Manager, Talent Acquisition - Emerging Talent

WPP Media is committed to cultivating future industry leaders through our award-winning Launch Pad Program (our associate cohort experience) and our comprehensive Internship Program .

The Manager, Talent Acquisition - Emerging Talent is a collaborative role responsible for the end-to-end strategy, execution, and management of both the summer internship and cohort-based associate hiring programs. This role drives the recruitment, operational, and programmatic strategies needed to attract, hire, and retain high-performing, diverse, and non-traditional early career talent.

Managing a Recruitment Coordinator, the Manager serves as a key organizational liaison to ensure WPP Media remains a premier destination for emerging talent.

- Campus & Sourcing Strategy: Develop and execute a data-driven US campus recruiting and early talent strategy aligned with WPP Media's vision, culture, and inclusion and impact initiatives.

- Team Leadership: Manage, coach, and develop a Recruitment Coordinator and junior team members on full-cycle recruiting and day-to-day operations.

- Onboarding & Training: Onboard and train new Emerging Talent recruiters on recruitment processes, ATS workflows, and ongoing professional development.

- Financial Management: Co-manage the campus recruiting budget and evaluate the ROI of all sourcing and programming initiatives.

- End-to-End Execution: Oversee the planning, scheduling, and execution of the annual program calendar, including full-time Summer Internships, part-time internships (as offered), and Launch Pad associate cohorts.

- Cohort Administration: Manage operational logistics for each cohort, including data reporting, meeting recaps, and partnership with TA and People Ops to meet offer letter, NHA, and provisioning deadlines.

- Continuous Improvement: Partner with the Learning & Effectiveness (L&E) team to establish continuous program assessments. Lead post-program reviews and annual competitor analyses to optimize future cohorts.

- Performance & Transitions: Coordinate goal-setting, evaluations, and career conversations with Interns. Partner with hiring managers and Resource Management to transition high-performing interns into permanent roles or alumni networks.

- Full-Cycle Recruitment: Manage a balanced, reduced requisition load, ensuring a high-touch, structured, and positive candidate experience.

- Diversity Pipelines: Analyze and report on candidate demographics to ensure diverse, non-traditional talent pools are actively represented.

- Employer Branding: Partner with MarComms to design and deliver compelling employer branding materials via Handshake, social media, and campus marketing campaigns.

- University Partnerships: Build and maintain strategic relationships with target universities, career centers, student groups, and national diversity-focused organizations.

- Event Execution: Plan and execute virtual and in-person campus events, including information sessions, career fairs, and workshops in collaboration with the Emerging Talent team.

- Alumni Engagement: Design and implement structured engagement and alumni initiatives (e.g., mentorship, networking events) to foster long-term connections.

- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Resource Management, L&E, and People teams to align program outcomes with business talent needs.

- Operational Liaison: Serve as the primary point of contact for Interns, hiring managers, people partners, and other business stakeholders to resolve program-related issues or feedback.

- Data & Analytics: Track, analyze, and present campus recruiting metrics, hiring trends, and key program KPIs to senior leadership.

- Early Careers Expertise: Proven experience in early careers/campus recruiting, program management, cohort-based hiring, and event planning.

- People Management: Demonstrated experience coaching and developing recruitment or operations staff.

- Stakeholder Management: Ability to influence, guide, and build consensus with senior leaders and cross-functional teams in a matrixed environment.

- Operations & Systems: Experience designing and managing high-volume/bulk recruitment operations and structured internship programs.

- Data & ROI Metrics: Ability to track, analyze, and leverage KPIs to measure program success and evaluate ROI.

- Communication: Strong interpersonal skills with an open, collaborative, and professional communication style.

- Experience managing Canadian or international early career/campus programs.

- Proficiency with Greenhouse (ATS), Handshake, and MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, TEAMS).

- Experience or domain knowledge in the media, advertising, or creative agency industries.

- Ability to travel locally or domestically as needed for recruitment events.

Our passion for shaping the next era of media is powered by our commitment to Be Extraordinary , Lead Optimistically , and Champion Growth and Development . WPP Media offers an open, inclusive environment built on trust and respect, supported by active Employee Resource Groups and regular collaborative events.

We operate under a hybrid work model, with teams expected in the office four days a week.

We offer a comprehensive benefits package, including competitive medical, vision, and dental insurance, group retirement plans, generous paid time off, and mental health resources. For more details, visit mybenefits.wpp.com .