Associate Director, Paid Social

Who We Are

VML, part of WPP, is a leading creative company that combines brand experience, customer experience, and commerce, creating connected brands to drive growth. VML is celebrated for its innovative and human first, award-winning work for blue chip client partners including AstraZeneca, Colgate-Palmolive, Dell, Ford, Microsoft, Nestlé, The Coca-Cola Company, and Wendy's. The agency is recognized by the Forrester Wave™ Reports, as a Leader among Marketing Creative and Content Service Providers, Commerce Services, Global Digital Experience Services, Global Marketing Services and, most recently, Marketing Measurement & Optimization. In addition, VML’s specialist health network, VML Health, is one of the world’s largest and most awarded health agencies. VML’s global network is powered by 26,000 talented people across 55+ markets, with principal offices in Kansas City, New York, Detroit, London, São Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore, and Sydney.

About WPP

WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. We unite cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel in a single company – powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open, to help our clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth. For more information, visit WPP.com.

Who We Are Looking For

As an Associate Director for Paid Social on our Media team, you will lead the strategy and oversight of paid social media activations for a key health client. You will be the expert voice on platforms from Meta to TikTok to LinkedIn, responsible for turning client objectives into high-performing campaigns that connect with audiences in meaningful ways.

What You'll Do

• Develop, plan, and buy paid social media campaigns across a multitude of platforms.
• Direct social strategy development by compiling client research, competitive data, and platform insights.
• Implement and manage paid media tactical plans, including influencer-based initiatives.
• Analyze campaign performance, delivering reports and recommending optimizations to internal and external stakeholders.
• Manage and optimize campaigns to achieve KPIs, stay within budget, and meet deadlines.
• Stay current with new advances and trends in paid social marketing to drive innovation.
• Proactively identify new opportunities to grow social initiatives through relationships with platform representatives and vendors.

Who You Are

• You are a strategic thinker with a sharp analytical mind, driven by a relentless curiosity to find what’s next in the social landscape.
• You build strong, empathetic connections with your team and clients, fostering a collaborative environment built on trust.
• You have the courage to manage large-scale campaigns and the conviction to present bold recommendations that drive results.

What You'll Need

• 7+ years of experience in paid social media, preferably in an agency setting. 
• Experience working on clients in highly regulated industries such as health is highly preferred
• Expertise in planning, building, and executing paid social campaigns across platforms like Facebook &Instagram (Meta) Pinterest, LinkedIn, and TikTok Ads Managers.
• Proven ability to manage and lead a team of direct reports.
• Strong client-facing presentation skills and experience managing large campaign budgets 
• Exceptional organization, attention to detail, and communication skills.
• Understanding and interest of the impact of AI on paid social and digital media

What we offer: 

• Passionate, driven people | We champion a culture of people that do extraordinary work.
• Consciously cultivated culture | We aim to embody the behaviors to build an inclusive community that is in it together, bringing both positivity and active listening into the workplace as we simultaneously strive to empower creative bravery.
• Competitive benefits | What we offer full time hires ranges from the full spectrum of group health coverage options (medical, dental, vision) to a generous 401k match (100% dollar-for-dollar match, up to 5% of salary contribution), and a variety of paid time off offerings that reflect our investment in all aspects of your overall life balance and wellness.
• Growth-minded opportunities | We aim to nurture a culture of real-time feedback, growth-oriented mindset, and plenty of training opportunities through VML and WPP, so you ca