Media Buyer

Job Title: Media Buyer
Company: WPP Media South Africa
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
Reports To: Client Lead

Purpose: Media buyers are responsible for effective negotiating, purchasing/booking and administration of time or space that is acquired across all media touch points on behalf of a portfolio of clients. The buyer is responsible for ensuring the media appears on-time at the best cost whilst being accountable for managing all investment. Buyer will work closely with the entire on and off-line media team (strategists & implementation planners) and provide strong support to this team.

Core Responsibilities
Buying/booking – Following Buying Process from start to end
•    Ensuring that written client approval and PO numbers are obtained prior to any booking being made.
•    Liaising with and all administration related to transactions with the ATL media owners including providing relevant documentation i.e. applications/booking instructions, contracts and confirmation instructions.
•    Providing accurate and detailed information on the CI to the media owner and advising the various media owners of the creative agency supplying the material.
•    Notification of unavailable spots/positions and suitable alternatives.
•    Issuing accurate and detailed material chase lists for all mediums to creative agencies.
•    Digitally Filing all bookings and related correspondence to be accurate, timeous, and logical.
•    Create IO’s in Symphony to buy/bill Digital media.
•    Create billing packs and complete GRs for invoicing
•    PO creation through Purchase Pal + (training needs to be given – this is client’s system)
•    PO amendment through Purchase Pal + (training needs to be given – this is client’s system)
•    PO reconciliations
•    Updating PO Trackers and Ageing
•    ATL vendor onboarding
•    CE creation 
•    Foreign exchange for Coke Africa Digital billings and possible POs

Negotiation
•    Negotiating over and above the Planners schedule for best deals possible. This includes negotiation of additional discounts at time of booking or placing of advertising in a better position.
•    Negotiate compensation for non-placement and incorrect media placement.
•    Every media placement booked to carry a discount or added value.
Input into ME Plan and monthly billings
•    Input into media administrative system for billing and budget control purposes – accurately following the detailed Buying processes.
•    Ensuring all rate stages, dates and positions are correct and loaded onto the billing system accordingly i.e., rate card rate, discount, net, AV, special loading, etc.
•    Continuously, inform implementer of any rate, position, or date changes.
•    All media to be loaded and checked against media contracts and schedules.
•    Balancing back to flowplans with actual monthly expenditure updated by the implementer.
•    Co-ordination with finance department to ensure billing ensues correctly and timeously (i.e. date set by finance is currently 25th the month for ATL, 10th day of the new month for Digital) – all billings to be signed by buyer, planner and business head prior to being sent to the finance department for billing.
•    Digital Billing Process to be adhered to. 
•    Updated flowplans are to accompany the client’s monthly statements & invoices.
•    Run monthly reports to update Planners in assisting them with updating Flowplans, Schedules & PO Trackers.

•    Coke Africa – digital billings loaded on ME Plan according to billing tracker
-    Foreign exchange conversion
-    check contracts against billing tracker
-    financial queries resolution
-    filing

Monitoring
•    React to any misplacement or non-placement of advertising, negotiating compensation accordingly. This is a responsibility of both buyers and implementer.
•    Sharing any POs created or amended
•    PO Tracker and PO reconciliation 

Other
•    Supply of media costs on request.
•    Maintaining good media owner relationships.
•    Accountable for all financial queries and the timeous resolution thereof – 48 hours
•    No up-front payments may be made to any media owner prior to funds being received from client.
•    On request, provide assistance on client business that is not traditionally within your allocated portfolio.
•    Assisting in New Vendor onboarding through ME-Suite
•    Training and development
•    Offering Mentorship to Junior Buyers
•    PO Recons for each PO
•    Billing Packs to be created and shared before the 25th of each month
•    Presenting to client about PO recons
•    Managing PO and any financial / payment queries with client’s team
•    Follow up on POs

Skills & Experience
•    Good administration skills.
•    Good administration, planning and organizing skills.
•    Sound negotiation skills.
•    Problem Solver
•    Accountable, responsible, reliable, flexible, proactive, and productive - understanding the impact on the business of not delivering to agreed commitments and striving to always deliver the highest quality by and displaying a consistently high degree of accuracy and a sense of urgency even when under pressure.
•    3 years’ Digital Buying experience.
•    Completes a reasonable amount of work, of an acceptable standard, timeously.
•    Ability to assimilate information, demonstrate resourcefulness and make decisions quickly.
•    Aptitude for and confident with numbers – high degree of numeracy.
•    Good communication skills both written and verbal.
•    Team player and interpersonal skills - ability to build and maintain strong relationships with media owners, creative agency teams and internal colleagues.
•    Computer literacy with proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Navision, ME Plan and Symphony.
•    Trustworthy, displaying initiative and integrity whilst always striving to negotiate the best possible deal.
•    Willingness to learn, accept instructions, correction, and supervision and/or direction.
•    Continuous building of relationships across various departments with the Group to enhance optimal results for the Business.
•    Foreign exchange conversion

Professional attributes
•    Good understanding of the media industry and essential solid understanding of the billing process, from inception to client invoice.
•    Good understanding of financial systems - commercial and budget awareness.
•    Communication with clients

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 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 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.