We’re looking for an Investment Planning Director to lead media strategy and planning across a diverse portfolio of ambitious brands. This is a senior role for someone who believes great marketing is built on strong fundamentals, evidence-based thinking and multi-channel excellence, not hype or platform bias. You’ll sit at the intersection of marketing science, communications strategy and media execution, shaping work that balances long-term brand growth with short-term commercial impact. This role suits a strategist who is as comfortable discussing mental availability, reach and creative effectiveness as they are building practical, executable media plans across both traditional and digital channels. What You’ll Do Lead end-to-end media strategy and planning across client businesses, from insight to execution Develop communications and media frameworks that connect brand objectives to channel choices Design multi-media campaign architectures spanning video, audio, OOH, sponsorships, print, social, influencer, digital and emerging channels Apply core marketing principles (e.g. Ehrenberg-Bass, How Brands Grow, IPA effectiveness thinking) to real-world planning decisions Balance brand-building and performance marketing, ensuring the right mix, scale and investment over time Partner closely with investment, activation and analytics teams to ensure strategy translates cleanly into delivery Lead measurement thinking, including incrementality, attribution, regression and effectiveness analysis Build trusted, senior client relationships through clarity, confidence and commercial acumen Drive thought leadership through playbooks, frameworks, audience work and business reviews Mentor and elevate planning teams, setting best practice standards across the agency Experience We Need: Extensive experience leading media strategy and planning in an agency environment Deep understanding of both traditional and digital media, and how they work together Strong grounding in marketing science and effectiveness frameworks (Ehrenberg-Bass, IPA, Nielsen, etc.) Confidence working across reach, frequency, budget sufficiency and channel roles Experience building clear, logical frameworks that simplify complexity for clients and teams A sharp analytical mind, paired with strong storytelling and presentation skills The ability to influence without ego and lead without hierarchy Commercial thinking and a practical mindset — strategy that actually gets bought and built Why This Role You’ll have genuine influence over how strategy is defined and applied , not just presented You’ll work in a truly integrated environment , free from channel silos You’ll help shape marketing that values long-term growth, effectiveness and creativity , not just short-term metrics You’ll partner with senior clients who want strategic leadership, not just execution If you believe the best marketing is broad-reach, insight-led and media-neutral , and you want to build work that stands up to both commercial scrutiny and effectiveness science , this role will feel like home.
