Job Title: Internal Investment Buyer
Company: WPP Media South Africa
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
Reports To: Investment Manager

Role Overview
The Internal Investment Buyer plays a critical role in ensuring the financial accuracy, compliance, and integrity of media investments. This position is responsible for the meticulous reconciliation of media bookings and invoices, diligent budget management, and strict adherence to financial policies. The successful candidate will leverage a strong financial administration background to manage supplier relationships from a billing perspective, uphold confidentiality, and support the operational efficiency of the investment team, mitigating financial risks and safeguarding company intellectual property.

Key Responsibilities
Financial Reconciliation & Compliance:
•    Manage campaign budgets and billing cycles, ensuring meticulous accuracy and timely financial reconciliation.
•    Conduct thorough review and verification of all supplier invoices against contracts, booked schedules, and agreed-upon rates, promptly identifying and flagging any discrepancies.
•    Process accounts payable related to media investments, ensuring correct coding, appropriate approvals, and adherence to payment schedules.
•    Ensure strict compliance with internal financial policies, accounting standards, audit requirements, and governance protocols.
•    Maintain comprehensive and accurate records of all investment transactions, contracts, rate agreements, and financial communications for audit purposes.
Operational Support & Administration:
•    Provide day-to-day administrative support for media investment activities, primarily focusing on financial verification, reconciliation, and payment processing.
•    Assist in monitoring booked media placements to ensure financial alignment with contracted terms, collaborating with media owners to resolve billing queries.
•    Identify opportunities for process automation and standardization within financial workflows to enhance efficiency and reduce financial risk.
•    Vendor & Stakeholder Management (Financial Focus):
•    Build and maintain effective working relationships with media owners, primarily for efficient invoice submission, discrepancy resolution, and prompt payment processing.
•    Coordinate closely with internal finance teams to facilitate timely invoice reconciliation, campaign cost tracking, and budget adherence.
•    Collaborate with investment, planning, and client service teams, providing essential financial verification and administrative support to ensure seamless operational delivery.
Confidentiality & Risk Mitigation:
•    Strictly maintain confidentiality regarding all investment deals, agency trading arrangements, pricing structures, and sensitive financial information.
•    Actively contribute to safeguarding the company's intellectual property by ensuring secure and compliant handling of all financial and contractual data.

Qualifications & Skills
•    Relevant tertiary qualification in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related financial discipline.
•    1-3 years of proven experience in a financial administration role, accounts payable/receivable, billing reconciliation, or a similar position requiring high attention to financial detail. Experience in a media or advertising environment is advantageous but not essential.
•    Demonstrated strong numerical, analytical, and problem-solving skills with an exceptional eye for detail and accuracy.
•    Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel (e.g., VLOOKUPs, pivot tables, financial formulas) and experience with accounting software (e.g., SAP, Oracle, Xero, or similar ERP systems).
•    Excellent communication (written and verbal) and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively liaise with internal and external stakeholders on financial matters.
•    Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities, work effectively under pressure, and meet tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
•    High level of integrity, discretion, and a strong ethical compass when handling confidential financial information.

About WPP Media

WPP is the creative transformation company. We use the power of creativity to build better futures for our people, planet, clients and communities. For more information, visit wpp.com.

WPP Media is WPP’s global media collective. In a world where media is everywhere and in everything, we bring the best platform, people, and partners together to create limitless opportunities for growth. For more information, visit wppmedia.com

At WPP Media, we believe in the power of our culture and our people. It’s what elevates us to deliver exceptional experiences for both our clients and each other. In this role it will be critical to embrace WPP & WPP Media’s shared core values:
o    Be Extraordinary by Leading Collectively to Inspire transformational Creativity.
o    Create an Open environment by Balancing People and Client Experiences by Cultivating Trust.
o    Lead Optimistically by Championing Growth and Development to Mobilize the Enterprise.

Purpose: The individual is accountable for the successful running of day-to-day OOH operations within the account.

 
Operations:
•    Take responsibility for delivery of OOH service on the account, including aspects relating to media, production and finance

Media:
•    Use Industry Research to motivate and rationale OOH in OOH Strategies & Proposals
•    Drive innovative and sound strategic thinking in OOH strategies and OOH proposals
•    Be responsible for quality control when generating media proposals
•    Respond timeously on OOH Briefs
•    Generate media plans for Out of Home on the account.
•    Be responsible for all subsequent revisions of OOH Media Plans, the Media plan updates and distribution to relevant team members
•    Negotiate best value in terms of rates
•    Ensure all media has been booked and secured
•    Generate post campaign analysis and reports
•    Attend client media statuses where relevant

Implementation:
•    Ensure streamlined and effective implementation of OOH campaigns.
•    Liaise with print suppliers / Media Owners to get the best rates on print and oversee the production process, when required.
•    Produce Chaselists, flighting recons and site bibles timeously and correctly.
•    Work closely with OOH Buyer to ensure all processes are followed efficiently and documentation is accurate, up to date, saved on shared drive and loaded onto Navision.

Finance:
•    Understand the necessary financial processes
•    Ensure all processes are followed in accordance to the admin and financial requirements on the  accounts
•    Ensure monthly billings are aligned with what is loaded on the Navision system and what is on the media plan
•    Ensure monthly billings are aligned with what is loaded on the Navision system vs what is being paid

Team and work management:
•    Maintain key Supplier, Agency and Client relationships
•    Ensure Client satisfaction by delivering against and exceeding Client expectations.
•    Participate in regular overall status meetings with teams
•    Attend all relevant internal training sessions
•    Keep up to date with new media opportunities / changes to Out of Home media
•    Understand where we can gain efficiencies through portfolio buys
•    Address industry issues / other red flags
•    Attend industry meetings – gain info that could impact on our deliverables and action
•    Be familiar with all trading requirements and aim to meet such as far as possible

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 have a variety of employee resource groups and host frequent in-office events showcasing team wins, sharing thought leadership, and celebrating holidays and milestone events. Our benefits include competitive medical, group retirement plans and employee mental health awareness days.  

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 in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.

We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office around four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.

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