WPP Media | Senior Digital Planning Specialist (Investment), Japan

WPP

WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands.  We unite cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel in a single company – powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open, to help our clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth.    We work with the world's most valuable brands and have global reach across 100+ markets, with deep local expertise.   Our people are the key to our success. We're committed to fostering a culture of creativity, belonging and continuous learning, attracting and developing the brightest talent, and providing exciting career opportunities that help our people grow.    For more information, visit WPP.com.     Brief Description  As a Senior Digital Media Planner, you will be responsible for creating the digital media strategy and accompanying plans that address clients’ business needs. You will also oversee overall campaign execution and performance, together with your digital media operations partner. As a senior member of the team, you are expected to co-manage a set of accounts with account business leads and manage your own (digital media only accounts).   Description  Mindshare I Senior Digital Media Planner  Digital Tokyo, Japan  Description  Position at Mindshare  As a Senior Digital Media Planner, you will be responsible for creating the digital media strategy and accompanying plans that address clients’ business needs. You will also oversee overall campaign execution and performance, together with your digital media operations partner. As a senior member of the team, you are expected to co-manage a set of accounts with account business leads and manage your own (digital media only accounts).   Reporting of the role  This role reports to the Media Planning Directo .   3 best things about the job:  * Diversity　of Clients – you get to work with a wide portfolio of clients (from, FMCG to technology, financial, and so on).  * Young and Dynamic Team– as the demand for digital continues to evolve, so does the team members of the team. What used to be a full digital media planning and buying team now also has non-media and mobile specialists. You get to learn from the experience of each individual.  * Support– Mindshare is backed by strong teams: (1) Within Mindshare (from the business unit teams and the specialist teams – Strategy, Client Leadership, etc.); and, (2) GroupM (from User Experience, Production, Creative Services, CRM, and Analytics).  Measures of Success   In three months– you would have established a good working relationship with key stakeholders (internal and external teams); you would have learned the day-to-day requirements of your assigned clients and have proposed process improvements, as needed. You would have proposed, defended and followed-through on the media strategy and plans that answer client briefs.  In six months– you would have helped enhance processes for digital media planning, primarily for your assigned accounts. You would have mastered the proprietary and syndicated planning tools (including but not limited to, programmatic media). Also establish the strong relationship with the key media publishers and platform.  In twelve months - you would have done collaborative work with various internal teams (Client leadership, Strategy, etc) and have come up with solid integrated digital media campaign case study/studies. And start developing and implementing the innovative solution.  Responsibilities of the role:  * Create digital media strategy and campaign plans (propose, iterate as needed and secure approval from clients)  * Manage and engage with client counterparts and internal account teams for key account assignments  * Negotiate with media publishers  * Identify and propose innovative digital media solutions to clients  * Do campaign implementation (collaboration with ad operations team), optimization and reporting  * Participate in new business pitches, etc.  * Provide assistance to Media Planning Director for business development of key agency accounts  Qualifications:  * Experience in a digital media function  * Experience in advertising, public relations/communications, marketing or any similar field  * Strong English verbal and written communication skills as advantage  * MS Office Skills (Excel and PowerPoint)  * Strong analytical and numerical skills  * Client servicing skills  * Has a good grasp of the Japanese digital media landscape; capable of using media tools  * Strong project management skills – ability to manage multiple projects and accounts  * Can work with minimal supervision  * Energetic team player, and ability to work under pressure  * Experience in performance and programmatic media planning would be an advantage  * Fluency in Japanese as a priority and English as strong advantage  About Mindshare  We were born in Asia in 1997 and for more than 20 years our values of Speed, Teamwork and Provocation have guided us in a world where everything is media.  We are the Cannes Lions Media Network of the Year 2019 and WARC Media 100 #1 Media Network 2020, with the top 3 most creative campaigns in the world for the past year.  In Asia Pacific we have been Campaign Asia’s Media Agency Network of the Year every year since 2015 and we are also Performance Agency of the Year.  Our 10,000 people work with some of the world’s best brands and companies to accelerate their growth.  In 116 offices across 86 countries we integrate brand and demand, ruthlessly focus on outcomes and create the unexpected.  We manage $24bn in billings and are the largest media agency in GroupM, WPP’s Media Investment Management arm, which is the #1 media holding group globally with billings of $63bn (Source: COMvergence 2019).   Hear our stories (and join us) at www.mindshareworld.com and follow us at: WeChat ID:  Mindshare China; Instagram and Twitter: @mindshare; Facebook: facebook.com/mindshare and Linkedin: LinkedIn.com/company/mindshare.   About Japan  Japan is both the world’s third-largest media market and third-largest e-commerce market. As one of the first markets to develop a full mobile e-commerce ecosystem circa 2001 to 2002, Japanese digital consumers are experienced and discerning; digital marketing campaigns are sophisticated, multi-layered labor of love. While growth is lower in this mature market, e-commerce is projected to increase by 12% in 2016, 11% in 2017 – emerging technologies are driving substantial growth. Programmatic spend across all devices has seen a 156% increase between 2012 and now, with mobile Programmatic spend expected to grow 174% between now and 2017. If you want to excel in a mature, refined media advertising atmosphere and reach savvy consumers with equally-savvy media plans, Japan is the place to be.  WPP Media is an equal opportunity employer. We view everyone as an individual and we understand that inclusion is more than just diversity – it’s about belonging. We celebrate the fact that everyone is unique and that’s what makes us so good at what we do. We pride ourselves on being a company that embraces difference and truly represents the global clients we work with.  #LI-DNP 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. WPP 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. PLEASE READ OUR PRIVACY NOTICE (HTTPS://WWW.WPP.COM/EN/CAREERS/WPP-PRIVACY-POLICY-FOR-RECRUITMENT) FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW WE PROCESS THE INFORMATION YOU PROVIDE.

WPP

WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands.  We unite cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel in a single company – powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open, to help our clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth.    We work with the world's most valuable brands and have global reach across 100+ markets, with deep local expertise.   Our people are the key to our success. We're committed to fostering a culture of creativity, belonging and continuous learning, attracting and developing the brightest talent, and providing exciting career opportunities that help our people grow.    For more information, visit WPP.com.   Description  This role forms a key part of the Mindshare Japan Leadership Team. The Client Leader will be responsible for working collaboratively with local, regional and global colleagues to deliver best in class service and delivery to the several clients.  Leading the client relationship and maintenance of the quality of contracted services, lobbying additional assignments as well as developing an appetite for and building revenues from out-of-scope offerings and value add services for the assigned client are also core to this role. Additionally, it is expected to work on the new business pitch with the collaboration work with the regional and global teams in Mindshare networks as well as WPP agencies.  Finally ensuring commitments made to clients are specific and deliverable, ideally exceeded!  3 best things about the job:  1. Opportunity to manage the several teams. 2. Key strategic role in Mindshare’s business and Japan's leadership 3. Exposure with regional and global teams across Mindshare network and WPP agencies   Measures of success:  In three months,  * Gained the respect of your team, leadership team and global/ regional stakeholders  * Created relationships with key clients  * Set your own agenda and roadmap for media  In six months,  * Met revenue and client satisfaction targets  * Ensured that each member of the team can successfully followed up on their professional growth plan  In twelve months,  * Optimized the team structure as required  * Be described as our clients’ lead business partner across key accounts  Objectives  * Lead a brand with services scope focused on communications planning and online media campaign implementation management, by leveraging performance data analytics and your digital expertise.  * Define the strategic approach on the account to meet the client’s business objectives and strategies and oversees the implementation of the annual planning as well as the implementation approach in conjunction with the client team  * Support management for the profitable and efficient running of each account through the allocation of resources, process and systems across the portfolio.  Client Management  * Anticipate the client’s needs and set up internal process to meet / exceed them  * Own the end-to-end client interaction and engagement to ensure the long term success of the relationship  Operational Excellence  * Lead conversations with global and regional teams and cascade clear understanding of strategic principles, guidelines and deliverables to the team  * Manage team to ensure deliverables are met  * Improve interfaces between planning, buying and digital teams within Mindshare and wider GroupM  * Build capabilities in diversified offerings such as content, digital, analytics, etc.  People Leadership  * Identify, retain and develop talents at all levels in order to effectively deliver to the customer with operational excellence.  * Manage and develop the team individually and collectively  * Maintain high level of motivation throughout team members  Qualifications and Requirements  * 7+ years of senior management experience  * Bachelor’s degree in a business, numerical or analytical degree  * Excellent communication and negotiation skills, ability and flexibility to manage both local and global stakeholders  * Ability to influence and manage senior client stakeholders (media managers, marketing directors and country heads)  * Demonstrable people management experience gained within a matrix management structure and specific capability at developing and sharing knowledge and developing team(s) and resource capabilities  * Bilingual preferred with fluency in English.    More about Mindshare  We were born in Asia in 1997, a start up with a desire to change the media world. Now we are a global agency with more than 7,000 employees in 116 offices across 86 countries, operating as one team - #teammindshare. We believe that in today’s world, everything begins and ends in media. We aim to be our clients’ lead business partner, to grow their business, and drive profitability through adaptive and inventive marketing. We do this through speed, teamwork and provocation and by operating as a network of networks rather than a rigid hierarchy. We create new things and have fun doing it. Whenever and wherever you join us, you open a door to opportunities in any and of all aspects of media, technology and innovation. We will support you, recognize you and reward you, making Mindshare the place where you do the best work of your career.  Mindshare APAC has won 500 awards in the last year alone, including “Agency Network of the Year 2017” by both the MMA SMARTIES™ and Campaign Asia for the fifth and third consecutive year, respectively. Mindshare is part of GroupM, the media investment management arm of WPP, the world’s leading communications services group. To learn more about Mindshare and our philosophy of Original Thinking, visit us at mindshareworld.com and follow us on Twitter @mindshareand facebook.com/mindshareapac and linkedin.com/company/mindshare.    About GroupM Japan  GroupM Japan is a part of the GroupM that leads and shapes media markets by delivering performance enhancing media products and services, powered by data and technology. Our global network agencies and businesses enable our people to work collaboratively across borders with the best in class, providing them the opportunity to accelerate their progress and development. We are not limited by teams or geographies; our scale and diverse range of clients lets us be more adventurous with our business and talent. We give our talent the space, support and tools to innovate and grow.  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. WPP 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. PLEASE READ OUR PRIVACY NOTICE (HTTPS://WWW.WPP.COM/EN/CAREERS/WPP-PRIVACY-POLICY-FOR-RECRUITMENT) FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW WE PROCESS THE INFORMATION YOU PROVIDE.

WPP

WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands.  We unite cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel in a single company – powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open, to help our clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth.    We work with the world's most valuable brands and have global reach across 100+ markets, with deep local expertise.   Our people are the key to our success. We're committed to fostering a culture of creativity, belonging and continuous learning, attracting and developing the brightest talent, and providing exciting career opportunities that help our people grow.    For more information, visit WPP.com.   Role Title: VP/ SVP - Client Partner Team: Marketing & Business Development Location: Tokyo, Japan ABOUT WPP MEDIA WPP Media, part of WPP, is a leading media agency driven by performance, data, analytics, and creative technology. We excel in multichannel audience planning and strategic media expertise. Our clients include Google, Dell, Uber, Airbnb, Mazda and Hitachi. Our mission: to make advertising more valuable. THE OPPORTUNITY We are seeking a highly experienced, strategic, and operationally excellent Client Partner to lead our relationship with Google in Japan, a top-tier client across WPP Media. WPP Media manages the digital mandate for Google in Japan. This role sits at the intersection of senior client partnership, planning craft, execution excellence, and operational leadership. You will lead a cross-functional team and be accountable for flawless delivery, clear governance, strong strategic POVs, and executive-level influence—ensuring Google and MFG stakeholders have full visibility, confidence, and industry-leading work. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES TRUSTED STRATEGIC ADVISOR (SENIOR STAKEHOLDERS) * Build and maintain trusted relationships with senior Google stakeholders (CMMs / PA Leads and their -1s), providing insights and recommendations that directly map to Google’s business priorities. * Translate business goals and market realities into media priorities, opportunities, and clear actions. * Challenge the status quo constructively: improve briefs, strategy, plans, and operations with better, actionable alternatives. STRATEGIC PLANNING & INDUSTRY-LEADING THINKING * Lead strategic planning across initiatives, ensuring every campaign solves a defined business problem and is designed with measurable outcomes. * Deliver “outside-in” POVs: bring best practices, competitive intelligence, and emerging platform/consumer trends into actionable recommendations and next steps. * Drive test-and-learn frameworks and ensure learnings are documented and scaled. * Incorporate AI and automation to elevate output quality, speed, and decision-making where appropriate. OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE: “RUN THE HOUSE LIKE A MACHINE” * Own day-to-day operational leadership with a no-surprises standard: smooth operations, disciplined execution, and proactive issue management. * Establish and maintain governance mechanisms (e.g., operating cadence, RACI, QA gates, escalation paths, decision logs) to ensure clarity and accountability. * Maintain full visibility across all initiatives (what’s working, what’s at risk, what’s next), surfacing risks early with mitigation options and decision asks. * Prioritize and triage workload to ensure focus on the highest-impact work and avoid wasted effort, rework, and last-minute fire drills. EXECUTION QUALITY & QA (ZERO DROPPED BALLS) * Ensure flawless execution through rigorous QA processes, clear ownership, and adherence to Google’s quality standards. * Drive continuous process improvement without being asked—simplify complexity, increase consistency, and improve speed and precision. FINANCIAL, SCOPE, AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT * Manage client budgets effectively while ensuring profitability, ROI, and strong stewardship. * Lead quarterly resourcing discussions with MFG Regional, feeding into fee/FTE allocations and ensuring the right talent is deployed to the right priorities. * Own scope control and change management: align deliverables to priorities, secure decisions early, and reduce rework through strong briefing and QA. CONNECTOR ACROSS GOOGLE, MFG, AND WPP * Navigate seamlessly across Google local, regional, and global stakeholders, and across the wider WPP network. * Bring the best of regional/global practices into Japan at consistent quality; export Japan successes as repeatable playbooks where applicable. * Activate the full WPP ecosystem (not just media) when needed to solve broader business challenges (e.g., data/measurement, creative technology, commerce, analytics). EXECUTIVE INFLUENCE & STAKEHOLDER LEADERSHIP * Lead Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) and executive readouts with clear narratives: performance, implications, trade-offs, decisions required, and next steps. * Influence MFG regional/global teams so Japan priorities shape decisions; engage WPP leadership to secure the right investment and talent. * Ensure compelling storytelling and executive-ready communication (written and verbal). TEAM LEADERSHIP & TALENT DEVELOPMENT * Lead, coach, and motivate a high-performing team; earn trust through clear direction, high standards, and effective collaboration. * Identify capability and resourcing gaps early; raise talent concerns with concrete proposals (training, role changes, hiring, partner support). * Retain and grow top talent, create growth opportunities, and manage performance issues thoughtfully and promptly. * Build a high-performance culture grounded in accountability, learning, and quality. KEY DELIVERABLES * Industry-leading media strategy and planning frameworks that connect Google business priorities to measurable media outcomes. * Operational governance that provides full visibility, disciplined execution, and proactive risk management. * QBRs and “outside-in” engagements with Google Japan, and with Regional/Global stakeholders as applicable. * Best-of-network activation: case studies, bespoke events, and scalable playbooks that bring the best of WPP to Google in Japan (and export Japan learnings where relevant). WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE FIRST 30 DAYS * Gain deep understanding of WPP Media operations, platforms, tools, and ways of working; understand the digital landscape and Google’s standards. * Build a clear view of Google Japan priorities (e.g., consumer apps, devices, enterprise, reputation) and how the mandate is governed. * Establish stakeholder map and operating cadence across WPP Media, MFG, MFG Regional, and Google. * Create a clear picture of demand, dependencies, risks, and resourcing needs; develop initial POV on financial health, utilization, and optimization opportunities. IN 6 MONTHS * Earn trust across Planning, Activation, Strategy, Investment, Analytics, Ad Operations, and Business Operations through consistent quality and clarity. * Deliver actionable outside-in POVs and elevate planning outputs (including use of AI where appropriate). * Run disciplined governance: clear ownership, QA gates, risk management, and predictable delivery. * Successfully lead QBRs with strong executive storytelling and clear decision asks. * Proactively improve campaign performance and operational efficiency; lead quarterly resourcing discussions with MFG Regional. * Implement talent development plans and address capability gaps with concrete actions. IN 9–12 MONTHS * Drive measurable improvements in campaign performance, efficiency, and quality; implement scalable processes/tools that reduce errors and rework. * Strengthen and future-proof the team (retention, capability depth, succession). * Improve the Google relationship and client satisfaction (e.g., TRRs) through strategic impact, operational excellence, and trusted partnership. ROLE REQUIREMENTS * 15+ years of experience in media planning, buying, and strategy, with a strong focus on digital. * Experience leading large, complex clients; technology sector experience strongly preferred. * Proven senior stakeholder management and cross-functional leadership experience. * Bachelor’s degree in marketing/advertising or related field; Master’s preferred. A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF * Bilingual: English and business-level Japanese. * Strong executive communication (written and verbal): clear POVs, persuasive recommendations, and crisp narratives. * Concrete knowledge across digital marketing/media, measurement, operations, and governance. * Highly organized, detail-oriented, responsive, and deadline-driven; strong quantitative reasoning and QA discipline. * Excellent program/project management: able to prioritize, triage, and deliver across multiple workstreams. * Strong business acumen; confident problem-solver who improves the work and challenges constructively. * A people leader who coaches, develops, and manages performance to build a high-performance culture. WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM WPP MEDIA WPP Media’s mission is to make advertising more valuable to the world. We do this by employing the world’s best talent to solve some of the toughest challenges of today’s digital marketing space. It is important that we hire people whose values reflect those of our own: genuine, results-focused, daring and insightful. As a WPP Media employee, we promise you a workplace that invests in your career, cares for you, and is fun and engaging. We believe these factors create a workplace where you can be yourself and do amazing work. We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation. WPP Media does not accept unsolicited resumes from employment, recruitment, staffing, or related agencies. WPP Media will not pay a placement fee for any unsolicited resumes received and has no obligation to compensate any third-party recruiter/ agency in the absence of a valid written agreement between the parties for the sourcing of a given scope or role. #LI-RG1 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. WPP 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. PLEASE READ OUR PRIVACY NOTICE (HTTPS://WWW.WPP.COM/EN/CAREERS/WPP-PRIVACY-POLICY-FOR-RECRUITMENT) FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW WE PROCESS THE INFORMATION YOU PROVIDE.