Media Planning Director Contractor (New Business), London

Media Planning Director working on New Business

London, Hybrid | 3-Month+ Contract | c.£450–£550/day

The Role

We're a UK independent media planning agency and we're looking for a sharp, senior media mind to lead on a new business pitch. This isn't a role for someone who's happy with "good enough", we want someone who knows instinctively when a plan isn't landing and has the confidence and craft to push until it does.

You'll own the media thinking across our pitches. That means building integrated plans that genuinely excite clients, steering the strategic direction with conviction, and presenting with the kind of gravitas that wins rooms. You'll challenge briefs, manage senior stakeholders, and keep the day-to-day running of pitch teams on track — all without losing the quality of the work.

What You'll Be Doing

New Business & Pitches

Leading media planning across agency pitches — building integrated plans across digital, social, search, programmatic, video, AV, audio, OOH, retail media and whatever's emerging. You'll translate client business challenges into audience-first thinking that connects to real outcomes, partner with strategy to make sure the media idea lands properly, and present it all with confidence to senior marketers.

Strategic Planning

Audience segmentation, consumer journey mapping, channel architecture — the full toolkit. You'll bring in the right research and intelligence to back your recommendations, and you'll know how to make the agency stand out in a competitive review.

Leadership & Collaboration

You'll work across analytics, creative, investment, and growth teams, mentor junior planners, and help shape how we pitch and plan. You'll also have a clear view on which opportunities are worth pursuing — and why.

What You'll Bring

8–12+ years of media planning experience in an agency. You've led or played a major role in winning pitches. You understand how media, audiences, and marketing measurement actually work — not just in theory. You can turn complex data into a clear, persuasive story, and you're comfortable doing it under pressure.

Familiarity with tools like GWI, YouGov, Nielsen, Comscore or similar is expected.

Experience in pharma, online entertainment or automotive is a bonus.

What Good Looks Like

Pitches won. Plans that connect business goals to measurable outcomes. A reputation for doing smart, integrated work.