Integrated Planning Director

Job description

Salary: £60,000–£70,000 Location: Leeds office (Hybrid, 2-3 days per week in the office) Employment Type: Full-time Reporting to: Group Managing Director, Media WHY JOIN PONDEROSA MEDIA Ponderosa Media is part of Audience Collective, a group of 130 specialists working with brands including Secret Escapes, BT, PizzaExpress, Amazon, Seiko and Kellogg’s. We combine creative thinking with performance precision to deliver campaigns that challenge the algorithm not just optimise it. Media talent join us to shape ideas early, influence strategy, and play an active role in pitching, new business and growth, not sit behind the scenes. Backed by the scale of Audience Collective and the autonomy of a specialist agency, Ponderosa Media offers real influence, visibility and the chance to help build what’s next. Through the Audience Collective, our clients access a full ecosystem of expertise to move faster, think smarter, and grow beyond expectations. THE ROLE As Integrated Planning Director at Ponderosa Media, you’ll lead the development and delivery of integrated media planning across offline and digital channels. You’ll translate client business and communications objectives into evidence-led, costed and executable media plans that clearly define audiences, channel roles, investment, phasing, activation requirements and measurement. You’ll own planning quality across Ponderosa Media, lead senior planning relationships with priority clients and remain hands-on across audience analysis, plan construction, offline planning and buying, digital integration, commercial management and effectiveness. Working across strategy, planning, buying, activation, finance, measurement and client service, you’ll ensure offline and digital channels operate through one connected planning process. You’ll also develop the tools, standards and capability needed to create a scalable, high-quality integrated planning function. This is a senior role for an experienced media planner who combines broad channel knowledge with analytical strength, commercial judgement and practical delivery expertise. Turn evidence into choices. Connect every channel. Make media investment work harder. WHAT GOOD LOOKS LIKE • Client objectives are translated into clear, integrated and executable media plans • Offline and digital channels are planned through one connected process • Every channel has a defined role linked to the audience, objective and expected outcome • Planning decisions are informed by audience, market, competitive and performance evidence • Recommendations are realistic within the client’s budget, data and delivery constraints • Plans clearly specify assumptions, investment, ownership, phasing, activation requirements and measurement • Clients receive direct, senior advice on priorities, trade-offs and expected outcomes • Offline planning and buying capability is maintained to a consistently high standard • Digital recommendations are detailed enough to guide activation teams effectively • Measurement is designed into plans from the outset and extends beyond platform attribution where appropriate • Planning, buying and commercial systems are used consistently and accurately • Planning methodologies, templates and quality standards are documented and embedded across the team • Ponderosa Media’s integrated planning and effectiveness proposition continues to develop through client work, pitches and capability building KEY RESPONSIBILITIES INTEGRATED MEDIA PLANNING • Own Ponderosa Media’s integrated planning approach, standards and quality across brand and performance channels • Translate client business and communications objectives into clear audience choices, channel roles and planning priorities • Build cross-channel plans that define the combined contribution of offline and digital media • Recommend budget allocation and phasing based on evidence, objectives and delivery requirements • Define the assumptions, expected outcomes and dependencies underpinning each plan • Ensure recommendations are realistic within the client’s available budget, data, resources and timescales • Provide hands-on planning leadership across priority clients, pitches and complex briefs • Review and challenge plans to maintain consistent quality across the agency Objective: To convert strategy into integrated, evidence-led and executable media plans. AUDIENCE, MARKET & COMPETITIVE INSIGHT • Lead audience analysis using TGI and other relevant insight sources • Use Ad Intel and market data to assess category activity, competitive investment and emerging opportunities • Undertake market sizing, demand assessment and planning forecasts where supported by available data • Apply segmentation and audience evidence to channel selection, investment and activation decisions • Provide TGI and Ad Intel analysis for wider Audience Collective projects where required • Select the most appropriate planning, audience and research systems for each brief • Translate analytical findings into direct and practical planning implications • Clearly distinguish evidence, assumptions and professional judgement within recommendations Objective: To ensure audience, market and competitive evidence directly shapes planning decisions and their commercial rationale. OFFLINE PLANNING, BUYING & INVESTMENT • Lead planning and buying input across television and other relevant offline media channels • Take offline recommendations from initial planning through to implementation and buying oversight • Develop clear briefs for media owners, auditors and specialist partners • Assess partner responses and recommend the most appropriate route to market • Oversee buying quality, value, implementation and delivery • Ensure investment decisions reflect the planning objective, audience requirement, context and measurement approach • Maintain effective professional relationships with media owners and specialist buying partners • Ensure offline media remains fully integrated with digital activity and the wider communications plan Objective: To plan, buy and deliver offline media confidently without creating a gap between recommendation and implementation. DIGITAL PLANNING & INTEGRATION • Integrate paid search, paid social, programmatic and other digital channels within the total media plan • Define the strategic role of each digital channel in relation to the audience and wider communications objective • Convert audience priorities, channel roles, budget parameters and measurement requirements into activation-ready direction • Ensure digital recommendations contain sufficient detail to guide delivery teams and maintain consistency with the overall plan • Apply credible knowledge of the Google technology stack, ad technology, tracking, dashboards and platform measurement • Challenge assumptions and recommendations where digital evidence is incomplete or overly reliant on platform reporting • Use performance data to inform future planning while accounting for attribution limitations • Work closely with digital performance specialists to connect planning decisions with activation and optimisation Objective: To integrate digital channels intelligently within the wider media plan and provide clear direction for activation. MEASUREMENT & EFFECTIVENESS • Define a proportionate measurement approach for each media plan • Connect business, brand and directly attributable measures to the client’s objectives • Establish clear hypotheses, success measures, testing requirements and learning priorities before activity begins • Apply appropriate approaches such as pre-and-post analysis, exposed-and-control design, geographic testing, brand studies and contribution analysis • Recognise the limitations of platform attribution and direct-response reporting • Identify when econometrics, marketing mix modelling or specialist analytical support is required • Brief specialist measurement and modelling work effectively • Translate measurement findings into planning guidance, client recommendations and reusable learning • Ensure learning is applied to future investment and channel decisions Objective: To make planning measurable by design and improve future decisions through evidence rather than channel reporting alone. PLANNING, BUYING & COMMERCIAL SYSTEMS • Use TGI, Ad Intel, Mediaocean, Profitability 2 and other relevant systems confidently and accurately • Manage plans, bookings, forecasts, reconciliations and commercial records through agreed platforms • Ensure information is complete, current and suitable for operational and commercial decision-making • Establish consistent system usage and data standards across planning, buying and commercial workflows • Apply system outputs to audience choices, investment recommendations and forecasting • Identify opportunities to improve system adoption, control and efficiency • Ensure planning and buying documentation provides a clear record of decisions, assumptions and ownership Objective: To maintain accurate, consistent and decision-focused use of planning, buying, audience and commercial systems. CLIENT LEADERSHIP & STRATEGIC COUNSEL • Own senior planning relationships across agreed priority clients • Lead annual planning, strategic reviews and major recommendation meetings • Present integrated media recommendations with confidence and authority • Explain complex evidence and planning choices in clear business language • Provide direct advice on investment priorities, trade-offs, risks and expected outcomes • Respond constructively to challenge while maintaining confidence in the planning rationale • Keep clients informed throughout planning, buying, activation and measurement • Build trusted relationships that strengthen retention and create opportunities for growth Objective: To make integrated planning a valuable part of client decision-making rather than simply a route to a media schedule. COMMERCIAL MANAGEMENT & CLIENT GROWTH • Ensure plans are commercially realistic, appropriately costed and deliverable • Contribute to forecasting, investment planning and agency commercial decisions • Maintain oversight of bookings, financial records, delivery and reconciliations • Identify opportunities to develop chargeable planning, audience insight and effectiveness services • Contribute to client retention and organic account growth • Support the development of integrated opportunities across Audience Collective • Balance client value, planning quality and commercial sustainability when making recommendations • Escalate commercial risks, scope changes and delivery constraints promptly Objective: To deliver commercially responsible planning that supports client value, retention and sustainable agency growth. NEW BUSINESS & PROPOSITION DEVELOPMENT • Lead the integrated planning response for relevant pitches and proposals • Translate business and communications challenges into differentiated media recommendations • Ensure pitch responses are evidence-led, integrated across channels, appropriately costed and operationally deliverable • Present planning recommendations confidently in pitch environments • Help codify Ponderosa Media’s planning principles into repeatable methods for pitches and client work • Build case studies, evidence and planning outputs that demonstrate the value of the agency’s proposition • Work collaboratively across Audience Collective to develop integrated responses • Support the development of planning, insight and effectiveness services that can be clearly positioned and sold Objective: To ensure new business responses include differentiated, evidence-based and executable media plans. CAPABILITY, PROCESS & QUALITY DEVELOPMENT • Define and embed integrated planning templates, briefing standards, review points and handovers • Establish quality assurance standards and delegated approval responsibilities • Ensure planning methods are applied consistently across clients and pitches • Coach planners and relevant client teams in audience analysis, channel planning and measurement • Develop team confidence using audience, planning, buying and commercial systems • Identify capability gaps and recommend training, recruitment or specialist external support • Improve collaboration across planning, buying, digital activation, finance and measurement • Reduce dependency on individual knowledge by documenting processes and building shared capability Objective: To create a scalable integrated planning capability with clear standards, stronger skills and consistent quality. AI, AUTOMATION & FUTURE CAPABILITY • Use AI and automation where they improve research, analysis, planning consistency or workflow efficiency • Ensure AI-assisted outputs are subject to appropriate human review and professional judgement • Explore technologies that strengthen audience insight, forecasting, planning and measurement • Identify opportunities to improve the speed and consistency of planning workflows • Share relevant developments, learning and best practice across the agency • Maintain awareness of emerging channels, audience behaviours and media planning approaches Objective: To strengthen planning quality and efficiency through responsible innovation while protecting human judgement and accountability. EXPERIENCE AND REQUIREMENTS Essential • Significant agency-side media planning experience, including recent hands-on responsibility for integrated plans • Strong experience planning across both offline and digital media channels • Practical experience planning and buying television and other relevant offline media • Proven ability to define audiences, channel roles, budget allocation, phasing and expected outcomes • Hands-on experience using TGI and Ad Intel, or directly comparable audience and competitive intelligence platforms • Experience using Mediaocean and Profitability 2, or directly comparable planning, buying and commercial systems • Credible knowledge of paid search, paid social, programmatic, ad technology, tracking and platform attribution • Experience defining measurement approaches across brand and performance activity • Understanding of attribution limitations, incrementality, test design and contribution analysis • Experience recognising when econometrics, marketing mix modelling or specialist analytical support is required • Demonstrable responsibility for analysis, plan construction, buying input, planning documentation and quality assurance • Experience leading senior client planning relationships and presenting significant investment recommendations • Strong commercial judgement, forecasting ability and budget management skills • Experience coordinating work across strategy, planning, buying, activation, finance, measurement and client service • Experience contributing to pitches, proposals, client retention and organic growth • Experience improving planning processes, templates, standards or team capability • Ability to interpret complex evidence and make direct, commercially relevant recommendations • Strong written, verbal and presentation skills • Ability to remain close to practical planning and client outputs while providing senior leadership Nice to Have • Hands-on experience of geographic testing, incrementality studies or brand lift research • Experience briefing econometric, marketing mix modelling or attribution specialists • Experience operating within a group or network model involving specialist agencies and shared resources • Experience developing planning, insight or effectiveness services into repeatable propositions • Experience using AI-supported research, analysis or workflow tools • Experience coaching planners and multidisciplinary client teams • Experience leading complex integrated pitches WHAT WE OFFER • Hybrid working (Leeds office Tuesday–Thursday) • 25 days’ holiday + 3 celebration days • 37.5-hour working week • Pension, life insurance and income protection • EAP and 24/7 virtual GP access YOUR FIRST 12 MONTHS AT PONDEROSA MEDIA Months 0–3: Understanding & assessment • Build a detailed understanding of Ponderosa Media’s priority clients, current plans and commercial objectives • Establish strong relationships across planning, buying, performance, finance, client service and Audience Collective • Review existing planning methods, systems, templates and quality controls • Take hands-on responsibility for integrated planning across agreed priority briefs • Assess current offline planning and buying capability, digital integration and measurement practices • Identify immediate risks, capability gaps and opportunities for improvement Months 4–6: Ownership & consistency • Lead integrated planning across priority clients, annual plans and strategic reviews • Embed clearer audience, channel-role, investment and measurement frameworks • Establish consistent templates, review points and planning documentation • Strengthen the connection between offline planning, buying, digital activation and reporting • Improve the consistent use of TGI, Ad Intel, Mediaocean, Profitability 2 and relevant planning systems • Lead planning input across relevant pitches and organic growth opportunities Months 7–12: Capability & commercial impact • Demonstrate consistently high planning quality across priority accounts • Build client confidence through clear senior advice and evidence-led recommendations • Deliver measurable contribution to client retention, organic growth and pitch quality • Embed a scalable planning process with stronger controls and reduced key-person dependency • Improve team capability through coaching, documentation and quality assurance • Develop stronger, more clearly defined planning and effectiveness propositions • Demonstrate how planning insight and measurement have influenced investment and future decision-making PROGRESSION & CAPABILITY GROWTH Objective: The role demonstrates increasing influence across integrated planning quality, senior client counsel, commercial growth, effectiveness and agency capability over time. Key activities may include: • Expanding ownership of integrated planning across a larger client portfolio • Developing Ponderosa Media’s planning and effectiveness proposition into scalable, chargeable services • Leading increasingly complex and strategically significant pitches • Establishing stronger measurement partnerships and advanced effectiveness capability • Developing future planning leaders through coaching, delegation and succession planning • Contributing to wider Audience Collective planning projects and integrated opportunities • Taking broader responsibility for planning resources, investment standards and commercial performance • Progression towards a broader Media leadership role