Associate Director, Sports & Entertainment Partnerships

About WPP Media WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. With exceptional talent, trusted data and intelligence, and world-class partnerships – all united by our pioneering agentic marketing platform, WPP Open – we help clients navigate change, capture opportunity, and deliver transformational growth. WPP Media is WPP's AI-driven media operating unit, bringing together media, data, and partnerships to deliver creative personalisation at scale. Connected through WPP Open and powered by Open Intelligence, clients see exactly where, how, and why their media investment is working. For more information, visit wppmedia.com . 3084 - Associate Director, Sports & Entertainment Partnerships- UK Role Summary and Impact Overview The Associate Director, Client Development plays a key role in the day-to-day leadership and delivery of client work within WPP Media Sport & Entertainment. Working closely with the Director, Client Development, this role is responsible for the management and development of key client accounts — ensuring the successful delivery of creative, partnership, and content solutions across sport, sponsorship, influencer, entertainment, and cultural marketing. You will lead the day-to-day running of client projects, coordinating internal teams and external partners to deliver high-quality work that drives measurable results for clients. The Associate Director is a central connector across teams — working with project management, specialist disciplines, and partners to ensure seamless delivery and consistently excellent client service. Our team culture is what drives us. We have a passion to deliver the very best work we can for our clients and to support each other as much as we can to help us all achieve that goal. We care about the work we do but more importantly we care about each other. Key Responsibilities Client Account Leadership Manage the day-to-day running of key client accounts within the portfolio. • Act as a primary client contact for assigned projects and workstreams. • Build strong working relationships with clients through consistent delivery and communication. • Support the Director, Client Development in identifying opportunities for account growth and development. • Ensure client needs are understood and translated into clear briefs for internal teams. Project & Partnership Delivery Lead the development and execution of partnership, sponsorship, branded entertainment, and influencer activations. • Coordinate internal teams and external partners to deliver high-quality campaigns and content. • Ensure projects are delivered efficiently, on time, and within agreed budgets. • Maintain strong attention to detail and quality control across all deliverables. Collaboration Across Teams Work closely with specialist teams across sport, influencer, partnerships, and entertainment disciplines. • Collaborate with project management teams to ensure smooth and efficient delivery of client work. • Support integration with wider WPP agencies and partners to deliver joined-up solutions. Creative & Commercial Support Contribute to the development of creative ideas and partnership solutions for clients. • Support the Director in developing proposals and responses to client opportunities. • Help identify opportunities to expand client activity across sport, entertainment, and cultural marketing. • Ensure ideas and proposals are aligned to client objectives and deliver commercial value. Client Service Excellence Maintain high standards of responsiveness, organisation, and professionalism in all client interactions. • Ensure clear communication between clients, partners, and internal teams. • Proactively manage timelines, expectations, and delivery milestones. Measurement & Learning Support the evaluation of campaign performance and partnership effectiveness. • Work with data and insight teams to ensure reporting and learning are captured for clients. • Use insights and results to inform future client…