This role sits at the intersection of media strategy, commercial negotiation, and operational leadership, requiring someone who excels at building media partner relationships and translating client business goals into top-tier media investments.

HOW YOU WILL MAKE AN IMPACT

1. Strategic Investment & High-Level Negotiation

• Lead Investment Strategy: Oversee and drive the development of comprehensive media investment recommendations across Linear/Connected TV, Broadcast, Radio and Digital Direct, ensuring alignment with client business objectives.
• Media Partner Management: Cultivate and manage relationships with major Canadian broadcast networks, audio vendors, and direct digital publishers. Help lead Joint Business Partnerships (JBPs) where relevant and discover first-to-market opportunities.
• Thought Leadership: Work with Activation and Investment/Partnership leadership to build actionable POVs on Canadian media trends, audience shifts (e.g., converged TV, digital audio evolution), regulatory updates, and emerging direct activation platforms.

1. Portfolio Stewardship & Team Management

• Team Leadership & Mentorship: Direct, develop, and mentor junior team members (Associates, Senior Associates). Manage bandwidth, delegate responsibilities, conduct quality reviews, and foster career development.
• End-to-End Operational Governance: Oversee the team’s campaign workflows within Mediaocean (Prisma/BCC)—from buy creation and traffic instructions through to billing reconciliation, ensuring zero-error execution.
• Financial Accountability: Own the end-to-end financial integrity of client accounts. Lead quarterly/annual reconciliations, resolve complex billing disputes, and ensure adherence to audit and client contract guidelines.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with MMD, Ad Operations, and Client Leadership teams to build seamless workflows and ensure unified delivery of client expectations.

1. Measurement, Performance & Audience Intelligence

• Audience Analytics: Direct the application of audience measurement platforms (NLogic, Lens, Vividata, Numeris) to analyze reach/frequency, competitive intelligence, and market consumption shifts.
• Pre- and Post-Campaign Intelligence: Oversee rigorous pre-buy validations and lead comprehensive Post-Campaign Analyses (PCAs). Translate campaign data into actionable strategic recommendations for client presentations.
• Process Optimization: Identify and implement process improvements, standardization, and automation across the activation team to improve operational efficiency and workflow speed.  Lean into OMS / Co-pilot as key tools to automative process.

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

• Client Trust & Authority: Serving as a reliable, authoritative subject-matter expert during Direct Activation client meetings and presentations.
• Commercial Excellence: Consistently meeting or beating buying benchmarks for audits / reporting, delivering added value, delivering against partner deals and driving favorable commercial outcomes for client investments.
• Team Empowerment: Helping lead a resilient, high-performing team that delivers accurate, timely executions with high employee engagement and retention.
• Operational Precision: Maintaining spotless financial records, proactive discrepancy management, and zero billing aging issues across your assigned accounts.

WHAT YOU BRING

• Experience: 4+ years of progressive media buying or investment experience within an advertising agency, with dedicated leadership across TV, Radio, and Direct Digital media.
• People Leadership: Proven track record of managing, mentoring, or directly guiding associates (Buyers & Assistants).
• Enterprise Systems Mastery: Advanced, hands-on command of Mediaocean (Prisma/BCC) for campaign set-up, buy entry/optimization and financial stewardship.
• Audience & Market Tools: Working knowledge and analytical fluency with Canadian media tools, including NLogic (Lens, InfoSys), Numeris data, Vividata, and media research or AI platforms.
• Commercial Acumen & Negotiation: Proven background negotiating large-scale broadcast and direct digital packages with Canadian media sales houses.
• Client & Presentation Skills: Poised, articulate verbal and written communication skills with comfort presenting complex investment strategies to client stakeholders.
• Problem-Solving & Agility: Strong business judgment, organizational rigor, and the ability to prioritize and pivot under tight deadlines in a fast-paced agency environment.

LIFE AT WPP MEDIA & BENEFITS

Our passion for shaping the next era of media includes investing in our employees to help them do their best work, and we’re just as committed to employee growth as we are to responsible media investment. WPP Media employees can tap into the global WPP Media & WPP networks to pursue their passions, grow their networks, and learn at the cutting edge of marketing and advertising.

We offer:

• Competitive compensation packages and performance-driven incentives.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision benefits, along with group retirement savings plans.
• Significant paid time off (vacation, personal days, and agency-wide mental health awareness days).
• Ongoing learning and leadership development programs across WPP’s global network.
• Active Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), social committees, and regular team showcases.

WPP Media is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect where everyone feels they belong and has equal opportunities to thrive.