Manager, Media

Role Purpose

Lead the end-to-end regional media planning, activation and optimization for the [Whiskey / Guinness / Vodka, Tequila / Gin, Rum, Liqueurs] categories, driving profitable growth through best-in-class execution of Diageo's Connected Reach strategy. This role is accountable for maximizing return on media investment by embedding data-driven audience strategies, scaling AI-enabled activation, and delivering integrated, full-funnel media amplification across Paid, Retail, Search, Social and Creator ecosystems.

Strategy & Planning

• Own the development and deployment of integrated regional/brand-specific media plans across Paid Media, Retail Media, Social and Creator channels, aligned to global category strategy and media blueprint and regional brand growth ambitions.
• Lead cross-market/brand alignment on Connected Reach execution, ensuring consistency in approach while enabling flexibility to reflect local market dynamics.
• Translate global media frameworks and category priorities into actionable, insight-driven regional/local plans that deliver measurable business outcomes.
• Guide annual planning process and delivery of key outputs including localized connections strategy and plan. Think about the broader ecosystem and how paid, owned, retail and social touchpoints play a role.
• Evaluate media plan scenarios based on budget parameters and brand objectives showcasing trade-offs between options. Work with Agency to make sure scenarios take into account media best practices.
• Work with the media agency (e.g., TV, OOH, Print, Radio) and in-house (i.e., Programmatic & Social) buying teams to craft and refine tactical plans. Own plans from media strategy to delivery and measurement.

Activation & Performance

• Oversee execution of integrated full-funnel media plans, ensuring optimization of investment to maximize reach, effectiveness and ROI.
• Drive media efficiency and productivity through strategic investment allocation, optimization frameworks, and adoption of global standards and tools.
• Monitor and actively optimize regional/brand media performance against defined KPIs, ensuring delivery of both short-term results and long-term brand growth.
• Work with buying teams to ensure media across the portfolio is being activated in-market with excellence (e.g., on time, delivering on the outlined strategy, pacing properly, etc.).

Data, Audience & AI Enablement

• Accelerate adoption of data-driven audience strategies to improve targeting precision and business impact.
• Drive the implementation and scaling of AI-enabled planning, buying and optimization solutions to unlock productivity gains and real-time performance improvements.
• Lead a regional test-and-learn agenda, embedding structured experimentation to continuously improve media effectiveness and inform future investment decisions.

Retail Media Integration

• Bring Retail Media into the holistic plans, embedding retail media as a core full-funnel growth driver across priority brands.
• Ensure retail media campaigns are executed in line with the Retail Media Activation Framework (RMAF) and fully integrated within broader media plans.

Governance & Compliance

• Ensure full compliance with the Diageo Marketing Code (DMC), Trusted Marketplace (TMP), data privacy and brand safety standards through upholding Diageo's Media standards.
• Proactively identify and manage risks related to media investment, data usage and platform integrity.

Stakeholder & Agency Leadership

• Lead and influence cross-functional stakeholders, including in-market brand teams, global teams, and agency partners, to deliver high-performance media outcomes.
• Ensure Connected Reach plans are fully integrated within broader go-to-market (GTM) strategies, balancing global consistency with local relevance.
• Challenge and elevate agency and partner performance to deliver innovation, efficiency and effectiveness.
• Collaborate with the Scaled Reach team and wider regional hub to deliver a competitive advantage for the category.

Commercial Accountability

• Accountable for delivering media's contribution to category growth, including revenue uplift, ROI improvement, media efficiency and share of market gains.
• Accountable for delivering the right media plan to meet business objectives and owning the recommendation and outcome deliveries.

Experience & Qualifications

• 8+ years' experience in media planning, activation, digital marketing, or media agency leadership, with a proven track record across multiple markets.
• Strong experience managing significant media investments and delivering measurable improvements in media effectiveness, ROI and business performance.
• Proven success driving media transformation through digital innovation, automation, AI-enabled solutions and cross-functional collaboration.
• Experience operating within complex, matrixed, multi-brand environments with varying levels of media maturity.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and challenge agencies and partners to deliver high-performance outcomes.

Technical Skills & Knowledge

• Deep expertise across Paid Media, Programmatic, Social, Search, Video, with a strong working knowledge of Retail Media ecosystems.
• Strong understanding of media effectiveness, audience strategy, measurement frameworks, and data-driven decision making.
• Knowledge of AI-enabled media capabilities, media technology platforms, and evolving digital ecosystems.
• Strong grounding in brand safety, data privacy, and responsible marketing practices.

Leadership & Capability

• Strategic thinker with the ability to translate global and regional priorities into actionable, growth-driving plans.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the ability to align senior leaders around media investment and transformation agendas.
• Ability to lead through complexity, balancing standardization with flexibility across markets.
• Collaborative, accountable and results-oriented leader with a focus on delivering business impact.

Key Behaviors

• Growth mindset with a passion for innovation and continuous improvement.
• Data-driven and commercially focused, using insight to optimize performance and drive business outcomes.
• Proactive and forward-looking, staying ahead of emerging media and technology trends.
• Committed to operational excellence and responsible marketing practices.

Success Measures

• Delivery of regional media efficiency and productivity targets, as well efficacy
• Measurable improvement in media-driven revenue, ROI and effectiveness metrics
• High-quality, consistent deployment of Connected Reach across the region
• Strong agency and partner performance against defined KPIs
• 100% compliance with DMC, TMP, data privacy and brand safety standards

Pay

Salary Range: $110,400.00 - $184,000.00