Senior Associate

About WPP Media WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. With exceptional talent, trusted data and intelligence, and world-class partnerships – all united by our pioneering agentic marketing platform, WPP Open – we help clients navigate change, capture opportunity, and deliver transformational growth.  WPP Media is WPP's AI-driven media operating unit, bringing together media, data, and partnerships to deliver creative personalisation at scale. Connected through WPP Open and powered by Open Intelligence, clients see exactly where, how, and why their media investment is working. For more information, visit wppmedia.com [wppmedia.com].   3132 - Associate Director, Commerce UK About EssenceMediacom: A Leading WPP Media Brand  EssenceMediacom is a new breed of media agency. Grounded in analytics & insights and powered by data & technology, we believe in the power of media and creative to drive breakthroughs for the world’s best brands. We help clients understand the modern marketing paradox and discover the breakthroughs brands need to win with their consumers. We are designed for the new communications economy  built on data & technology, built for people & algorithms, built around diverse schools of thought, built to test & learn at scale, and, crucially, built to evolve.   Summary and Impact  The Role:  We are seeking an experienced Commerce Associate Director to join the growing community in WPP Media's Commerce Practice. This is a senior leadership role within the practice, responsible for shaping commerce strategy, not just retail media execution, for a portfolio of leading global and regional brands across sectors including technology, FMCG, retail, and beauty.  You will act as a trusted commerce advisor to clients, connecting media investment to the broader path-to-purchase and helping shape multi-year commerce roadmaps.  The 3 Best Things About the Job:  1. The opportunity to shape genuine commerce strategy, not just retail media execution, across a diverse portfolio of well-known brands with a shared desire for innovation and growth.  1. Working within a truly collaborative agency model with great opportunities for continued cross-media and performance marketing learning.  1. A talented team supporting each other in implementing best-in-class, award-winning campaigns, and having fun along the way.    Responsibilities:  Strategic Leadership & Client Growth  * Act as the senior strategic lead for key client accounts, translating complex business objectives into high-impact commerce media strategies across Amazon Sponsored Ads, Amazon DSP, CitrusAd, Criteo, Kevel, and other relevant retail media platforms.  * Lead senior client business reviews, providing a clear narrative on the holistic impact of media investment.  * Act as a trusted advisor to clients, identifying opportunities for growth, innovation, and expanded scope across the commerce ecosystem.  Campaign Excellence & Innovation  * Oversee the development and execution of performance-driven media plans, ensuring the highest standards of QA, pacing, and optimisation across your portfolio of accounts.  * Develop and champion test-and-learn roadmaps to drive innovation in targeting, bidding strategies, and emerging retail media formats.  * Collaborate closely with wider internal teams to ensure a joined-up, full-funnel approach to media across all client accounts.  Team Leadership & Practice Evolution  * Line manage, mentor, and develop a team of and activation specialists, setting the standard for quality, delivery, and professional growth.  * Take ultimate responsibility for the quality of work delivered by your team, ensuring consistency and excellence across all accounts.  * Proactively contribute to the evolution of best practice within the wider eCommerce Practice, sharing successes and learnings across the team.  * Manage scope, forecasting, budgets, and profitability across your portfolio of accounts, and drive process automation through the adoption of new technology and efficient ways of working.  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.    About you  * A proven media agency background, with significant senior experience in Commerce and retail media strategy or a transferable media channel.  * Strong hands-on experience running campaigns in Amazon Sponsored Ads and DSP.  * Solid working knowledge of CitrusAd and Criteo (onsite and offsite retail media).  * Confidence managing senior client stakeholders, simplifying complex performance results into clear, actionable recommendations.  * A genuine passion for coaching and building capability within your team.  * Experience of Amazon Marketing Cloud (AMC) or retailer clean room analytics would be a nice to have but is not required.  * Exposure to wider commerce channels (e.g. Tesco Media or similar) is advantageous.    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) [https://www.wppmedia.com/pages/privacy-policy] for more information on how we process the information you provide.    #LI-Promoted    Please read our Privacy Notice [https://www.wppmedia.com/pages/privacy-policy#:~:text=WPP%20Media%20Privacy%20Notice%20for%20Recruitment] for more information on how we process the information you provide.

ABOUT BARINGA  Baringa is a global consulting firm that partners with leaders to drive change and create value. With deep industry expertise, and enabled by advanced technology, the firm helps clients to deliver with greater confidence and certainty. With over 2,000 people across the UK, Europe, North America, Asia and Australia, the firm combines global insight with local understanding. The firm works across energy and resources, financial services, government and public sector, consumer products and retail, pharmaceuticals and life sciences, manufacturing, and technology, media and telecoms, with capabilities spanning strategy, transformation and operational excellence – all powered by advanced technology, data, AI and digital innovation. Clients value Baringa’s collaborative approach and the way its teams integrate seamlessly – all working with a shared understanding of what matters most. The firm is known for its kind, curious experts who listen closely and care deeply about client success as they help clients transform energy markets, modernise financial platforms, expand telecoms and digital networks through advanced data analytics, enable digital services in government, and unlock growth in consumer sectors. Certified as a Great Place to Work around the world, Baringa has been recognised by the Financial Times in 22 categories of its UK Leading Management Consultants rankings, and by Forbes for four consecutive years as one of the World’s Best Management Consulting Firms. OUR GLOBAL PEOPLE FUNCTION ARE LOOKING FOR AN EXPERIENCED HR BUSINESS PARTNER TO JOIN THEM ON A 15 MONTH FTC.  We have a team of dedicated and talented professionals, taking responsibility for all “people” aspects of the business. This includes the whole employee life cycle, from attracting new joiners, on-boarding, development throughout their career, ensuring they work in a balanced and healthy way, supporting them when needed, enabling efficient and effective processes throughout, every day, for their entire journey at Baringa.  As we continue to grow organically, we need to ensure our people offerings are set up to enable the future size and shape of the business to operate effectively and efficiently, using the appropriate tools. Supporting the ever-evolving business needs and being a key player in the change management of the firm, is a core part of this role. WHAT YOU WILL BE DOING * Be the principal HRBP for Baringa Enablement, our Corporate function, on a 15-month fixed-term contract, looking after the full breadth of the people agenda. * HRBP roles at Baringa are very broad, so there will be plenty of scope to operate across a range of people activities, including workforce planning, talent and succession, leadership capability, performance and development, employee relations, employee engagement, reward, promotions and people insights. * Develop and own the People Plan for Baringa Enablement, translating people priorities into clear actions, ensuring progress is made by engaging the right parts of the People function, such as Reward, Recruitment and L&D, as well as wider Baringa Enablement functions, to deliver joined-up outcomes. * Build trusted relationships with senior leaders in BE, providing support, advice, coaching and constructive challenge to help them deliver the people elements of their business plans and achieve positive people and business outcomes. * Work closely with the Head of BE, who is Baringa’s COO, as well as BE function leads across People, IT, Marketing, Consulting Operations, Legal and Finance. * Use people insights, data and feedback, including engagement, attrition, performance, ER and workforce planning data, to identify risks, opportunities and emerging priorities, helping to inform decision-making and people interventions across * Support organisational change and transformation activity within BE, helping function leads navigate change and manage people impacts effectively. * Support leaders and people managers across a range of people matters, including organisational effectiveness, talent, engagement, performance and development, providing pragmatic, commercial and people-focused guidance that helps teams be set up for success. * You will manage an HR Advisor who provides dedicated support to * You will work closely with our global HRBPs to support the global BE agenda across different locations, while also providing support to BE colleagues by sharing context and flexing your approach to reflect different cultures, teams and jurisdictional requirements. YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE * Significant HR Business Partner experience, ideally gained within a professional services, consulting or partnership environment, with a track record of partnering with senior leaders to deliver business and people outcomes. * Experience operating across complex client groups or functions, with an understanding of the opportunities and challenges associated with supporting diverse and evolving business needs. * Deep employee relations expertise, including managing complex and sensitive cases independently and providing pragmatic, risk-based advice that balances legal, commercial and people considerations. * Strong knowledge of local employment legislation and market practice, with the ability to anticipate and respond to legislative changes, shaping people approaches and influencing stakeholders accordingly. * Demonstrated ability to build credibility with Partners and senior leaders, providing strategic counsel, challenge and coaching to support effective decision-making and leadership capability. * Strong organisational effectiveness and workforce planning capability, with experience translating business priorities into people strategies and interventions that drive performance, engagement and growth. * Excellent communication, influencing and stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to navigate complexity, challenge constructively and build alignment across diverse stakeholder groups. * Operates with a high degree of autonomy, sound judgement and commercial awareness, balancing local business needs with the long-term interests and values of Baringa. * Strong project and change management skills, with the ability to lead multiple strategic people initiatives simultaneously and deliver measurable outcomes. WHAT A CAREER AT BARINGA WILL GIVE YOU  PUTTING PEOPLE FIRST. BARINGA IS A PEOPLE FIRST COMPANY AND WELLBEING IS AT THE FOREFRONT OF OUR CULTURE. WE RECOGNISE THE IMPORTANCE OF WORK-LIFE BALANCE AND FLEXIBLE WORKING AND PROVIDE OUR STAFF AMAZING BENEFITS. SOME OF THESE BENEFITS INCLUDE:  * Generous Annual Leave Policy: We recognise everyone needs a well-deserved break. We provide our employees with 5 weeks of annual leave, fully available at the start of each year. In addition to this, we have introduced our 5-Year Recharge benefit which allows all employees an additional 2 weeks of paid leave after 5 years continuous service.  * Flexible Working: We know that the ‘ideal’ work-life balance will vary from person to person and change at different stages of our working lives. To accommodate this, we have implemented a hybrid working policy and introduced more flexibility around taking unpaid leave.  * Corporate Responsibility Days: Our world is important to us, so all our employees get 3 every year to help social and environmental causes and increase our impact on the communities that mean the most to us.  * Wellbeing Fund: We want to encourage all employees to take charge and prioritise their own wellbeing. We’ve introduced our annual People Fund to support this by offering every individual a fund to support and manage their wellbeing through an activity of their choice.  * Profit Share Scheme: All employees participate in the Baringa Group Profit Share Scheme so everyone has a stake in the company’s success.  DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We believe that creating an environment where everyone feels a sense of belonging is central to our culture and that diversity is paramount to driving creativity, innovation, and value for our clients and for our people.  AN AWARD-WINNING WORKPLACE You can be a part of our ‘Great Place to Work’ – with our commitment to women and well-being in the workplace for all. Click here [https://www.baringa.com/en/impact/awards/] to see some of our recent awards and how we’ve achieved this.  USING BUSINESS AS A FORCE FOR GOOD.  We maintain high standards of environmental performance and transparency, which can be seen through our commitment to Net Zero with our SBTI-verified Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions reduction targets and our support of the Better Business Act. We report our progress publicly and ensure that we are also externally assessed and scored through organisations like CDP and EcoVadis - helping us to continually identify where we can improve.  We have a long legacy of supporting the communities in which we work, and offer a variety of ways to contribute, by putting people first and creating impact that lasts. Our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) agenda is about giving back to the communities in which we live and work by sharing our skills, talent and time. In essence, we aim to empower and encourage everyone in the firm to contribute to the things we care about, and support registered charities and organisations with a clear social or environmental purpose to increase the positive impact they can have. JOIN US All applications received will be reviewed by a member of our Talent Acquisition team. We never rely solely on automated screening or AI tools to make hiring decisions. Your application will be considered for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, nationality, disability, age, faith or social background. We do not filter applications by university background and encourage those who have taken alternative educational and career paths to apply. We would like to actively encourage applications from those who identify with less represented and minority groups. We operate an inclusive recruitment process, ensuring reasonable adjustments where needed. Please contact a member of our Recruitment Team to discuss further.   BARINGA PRIVACY NOTICES For UK & EU Your personal data will be retained by Baringa for up to two years, in accordance with our UK Recruitment Privacy Notice / [https://www.baringa.com/globalassets/careers/dp-004-ukrpn---uk-recruitment-privacy-notice-pdf.pdf]EU Recruitment Privacy Notice [https://www.baringa.com/globalassets/careers/dp-005-eurpn---eu-recruitment-privacy-notice-pdf.pdf], to evaluate your application and meet our legal and reporting obligations. In line with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), you have the right to request access to, rectification, or erasure (subject to legal limitations) of your personal data. For more information, please contact us at privacy@baringa.com [privacy@baringa.com] For the USA Your personal data may be retained by Baringa for up to two years, as outlined in our Recruitment Privacy Notice (AMER & APAC) [https://www.baringa.com/globalassets/careers/dp-007-nerpn-amer--apac-recruitment-privacy-notice-word.pdf], to support the recruitment process and internal reporting requirements. Where applicable, and in accordance with relevant federal and state laws, you may have the right to request access to or correction of your personal information. For further details, please contact privacy@baringa.com [privacy@baringa.com] For Australia & Singapore Your personal data will be retained by Baringa for up to two years, in accordance with our Recruitment Privacy Notice (AMER & APAC) [https://www.baringa.com/globalassets/careers/dp-007-nerpn-amer--apac-recruitment-privacy-notice-word.pdf], to assess your application and meet applicable reporting and legal obligations. In line with the Australian Privacy Act and Singapore’s Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA), you may have rights to access, correct, or request limited deletion of your personal data. For more information, please contact us at privacy@baringa.com [privacy@baringa.com]