ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, MEDIA PLANNING

True Media - Full Time

Kansas City, MO / Columbia, MO / St. Louis, MO / Minneapolis, MN

DESCRIPTION

As an Associate Director, Media Planning you are an important part of creating the most appropriate media plans for your client to achieve their business goals. You are responsible for helping to strategize, produce, and make sense of the key media, consumer, and market intelligence required for your client’s media plan.

You have a passion for brands, media, and ideas, and within the team, you are considered a go-to person on the latest news and innovations going on in media. You spend time with media partners understanding their offerings in detail, and are up to speed on all the intricate tactics available to brands today – from new platforms to new targeting opportunities. You are an important part of the idea design and the development of the media architecture and tactics.

In this role, you will develop, recommend, execute, and evaluate media plans from inception to completion. The Associate Director, Media Planning should be able to work independently once given project parameters, goals, and budgets to develop a sound recommendation with a clear rationale. The Associate Director, Media Planning will oversee Media Planners and ensure processes are being followed and all client media buys are delivered.

Other responsibilities may include the development of relevant industry POVs and content creation based on media value to our agency or clients, and participation in new business.

In addition, this role is responsible for supporting business improvement by meeting personal and departmental goals and objectives timely and effectively.

AREAS OF FOCUS

• Disciplined Business Leader:

  • Decisive and insightful in the ability to form media strategies that meet client objectives

  • Demonstrates thorough understanding of client businesses and how to achieve results

  • Understands client objectives, resources, and pros/cons of approaches to address them

  • Fulfills role on team seamlessly, working and managing with urgency

  • Demonstrates initiative to learn business planning from supervisors
    

• Media Innovator:

  • Applies new and innovative strategies in the media to client business

  • Proactively seeks to redefine the status quo with media partners and clients

  • Leverages insights regarding target consumer and media's role in communications

  • Teaches media concepts, application, and Media philosophy to direct reports

  • Is intimately involved in creating the measurement strategy and helps in ensuring the media plans are created in line with the measurement plan

  • Demonstrates initiative to learn systems and resources of department and agency
    

• Team Player:

  • Effectively manages internal relationships in and across departments

  • Effectively manages a team to ensure work is high quality and on time

  • Develops positive working relationships with outside vendors

  • Maintains a professional, can-do attitude at all times

  • Demonstrates initiative and ability to lead projects

  • Fosters trust among supervisors and ability to take on more responsibility

  • Maintains effective communication, responding quickly and accurately

  • Contributes to a positive departmental and agency culture

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Client:

  • Contributor to impactful media plan development to meet client needs and deliver communications idea

  • Lead and Maintain key client relationships and accounts. Responsible for key checkpoints in all clients reporting to them: Media Brief, Research/Audience Analysis; Measurement Strategy, and Channel Strategy and supporting in the communication with tactical plan transition with the Activation team. 

  • Assist with contracts and budgets in coordination with the VP, Client Development. 

  • Successfully Onboard new clients to ensure that media campaigns align with marketing objectives and set KPIs. Manage workflow, deadlines, creative partners, account liaisons, and other external teams to ensure client needs are met, and involvement with Client Satisfaction survey.

  • Analyze and provide clients with research data and media/marketing information

  • Other duties may be assigned
    

• Internal:

  • Provide media and audience intelligence and data inputs through the application of syndicated tools for media goal-setting and decision-making

  • Work collaboratively with team members to develop and manage media plans for Digital (display, mobile, social, video, gaming, search) or traditional channels

  • Provide guidance to planners and associates on day-to-day functions

  • Lead and assist in the training of planners and associates

  • Provide channel selection recommendations and justification designed to deliver on client KPI’s using the most sophisticated use of data and analytics, via multi-faceted, strategic partnerships, while delivering maximum strategic value and efficiency

  • Participate in the development of the RFPs

  • Continually vet out real-time opportunities to ensure our clients remain competitive

  • Evaluate partner proposals, negotiate plan details, develop plan, and ultimately present plan recommendations to internal stakeholders and clients

  • Identify and present new and emerging partners and opportunities in the marketplace

  • Manage all partner-specific budget allocation, optimization, media partnership programs, and added value details

• Supervisory Responsibilities

  • Directly supervises employees. Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Qualifications:

  • To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

  • 8+ years in planning roles in paid media, publisher/vendor, or communications discipline (digital, content). including effective supervisory experience.

  • 8+ years of experience in a digital media planning position at an advertising/media agency

  • History of effective management of both direct reports and indirect reports contributing to assigned client portfolio, as well as high-level management of account and client management and relationship building as well as understanding and translating business goals into media measurement and channel strategy.

  • Proven ability to develop and maintain strong professional relationships with clients, colleagues, and vendors

  • Excellent written, verbal communication and presentation skills

  • Strong time-management and organizational skills

  • Experience analyzing data and market research

  • Experience delegating assignments to junior staff

• Education

  • Bachelor degree in related field or equivalent experience

• Total Perks Package

  •  The chance to be a part of a growing company and the next success story

  •  Amazing opportunities for career development

  •  Recognition programs

  •  Employee referral bonus

  •  Hybrid work schedule; 3 days in the office, 2 days working from home

  •  Fun and collaborative work environment

  •  Casual dress code

  •  Philanthropy: True Giving (Includes volunteer time and 100% company match for employee donations to agency charity)

  •  Insurance Coverage (medical, dental, vision, life, and disability)

  •  401(k) retirement plan, with employer 3% match

  •  Work/life benefits, including mental health and wellbeing support

  •  Robust Paid Time Off program, increasing with years of employment

  •  Paid holidays, including agency closing Christmas Eve-New Years Day