Head of Strategy & Insights

Role Overview

WPP Media is seeking a Head of Strategy & Insights to lead the global media strategies for one of the most prestigious global luxury groups in the world. Sitting at the intersection of culture, audience, planning, and insights, you will oversee a talented team to deliver transformative media strategies across a prestigious portfolio of Maisons.

For this critical leadership role, we are seeking an "M-shaped" talent. You bring a broad knowledge of communications, media, and luxury, combining big-picture strategic thinking with the technical fluency to dive into expert topics. You are equally comfortable advising on high-level strategy as you are coordinating specialized teams to turn macro-visions into high-quality execution.

As a trusted advisor to Maisons C-suite stakeholders, you will go beyond traditional media planning to shape long-term brand equity, champion luxury intelligence, and elevate planning excellence across our global network of over 40 markets.

* Location: Paris

* Team management: 5-6 people (Senior to Manager Media Planning & Insights Talents)

* Client: Global Luxury group

* Language: French & English

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategy & Planning Excellence

• Team Leadership: Direct and inspire a global team of five strategic planners (ranging from Manager to Senior profiles), ensuring the high-quality delivery of strategic media recommendations across diverse briefs and a varied Maisons portfolio.
• Annual Media Strategy: Define the overarching annual media strategy for the group leading Maisons, across various luxury categories.
• Media Guidelines: Define and oversee the creation of media planning guidelines (annual or high-stakes campaigns). Establish their structure and coordinate relevant internal teams (e.g., Social and Search experts) to ensure their successful completion.
• Planning Framework: Elevate local market planning quality by refining existing planning frameworks and enforcing their adoption, supported directly by the Planning & Insights Capabilities Associate Director.

1. Luxury Thought Leadership & Intelligence

• Intelligence Agenda: Define the annual Luxury Thought Leadership calendar; oversee the creation and presentation of high-impact intelligence reports and global webinars.
• Macro-Consultancy: Partner with Maisons and relevant WPP agencies on forward-looking, long-term prospective topics that extend well beyond pure paid media.
• Knowledge Ecosystem: Foster a culture of luxury intelligence-sharing, ensuring a seamless flow of insights between central and local market teams.

1. Tools & Insights

• Planning & Insights Capability: Manage and mentor the Insights & Planning Capabilities Associate Director to enforce the consistent application of WPP Media "hero" planning and insight tools across the entire account network, ensuring data-driven strategic foundations.
• Global Research Agenda: In collaboration with the Insights & Planning Capabilities Associate Director, define the global studies agenda, overseeing research execution and the delivery of actionable insights to the client.
  
  

1. Local Market Support & Connectivity

• Global Upskilling: Refine and deploy planning and insights training programs tailored for local market teams and planning resources.
• Network Synergy: Build influential relationships with top-tier global markets to capture local best practices, maximize global strategy adoption, and elevate localized execution.

Requirements & Profile

• Global Strategic Planning Experience: 10–15+ years of experience within integrated communications and media planning, with a heavy emphasis on global or multi-market accounts.
• Luxury Expertise: Deep, demonstrable expertise within the luxury sector (Fashion, Jewelry, and Watches preferred), with a thorough understanding of the luxury consumer mindset and differences across Maisons and regions.
• Holistic Comms Thinking: Proven ability to think beyond traditional paid media, demonstrating an integrated communications planning mindset that connects media strategy with broader cultural and brand ecosystems.
• C-Suite Gravitas: Exceptional presentation and communication skills, with a proven ability to engage, persuade, and challenge C-suite executives through strong, well-reasoned convictions.
• Team Management: A proven track record of managing, mentoring, and inspiring diverse strategic teams; a natural collaborator and team player.
• Strategic Agility: A highly flexible thinker capable of adapting strategic frameworks across a wide variety of brands with vastly different budgets, target audiences, and ambitions.
• Cross-Department Orchestration: Proven ability to collaborate with and coordinate across diverse, specialized expert teams (e.g., Social, Search, and Centralized Buying) to align channel tactics with overarching macro-strategy.
• Language: Full professional fluency in both English and French
• Curiosity: A genuine appetite for working in a highly international, multicultural environment.

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. Our comprehensive benefits package reflects this commitment, including 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 characteristics. 

We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection in this open and supportive environment. 

Please note that while our philosophy is the same across WPP, benefits may vary by office/country. 

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