3802 - Director, Insights, UK

Role Summary and Impact

Are you insatiably curious, and always asking why? If the answer’s ‘yes’ then we really want to hear from you as we’re looking for an experienced Director to join our Research & Insights team.

We believe that through media we invite ourselves into people’s lives and homes, and as a result have an obligation to do this considerately - offering messages in the right way, at the right time, in the right place. This only happens when we understand who we are speaking to. Reaching people, not demographics. Exploring the data they scatter, the opinions they express, the actions they take. Making sure that no-one is left out, no-one is forgotten about.

So - at WPP Media we are all about understanding people – and after the last few years we’ve all been through, that’s where Insights has a pivotal role to play in the agency. We use multiple, complimentary approaches – everything from mobile ethnography to quantitative studies to social insights to ongoing cultural trackers - to create unified understanding of audiences and business issues for our clients.

You will have the opportunity to get involved in some fantastic, challenging client projects and extensive thought leadership work. And you’ll be part of a growing team full of super talented and incredibly nice people.

We all have a diverse set of skills and we get to work on a great set of clients too – M&S, KFC, Weetabix, Government … to name a few.

Skills and Experience

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:

• Be Extraordinary by Leading Collectively to Inspire transformational Creativity.
• Create an Open environment by Balancing People and Client Experiences by Cultivating Trust.
• Lead Optimistically by Championing Growth and Development to Mobilize the Enterprise.

A day in the life in the Insights team is ever-changing. You’ll work with data from a wide  variety of sources and use multiple research approaches to understand audiences, explore sector dynamics, work out how the role for advertising is changing, and identify key trends in culture.

Typical tasks include:

• Designing and writing complex, innovative, multi-methodology research proposals and managing projects on behalf of WPP Media and our clients. Projects of this nature will include segmentation, decision journey analysis, behaviour change etc.
• Managing and championing thought leadership studies on subjects as diverse as decision-making approaches, consumer trends, brand priming, media innovation etc. including study design and analysis, report writing, promotion and sharing across the agency and industry.
• Managing the research and insight requirements of our clients, supporting on both ad hoc and longer-term projects. Demonstrating:

• • Relevant sector expertise and knowledge

• Understanding cultural dynamics and relevant trends
• Wide ranging methodologies and analysis approaches – with quantitative skills a key requirement

• Working on new business pitches
• Tell compelling, interesting stories through data, visualising insights in an exciting way and delivering a structured, useful narrative for our clients
• Support rev gen growth of the team through productization of methodologies and approach, raising the profile of the team internally amongst client teams and stakeholders

We are looking for an enthusiastic individual who likes to question the world around them. These are some of the key skills we look for:

• Curious and a problem-solver with an eye for detail
• Confident with numbers and statistical approaches
• Passionate about what makes people tick
• Loves to learn new things
• Always asking “why”
• Accurate and with high visual standards – the data, the visuals and the words all have to be correct
• Can juggle a million and one things and doesn’t get phased by multiple projects
• Strong story telling skills

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, vision, and dental insurance, significant paid time off, preferential partner discounts, and employee mental health awareness days.  

WPP Media is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to particular 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.

Please note this is a UK based role and requires individuals to have the right to work in this location

Please read our Privacy Notice (https://www.wppmedia.com/pages/privacy-policy) for more information on how we process the information you provide.

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