Group Director, Creator & Influencer

Group Director, Creator & Influencer Reporting to the Managing Director, Social & Influencer, the Group Director, Creator & Influencer will be a senior leader within VML’s growing creator and influencer marketing capability. This person will help translate VML’s creator vision into repeatable client strategy, operational excellence, and high-quality delivery across North American accounts, with connectivity to global and WPP partner teams as needed. They will be both a strategic advisor and hands‑on operator—someone who can shape a client’s creator approach, guide cross‑functional teams, strengthen ways of working, and ensure creator programs are built to drive measurable business outcomes. Responsibilities Lead the development of creator and influencer strategies for major North American clients, including campaign‑based, always‑on, ambassador, UGC, subject matter expert, social commerce, and performance‑led creator programs. Translate client business objectives into clear creator roles, audience strategies, platform approaches, content pillars, KPIs, creator network designs, and activation plans. Oversee end‑to‑end creator and influencer program delivery, ensuring work is strategically grounded, operationally consistent, and delivered to VML standards. Guide teams through creator sourcing, vetting, outreach, negotiation, contracting, briefing, content development, approvals, publishing, paid amplification, reporting, and optimization. Partner closely with Business Affairs, Legal, Finance, Data, Media, Creative, Strategy, Client Engagement, and Delivery teams to ensure influencer work is properly scoped, staffed, governed, and executed. Serve as a trusted senior advisor to clients on creator and influencer marketing, helping them understand the strategic role of creators across brand, social, content, media, commerce, and community. Identify growth opportunities within existing client relationships and help shape proposals, scopes, staffing plans, RFP responses, pitch narratives, and strategic recommendations. Partner with the Managing Director to strengthen VML’s creator and influencer capability, with a focus on quality, consistency, talent development, and scalable delivery. Manage, coach, and develop team members, helping them build deeper fluency in creator strategy, platform behavior, creator evaluation, campaign operations, negotiation, measurement, and client leadership. Collaborate with VML, WPP, and specialist partner agencies where needed to deliver the right solution for each client, while ensuring partners are integrated into VML‑led strategy, process, governance, and quality standards. Skills & Experience 10+ years of experience in social, influencer, creator marketing, content, digital, or integrated marketing, with deep specialization in creator and influencer strategy. Proven experience leading complex creator and influencer programs for enterprise clients, ideally across multiple brands, categories, markets, or business units. Strong understanding of the full creator marketing lifecycle, including strategy, creator network design, sourcing, vetting, negotiation, contracting, briefing, content development, approvals, publishing, paid amplification, reporting, and optimization. Ability to connect creator strategy to broader brand, social, media, commerce, content, and customer experience objectives. Experience developing creator playbooks, operating models, strategic frameworks, POVs, RFP responses, client presentations, and measurement narratives. Strong fluency in social platforms, creator behaviors, audience signals, cultural trends, UGC, ambassador models, paid creator amplification, social commerce, and performance‑led creator programs. Practical understanding of creator negotiations, usage rights, exclusivity, compensation models, contracting workflows, FTC disclosure requirements, brand safety, and compliance considerations. Proven ability to coach, manage, and develop direct reports and cross‑functional teams. Strong executive communication skills, with the ability to simplify complex creator marketing topics for senior clients and internal stakeholders. Commercial mindset with experience identifying growth opportunities, shaping scopes, supporting pitches, and contributing to agency revenue growth. Builder mentality: comfortable creating structure in ambiguity, improving processes, and helping scale a fast‑growing agency capability. Base salary range: $100,000—$230,000 USD. We offer a competitive benefits package. We are open to hybrid working arrangements, with teams in the office an average of four days per week. Employees requiring accommodations or flexibility are encouraged to discuss these needs with the hiring team during the interview process. WPP (VML) is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers. #J-18808-Ljbffr VML South Africa