Planning Manager (Studio 59 - In-house Agency)

At the heart of everything we do is our vision to change lives every day, and our mission to grow The National Lottery responsibly and champion its impact.  

We are Allwyn UK, part of the Allwyn Entertainment Group – a multi-national lottery operator with a market-leading presence across the USA (Michigan and Illinois) and Europe, including Czech Republic, Austria, Greece, Cyprus and Italy. 

While the main contribution of The National Lottery to society is through the funds to good causes, at Allwyn we put our purpose and values at the heart of everything we do.  Join us as we embark on a once-in-a-lifetime, largescale transformation journey by creating a National Lottery that delivers more money to good causes.   

We’ll talk a bit more about us further down the page, but for now – let’s talk about the role and who we’re looking for… 

Allwyn’s inhouse agency: Studio 59 

Studio 59 is Allwyn’s new in‑house agency. A fast, integrated hub built to elevate how we tell The National Lottery’s story. Bringing creative, production, planning and media together across a single, integrated team, we’re engineered for pace, efficiency and standout quality.

Our mission is simple: create bold, social‑first, audience‑led work that strengthens player engagement and gives The National Lottery a single, authentic brand voice. With a best‑of‑both model that blends strengthened internal talent with top‑tier external partners, we deliver dynamic, personalised content at scale. 

 A bit about the role 

 The Planning Manager is responsible for the operational management and coordination required to deliver a clear, governed and actionable quarterly consumer plan that ensures individual propositions campaigns don't compete for the same "airtime" or audience attention, maintaining a balanced and coherent brand presence.

Reporting into the Marketing Strategy Manager, this role ensures that planning decisions are translated into structured meetings, documentation, communications and governance processes. The Planning Manager works closely with retail and digital channel teams, product team and PR & comms teams, external agency partners, and assurance functions to ensure clarity, compliance and alignment across all elements of the consumer plan.

The role is supported by VCCP and H&S planning teams, ensuring access to best-in-class planning expertise while embedding strong in-house capability.

The Planning Team plays a central role in coordinating priorities, governance and delivery across Studio 59. The Planning Manager supports the effective operationalisation of the consumer plan, ensuring planning processes, forums and communications run smoothly and consistently.

What you’ll be doing 

 Planning Operations & Coordination 

• Supports all internal meetings required to reach an agreed quarterly consumer plan, including clear terms of reference, attendees, meeting roles, diary planning, minutes, actions and follow-up 

• Ensure clear and consistent communication of planning decisions to all required internal colleagues and agency partners (Studio 59 and external) 

• Own diary planning, agendas, minutes, actions and follow-up to ensure momentum and clarity 

Governance, Assurance & Compliance 

• Ensure the consumer plan is aligned to all assurance processes, bid requirements and relevant documentation required to support approval and delivery  

• Manage required planning documentation, approvals and records associated with the consumer plan 

• Support quarterly PO sign-off processes and associated governance forums 

Communication & Alignment 

• Ensure clear, consistent communication of planning decisions to internal colleagues and agency partners 

• Coordinate regular updates with internal agency teams and external agencies 

• Ensure all stakeholders are aware of key milestones, dependencies and delivery expectations 

Agency & Partner Coordination 

• Work closely with VCCP and H&S planning teams to support planning development 

• Ensure external planning inputs are integrated effectively into internal planning processes 

• Act as a coordination point between internal teams and external agency partners 

Support to Planning Leadership 

• Support the Head of Planning in managing the quarterly planning cycle and rolling consumer plan 

• Provide operational support to enable smooth planning forums and decision-making 

• Contribute to continuous improvement of planning ways of working and governance 

What experience we’re looking for 

•  Experience in a planning, operations, project management or coordination role within a marketing or agency environment 

• Strong organisational and administrative skills with excellent attention to detail 

• Experience managing meetings, governance processes and documentation 

• Ability to work confidently with senior stakeholders and agency partners 

• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal 

• Comfortable managing multiple workstreams and deadlines 

• Experience working within governed or regulated environments is desirable 

Key Measures of Success:

To be successful in this role, you will: 

• Enable smooth, well-governed delivery of the quarterly consumer plan 

• Ensure planning forums are well-run, effective and decision-focused 

• Maintain clear documentation, communication and follow-through across planning activity 

• Support strong alignment between internal teams and agency partners 

• Build confidence in planning governance and operational discipline 

 About us 

At Allwyn, we are dedicated to changing lives and growing the National Lottery responsibly, championing its positive impact on people, places, and the planet. 

• Innovation -We pride ourselves on it! We’re constantly looking for new ways to excite our customers, bringing new products to market to enjoy which is all supported by our responsible play values and making them accessible to all.  
• Giving back –Did you know that playing the lottery generates around £30m a week for charities and good causes in the UK? Our aim is to have doubled this number by the end of the first 10-year license. 
• Sustainability –Our aim is to become a net zero national lottery. We have 2030 targets to decarbonise our operations and energy. We’ve already transitioned to renewable energy providers, made our London and Watford offices zero gas, and ensured our fleet consists of low-emission vehicles. In addition, we’re working with our value chain partners to develop a net zero target date. 
• Empowering every voice– We believe in creating a culture where everyone feels they belong, can be themselves, has access to opportunities and can thrive for the benefit of good causes.  Our diverse teams are working hard to make all parts of The National Lottery inclusive – whether people play a game in a store or online, because when everyone can play, everyone wins.. 

An inclusive reward offering with wellbeing at the centre 

At Allwyn, inclusion is built into how we care for our people. Our benefits and policies support colleagues and their families at every stage of life and career. By prioritising wellbeing and belonging, we create a workplace where everyone feels valued, rewarded, and empowered to succeed. Our people are more than colleagues - they’re winners, driving positive change and making a real difference in communities. 

Benefits 

• Company Bonus Scheme 
• Matched pension contributions up to 8.5% 
• 26 days annual leave + 2 Life Days (and bank holidays) 
• Single Private Health Cover 
• Complimentary Private Medical 
• Income Protection  
• Flexible Benefits – EV Scheme, Money Coach, Will Writing, Mortgage Advice, Dental and Eye Care Schemes. 
• Enhanced Family Leave (Maternity, Paternity, Adoption) 
• Wellness Allowance £500 
• Employee Assistance Programme 
• Discounted Health Assessments 
• Volunteering Days 
• Matched Funding 

We are a Disability Confident Leader which means we’ve taken proactive steps to ensure our workplace is accessible and inclusive for disabled and neurodivergent colleagues and candidates. As part of this we offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential requirements of the job. 

If you need any assistance or adjustments to this job description or in the application process, please contact a member of the talent team atcareers@allwyn.co.uk and we’ll be happy to help.