Media Centre Manager

Please note this is an OD vacancy. This means that only impacted at risk colleagues will be considered in the recruitment process, please therefore ensure you answer yes when asked this screening question. Anyone who applies that is not at risk will either have their application declined, or if the vacancy remains unfilled, will be considered following a round of internal and external advertising.

Purpose To oversee the strategic management and optimisation of supplier advertising spend across Co-op Wholesale's customer channels. This role ensures media investments deliver maximum impact, align with brand and commercial priorities and support partner campaigns effectively. Reports to Head of Customer Experience (CX) Line Manager of 3 Contribution

• Develop and implement a comprehensive media strategy, optimising supplier-funded ad spend across digital, print, events and other channels.
• Manage and negotiate advertising spend with supplier partners, ensuring alignment to business objectives.
• Plan, buy, and allocate media placements; integrate media activity into broader campaigns.
• Monitor campaign performance and provide insightful reporting to stakeholders and suppliers.
• Work with Marketing, Comms and Digital teams to ensure media supports wider campaign objectives.
• Ensure compliance with brand standards and best practices for media buying and promote an ethos of continuous improvement

Behaviours

Put customers and communities first:You make sure media activity is meaningful, relevant, and aligned to what matters most to our partners. You use insight to guide spend and placements, ensuring every campaign supports customer needs and strengthens our relationships.

Do what matters most:You focus on the media investments that deliver the biggest impact - for our brand, our partners and our commercial goals. You manage budgets with care, make confident decisions and ensure every pound spent drives value.

Succeed together:You work shoulder-to-shoulder with marketing, comms and digital teams to deliver joined-up campaigns. You build strong relationships with suppliers and internal teams, creating shared goals and clear ways of working.

Look ahead and create the future:You lead with curiosity and ambition - spotting trends, testing new formats and evolving our media strategy to stay ahead of the curve. You use performance data to continuously improve and help us grow in a way that's smart and sustainable.

Be yourself, always:You bring consistency and credibility to how we show up across channels. You help others feel confident in our media voice and create space for diverse perspectives to shape how we communicate.

Empowered to

The Media Centre Manager is empowered to lead the strategic planning, buying and optimisation of supplier-funded advertising across Co-op Wholesale's customer channels. They are accountable for managing the media budget, negotiating supplier spend, and ensuring all activity aligns with brand standards and commercial priorities.

They make decisions on media mix, placements and timing, and are trusted to integrate media into broader campaign strategies. The role-holder leads performance reporting and insight sharing with internal stakeholders and supplier partners, and is empowered to drive continuous improvement in how we invest and show up across digital, print, events and beyond.

Capabilities

• Strong background in media planning/buying or media agency management, ideally in FMCG or retail.
• Commercial acumen, with experience managing supplier-funded budgets.
• Excellent negotiation and stakeholder relationship skills.
• Data-driven approach to campaign analysis and optimisation.

Work Level Descriptor

Accountability

• Delivery of specialist work based on subject matter expertise, or leadership of large, complex teams.
• Responsible for developing the right capabilities either individually or within their team, enabling work to be delivered effectively.
• Manages team delivery in accordance with agreed budgets.

Impact

• As a people-leader, takes responsibility for the delivery of work over shorter timeframes, contributing to achievement of the team's annual plan - empowering their team to deliver discrete pieces of work based on agreed processes.
• As an individual contributor, provides thought leadership to help shape the team's response to challenges, and approach to delivery of the short-term plan.
• Supports and promotes a culture of inclusivity through the actions they take.

Co-operation

• Contributes to short-term planning within the team and collaborates with peers to deliver great work that enables the team to succeed.
• Collaborates with other teams proactively to ensure their expertise helps leaders make the best decisions for Co-op.