Manager, Media

Job Description : Level: L5 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. Key Responsibilities 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. Qualifications & Leadership Experience 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