Principal Consultant

Cape Town, South Africa; Johannesburg, South Africa March 7, 2026 Greenhouse

About WPP

WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. We unite cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel in a single company – powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open, to help our clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth. For more information, visit WPP.com.

About the Role

This pivotal role will drive strategic growth, foster client relationships, and champion thought leadership within the organization and across the industry. The Principal Consultant will be instrumental in shaping our data-led product and service offerings, ensuring we deliver market-leading innovation and value to our clients. This is a highly client-facing role that requires a blend of strategic vision, technical acumen, and exceptional leadership skills.

Key Responsibilities:

 Lead the Local Consulting Team: Provide strong leadership and mentorship to a team of data and technology consultants, fostering a collaborative and high-performance culture. Oversee project delivery, resource allocation, and professional development for team members.

  • Pre-Sales for Consulting Work: Act as a key contributor in the pre-sales process, engaging with prospective clients to understand their business challenges and articulate how Choreograph's data and technology solutions can drive their marketing objectives. Develop compelling proposals and presentations that showcase our expertise and value proposition.
  • Scoping of Consulting Projects: Lead the detailed scoping of complex data and technology consulting projects, defining objectives, deliverables, timelines, and resource requirements. Ensure alignment between client expectations and project execution.
  • Drive Client Growth through Strategic Partnerships (Google): Cultivate and strengthen strategic partnerships, particularly with key technology providers like Google. Identify opportunities to leverage these partnerships to enhance our service offerings, drive innovation, and expand our client base.
  • Thought Leadership Across the Business: Serve as a recognized expert and thought leader in data, analytics, and marketing technology. Share insights, best practices, and emerging trends internally and externally through presentations, whitepapers, and industry events.
  • Oversee the Development of New Data-Led Products and Services: Take a leading role in the ideation, development, and launch of innovative data-led products and services. Guide solutions from concept to market, ensuring they meet client needs and align with Choreograph's strategic vision.
  • Work with the Global Consulting Community of Practice: Actively participate in and contribute to Choreograph's global consulting community of practice. Collaborate with international colleagues to share knowledge, develop standardized methodologies, and ensure the delivery of market-leading work in the SSA region.
  • Client Facing: Build and maintain strong, trusted relationships with senior-level clients. Act as a primary point of contact, understanding their evolving needs, providing strategic guidance, and ensuring client satisfaction and retention.
  • Building and Mentoring Teams: Recruit, develop, and mentor a high-performing team of consultants. Foster a culture of continuous learning, professional growth, and excellence.

 

 

Required Capabilities:

  • Extensive experience (10+ years) in data, analytics, and marketing technology consulting, with a proven track record of leading successful projects and teams.
  • Deep expertise in data strategy, data architecture, audience segmentation, measurement, and activation.
  • Strong understanding of the digital advertising ecosystem, including ad tech and martech platforms (DSPs, DMPs, CDPs, ad servers, analytics tools).
  • Demonstrable experience with Google's marketing and cloud platforms (e.g., Google Cloud Platform, Google Marketing Platform, Google Ads) and a strong understanding of their capabilities and integration.
  • Proven ability to drive pre-sales activities, including proposal development, client presentations, and deal closing.
  • Exceptional client-facing skills, with the ability to build rapport, influence stakeholders, and manage complex client relationships at all levels.
  • Strong leadership and team management experience, with a passion for mentoring and developing talent.
  • Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to articulate complex technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
  • Strategic thinker with a commercial mindset, capable of identifying new business opportunities and driving revenue growth.
  • Experience in product development or innovation within a data-driven environment is highly desirable.
  • Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (e.g., Computer Science, Marketing, Business, Statistics); Master's degree preferred.

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (e.g., Computer Science, Marketing, Business, Statistics)
  • Over 10 years of relevant experience

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