Head of Commerce Consulting

About WPP Media Commerce

WPP Media Commerce is a team of highly skilled performance marketers who drive measurable business growth for iconic brands across WPP Media agencies.

Our Commerce capability brings together strategy, activation, creative, data and technology as an interconnected unit operating at the cutting edge of modern marketing. Through proprietary tools, partnerships, processes and training, WPP Media Commerce delivers industry-leading commerce solutions with global scale, local nuance and measurable effectiveness.

Commerce operates as the group commerce capability incubator. We find emerging commerce needs, prove them with clients, productise them, and hand them to Intelligence & Analytics (I&A) and our agencies for omnichannel delivery at scale. Commerce Solutions and Retail Media have completed this cycle, In-Store is scaling now, and Social and Agentic Commerce are next.

Role Purpose

The Head of Commerce Consulting will shape and grow WPP Media’s commerce consulting business, helping clients turn changes in how people discover, shop and buy into measurable growth. A senior leadership role with revenue and P&L accountability, it combines strategic advisory, proposition development and commercial ownership. The first priority is to prove and scale Connected Planning, Trade Media, and In-Store Planning and Buying. Working across disciplines, the role will turn successful client programs into repeatable consulting offerings, embedding them within WPP Media’s omnichannel approach. Alongside this, it will lay the foundations for the next wave of growth in Social and Agentic Commerce, building the strategies, frameworks and operational readiness to bring new capabilities to market.

The role will build a business that delivers both scale and specialist expertise. It will design scalable consulting solutions and equip embedded I&A and Transformation teams to deliver them through clear processes, playbooks, tools, quality standards and training. It will also personally lead the most complex and strategically important client engagements, building a dedicated team as revenue grows.

Accountable for revenue, margin, pricing, pipeline, forecasting, resourcing, utilisation and delivery, the Head of Commerce Consulting will work in close partnership with DTA and capabilities across WPP Media. This is an opportunity to move beyond commerce specialism into broader business consulting—connecting social, technology, data and commercial strategy to solve clients’ most important growth challenges.

Strategic Priorities

In the first 12 months, the role will focus on four priorities, led by proving and scaling Connected and Trade Planning. Social and Agentic Commerce are next-wave priorities, beginning with internal discovery, planning, frameworks and operational readiness.

1. Connected Planning / Trade Media / In-Store Planning and Buying

• Play a key cross-functional role in the strategy/planning capability for the major CPG brand trials for 2027, aligning client, agency, I&A and Transformation teams.
• Define success measures, demonstrate trial outcomes and use the evidence to secure the remaining client investment.
• Translate trial learning into operational processes, planning and buying frameworks, training, team design and a repeatable playbook.
• Support recruitment and onboarding of the In-Store Planning Lead and define team roles and resourcing for scaled delivery.
• Use trial evidence and the repeatable & scalable offering to target wins with three to five additional clients.
• Embed in-store retail media, trade planning and Connected Planning into omnichannel delivery, with clear I&A and agency ownership.

2. Client Transformation

• Lead organisational change programs with DTA Transformation, prioritising the structures and ways of working needed to scale Connected Planning.
• Help clients realign internal structures, planning processes and ways of working to support commerce.

3. Social Commerce - Next-Wave Development

• Begin internal discovery and planning for WPP Media's social commerce offer, including TikTok Shop readiness and client demand.
• Develop business-case, market-entry and planning frameworks covering pricing, retail-partner conflict and operating model for TTS strategy, consulting and builds.
• Define delivery roles, operational requirements and handover pathways to influencer and media teams before scaling.

4. Agentic Commerce - Next-Wave Development

• Begin internal discovery to assess client demand, existing capabilities and operational requirements for agentic commerce.
• Develop Agentic Readiness Audit frameworks across AI assistants: ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, Perplexity and Amazon Rufus.
• Assess product feed connectivity into agentic checkout and brand shopping assistants, defining delivery and partner requirements.
• Partner with Data & Tech Solutions to extend existing Commerce tools such as Digital Shelf Health.

What It Takes

• Connect in-store retail media, trade planning and Connected Planning with omnichannel strategy, planning and buying.
• Demonstrate expert knowledge of commerce, retail media, marketplaces, eGrocery and social commerce.
• Demonstrate expert knowledge of agentic commerce and AI shopping platforms, direct-to-consumer and connected commerce ecosystems.
• Apply strong commercial judgement to connect client demand, product design, delivery economics and profitable growth.
• Move between building product, process and IP, and doing senior client delivery without losing momentum in either.
• Turn trial evidence into investment cases, new client wins and scalable processes, training, team structures and playbooks.
• Apply strategic problem solving to translate complex business challenges into clear, measurable solutions.
• Demonstrate excellent written, verbal and presentation skills, confidently packaging complex work for clients and internal stakeholders.
• Stay highly organised, detail-oriented and QA focused, with strong project governance and stakeholder management skills.
• Work comfortably with ambiguity, matrix complexity and building from a standing start.
• Collaborate and remain self-directed, with the flexibility to work through cross-functional teams and take initiative independently.
• Apply change management and organisational design experience to lead client transformation programs.
• Bring a first-mover, test-and-learn mindset, comfortable building new services ahead of market demand.

What You Will Bring

• Bring experience delivering against revenue targets and measurable business outcomes.
• Build and maintain senior agency and client relationships, addressing issues and objections to achieve business objectives.
• Bring experience across multiple industry categories, with a clear understanding of what drives success in commerce and retail media.
• Demonstrate a track record of launching new consulting services or products from a standing start.
• Bring experience translating client trials into sustained investment, repeatable delivery and wider adoption across client teams.
• Bring experience in management consulting, transformation, or platform-side social or marketplace commerce, which is highly desirable.

Life at WPP Media & Benefits

Our passion for shaping the next era of media is powered by our commitment to Be Extraordinary, investing in our employees to inspire transformational creativity. We also Lead Optimistically, firmly believing in and Championing Growth and Development for every individual. This commitment allows WPP Media employees to leverage the extensive global WPP Media & WPP networks to pursue their passions, build vital professional connections, and learn at the cutting edge of marketing and advertising.

We Create an Open environment built on trust and respect, where everyone feels they belong and has opportunities to progress. This inclusive culture is fostered through a variety of employee resource groups and frequent in-office events showcasing team wins, sharing thought leadership, and celebrating holidays and milestone events.

WPP Media is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to characteristics. We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection in this open and supportive environment. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.

Please read our Privacy Notice ( https://www.wppmedia.com/pages/privacy-policy) for more information on how we process the information you provide.

While we appreciate all applications received, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

#LI-PROMOTED