Planning Manager

The Big Picture: VCCP is the Challenger Agency for Challenger Brands. An independent, 1,250-person strong creative company, that exists to transform its clients fortunes by disrupting the categories they operate in. VCCP is fully integrated, with deep capabilities in data and analytics, brand strategy, communications, customer experience, media, production and distribution. The company was founded in 2002 in London, with offices in New York, San Francisco, Singapore, Shanghai, Sydney, Madrid and Prague. Our London office has been shortlisted for Campaign magazine’s Agency of the Year almost every year for the past decade, topping the new business table 9 years out of the last 10. Our Culture: The VCCP Group has a unique culture, and we are looking for people who will make a positive contribution to this, therefore the candidate must have the following attributes: ● A collaborative nature ● An entrepreneurial spirit ● Take pride in their work ● Have an honest approach ● Be un-precious and be able to recognise that a good idea can come from anywhere ● Take responsibility Our Purpose: So what do we actually do? Put simply, we exist to transform the fortunes of our clients by challenging and disrupting the categories they operate in. It’s why we describe ourselves as ‘The Challenger Agency for Challenger Brands’ VCCP Media: We are the challenger agency for challenger brands. Just like Bernadette, the little girl in our logo, we stand up to the two tonne grizzly bear in our industry; Boring, Beige, Baffling media. Media that feels lazy, samey and ineffective. Media can be magic. Media can be powered by data and technology, not lost in it. Media can challenge the status quo. Now that sounds like a challenge worth taking up. That’s because we’re VCCP. We do media. We just do it differently. At the beginning of 2024 we underwent a significant change in leadership and organisation, centring our offering on challenging the bad habits of the industry, driving creativity in media, and delivering more effective work through integration. VCCP Media is a full service agency that sits at the heart of the VCCP Group. We offer clients the full spectrum of paid media capabilities from TV , cinema and radio, to social, PPC, SEO consultancy, Data & Technology consultancy. We’re looking for a super-smart mid-level Media Planner who can deliver exceptional, effective ‘Challenger’ work, in line with our principles of creativity and integration. You’ll work in close collaboration with a Planning Director who will act as your day to day line management. You will sit within a client pod run by a ‘dynamic duo’ (Strategy Director & Planning Director), and will feed into a range of planning projects across our existing clients, new business and consultancy remits that connect into the wider VCCP Partnership, and our sister agencies. You’ll be a day-to-day contact for clients, delivering sage advice, brilliant account management, taking a vested interest in their success, and helping them drive business forward. You’ll be supported by our junior Planning Execs, as well as our digital experts (in PPC/ Social) who you’ll need to learn from, connect with as well as inspire and upskill in media planning. You’ll also be working closely with a range of media specialists, across all disciplines, who also sit within the extended Planning Team. The projects will be fast-paced, and varied, and give you direct access to a broader set of Partnership experts. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: ● Lead day-to-day contact with mid-level clients ● Develop the Communications plan for your clients and brief channel experts for detailed media executions. ● Develop ideas that can populate culture in partnership with the Creative Partnership team and your Strategy leads / CSO. ● Be responsible for delivering client KPI’s, results and targets (with the Planning Director) ● Deliver the highest level of account management (meeting deadlines, reporting accuracy, project management) to ensure VCCP Media are a joy to work with. ● Lead the relationship with clients with smaller spending budgets as required (with the Planning Director having final responsibility). These accounts will be yours to showcase your smarts and leadership skills. ● Present communications recommendations, ideas, and implementation plans to clients. ● To research new media ideas and opportunities including growing your own network of trusted media owners. ● Deliver insightful reporting, learning about clients’ business as it happens, and providing advice on how to optimise performance across all media channels. ● Detailed and up to date knowledge of the client’s business, objectives, key personnel, structure, competitors and marketplace. ● Supporting the Planning Director in cross selling additional products and services to ensure your client has an innovative and exciting growth plan. ● Organising weekly (or agreed frequency) reporting for all campaigns. ● Overseeing the management of the junior team, including Planning Execs. ● Ownership and resolution of all finance, accounts and invoice queries. SKILLS & EXPERIENCE: ● Experience in a client facing account role ● A good level of media knowledge, with the ability to talk about different channels, partners, plans, optimisations and audiences fluently ● Multi-media disciplined – can talk competently about all media, including digital ● Strong presentation skills ● Exceptional client handling and relationship building skills ● Competent in Nielsen AdIntel (previously Addynamix), DDS etc. ● Numerate (for budgeting, forecasting etc) and analytical capabilities ● Commercial acumen ● Ability to go the extra mile - to contribute to the development of the agency thinking that’s broader than just the clients’ business ATTITUDE: ● A passion for all things media and advertising ● An ambition to grow an agency that is top of its game and revered for its work around the industry ● Resilience to keep going in a fast paced environment ● Strives for excellence ● Can do attitude ● Approachable and personable ● Builds rapport and is able to quickly establish excellent working relationships ● Team player So if this sounds like you or someone you know, then we'd love to hear from you VCCP DE&I STATEMENT We believe that DE&I is about creating a strong culture of inclusion within our agency, where everyone can thrive and be their authentic self. VCCP is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of gender, age, disability, religion, belief, sexual orientation, marital status, or ethnicity. If you require any adjustments during the application or interview process, please let us know via joinusvccp.com . CRIMINAL RECORDS INFORMATION As part of our onboarding process, you will be required to complete a Criminal Records Declaration regarding any unspent convictions. For roles in finance, HR, Legal, IT or senior management, we may be required to verify your declaration with a basic DBS check, as well as an Adverse Finance and ID check. Please note, we try to respond to as many applications as possible but, if you do not hear from us within two weeks of submitting your application, please assume we are unable to proceed with your application for this specific role. Thank you for your interest in VCCP

Location: London, GB

Posted Date: 1/20/2025