Head Analytics – Media trading

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 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

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

Job Title

Head Analytics – Media trading & buying

Role Overview

This role blends executive orchestration with hands-on analytics leadership to drive performance across TV and digital buying. You will serve as the operating partner to the Lead- Exchange, own the analytics agenda end-to-end, and proactively manage risks like inflation and under-delivery while institutionalizing forecasting, reporting, and automation.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic operating partner: Translate leadership priorities into clear roadmaps, OKRs, and decision frameworks. Run exec rhythms, prep materials, and align cross-functional teams on trading and analytics goals.
• Analytics leadership: Own measurement strategy, forecasting, and scenario modelling for TV and digital, including reach/GRP, CPM inflation, delivery risk, and outcome KPIs. Ensure methodological rigor and consistency.
• Forecasting and scenario planning: Model inflation, supply constraints, and campaign outcomes; quantify trade-offs and recommend portfolio-level actions. Maintain weekly executive-ready outlooks. Trigger mitigation plans for under-delivery, including reallocation, makegoods, and creative/flight optimizations.
• Reporting and automation: Standardize dashboards and alerts for pacing, cost, quality, and outcomes. Drive automation to reduce manual reporting and accelerate decision cycles.
• Team leadership: Lead a small team of analysts. Hire, coach, and scale best practices in experimentation, mixed methods, and business storytelling.
• Executive communications: Convert complex analyses into crisp narratives and choices. Build board-ready materials on market dynamics, performance, and risk.

Qualifications

• 15+ years in media investment/trading analytics across TV and digital video (including CTV/OTT), with proven impact on cost, delivery, and outcomes.
• Strong command of media math and measurement, including GRPs, reach/frequency, CPM/CPCV, attribution, incrementality, and MMM/MTA frameworks.
• Hands-on experience with forecasting and scenario modelling for inflation, supply, and under-delivery, and with executing mitigation at scale.
• Demonstrated capabilities of driving cross-functional alignment, running operating cadences, and managing exec priorities.
• Expert in BI storytelling with tools like Tableau, Looker, or Power BI.

Tools and Platforms (experience preferred)

• Digital: CM360, DV360, The Trade Desk, YouTube, BARC
• TV/Video data: Nielsen, Comscore; planning and stewardship systems
• Verification and quality: IAS, DoubleVerify.
• Data/BI: Snowflake/BigQuery, dbt (nice-to-have), GA4, Tableau/Looker/Power BI.

Success Metrics (KPIs)

• Cost and efficiency: Variance to market inflation, effective CPM/CPCV, savings unlocked via optimization and negotiations.
• Forecasting accuracy: Error rates on weekly/monthly delivery and cost forecasts.
• Automation: Reduction in manual reporting hours and time-to-decision on pacing/optimization.
• Quality and outcomes: PT, PIB, viewability, completion rate, invalid traffic, brand safety, and incremental lift where applicable.
• Stakeholder experience: SLA adherence and internal partner satisfaction (e.g., NPS).

Reporting Line and Team

Reports to the Head of Exchange: Leads an embedded team of analysts plus a program manager for operating cadence and automation.

30/60/90-Day Expectations

• 30 days: Baseline current trading health, reporting stack, and delivery risks; publish an operating cadence and issue log.
• 60 days: Stand up unified pacing and risk dashboards with alerting; implement a weekly forecast and scenario review.
• 90 days: Reduce under-delivery on inflation KPI, deploy automation to cut manual reporting time by at least 30%

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.