Associate Director, Media Business Operations

Publicis Groupe•Seattle, WA

40d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director, Media Operations will be a solution-oriented business partner to the Razorfish and Publicis media teams within a complex Publicis Power of One team. The candidate will be responsible for media and financial operations, integrating multiple parties within the media team and the Power of One team, process improvements, systems management, general reporting, and driving compliance. They will coordinate and support the media finance process flow, specifically regarding budgeting, billing, forecasting, with oversight of ad operations, and ensuring end-to-end operational excellence for the client. We are looking for a leader with expertise in the fields of marketing technology and media performance management and measurement. The ideal candidate is a dot connector, has an analytic mindset, problem-solving skills, and the ability to organize and track multiple projects simultaneously. They should be proactive, resourceful, agile, and a creative problem solver. They will foster client relationships and partner with the client to work through process changes, escalations, and forward-thinking ideas.

Requirements

University Degree or College Diploma or Equivalent Work Experience, preferred in Marketing, Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, Communications/Advertising.
Ideal candidate has media or advertising agency experience and understands the inner workings of the agency model.
10+ years of overall industry experience with 7+ years in media operations within the Advertising and/or Media field.
Financial acumen within the media expertise.
Comfortable working with and organizing large data sets.
Proven capabilities leading projects from conception to implementation.
Demonstrated ability to manage concurrent projects.
Excellent leadership skills and the ability to inspire and interact with all levels of staff.
Comfortable and effective presenter, strong interpersonal and communication skills.
Organized, detail-oriented, obsessed with accuracy and good with time management.
Superior critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
Experienced Microsoft Office skills (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

Responsibilities

Help build and continue to optimize the paid media financial process to further streamline and deliver operational excellence to the agency teams and the client.
Participate as an active leader in the agency's development of a framework and build a bespoke media operations team in support of client operational excellence.
Key partner in leading the process to drive agency compliance of scope and monitor financial penalty implications (SLOs).
Track key Ops-led activities, anticipate challenges, and raise the appropriate flags to ensure timely execution of deliverables
Drive process adoption, optimization, maintain level of integrity in an environment that has high urgency and is outcomes oriented.
Execute routine process and data quality checks to ensure accuracy and optimal efficiency whilst re-inventing processes as needed.
Ensure accuracy of data pulls from various systems (e.g. Mediaocean/Prisma, Guidelines Planning)
Monitoring of Standard Operating Procedures with the purpose of identify problems and recommendations for process efficiency improvements, and SOX requirements
Create training materials to document processes and instill best practices across teams
Service as the media business partner across agency financial teams and Publicis agencies.
Manage budget, billing, and financial compliance.
Improve and streamline existing media budget forecasts, actuals and billing processes and ensure all reconciliations are completed according to client guidelines.
Provide supportive guidance and consultancy in the multi-facet areas of Client Billing. Working closely with key stakeholders including, but not limited to, Media Strategy & Activation teams, Finance Operations and Corporate Accounting.:
Track client budget approvals through client's APRIMO system
Ensure communication of approved funding is disseminated amongst the appropriate parties within the paid media team
Billing for Paid Media
Scheduling changes
Special Client requests
Bridge with shared financial services and agency teams
Invoices
Preparing billing verification and budget management reports that include data from client's APRIMO system, Guidelines Planning and Mediaocean/Prisma
Work with internal stakeholders to resolve discrepancies prior to monthly billing
Analyze and explain variances
Track client payables and receivables, answer client questions and resolve issues
Coordination of billing approvals with inter-company partner(s)
Prepare ad-hoc reports for internal and external client(s)
Manage the account monthly budgeting process and be responsible for coordinating and resolving all forecast/billing related issues.
Work with the client to verify and reconcile any issues with the reporting of actuals.
Offer administrative support, training and troubleshooting for Guidelines Planning platform
Ensure team and personal deliverables are met on time and steward workflow and project management. Establish a work plan for each deliverable and direct and define for the team key task assignments and partner and client liaison.
Support Key Account Leadership with assessing and communicating monthly risks and opportunities.
Maintain client updates, develop/manage budgets, and identify/address media financial business challenges.
Identify and communicate organizational or business challenges and work to deliver on the needs of the broader agency team and client. As it pertains to media operations.
Manage the client reconciliation process as it relates to timely review and reconciliations of client accounts with a view to credits and debits adjustments
Primary contact for client finance questions and/or issues with Account Management, Media Operations Delivery, and Client
Foster a collaborative culture, develop talent and maintain strong stakeholder relationships.
Liaise across all disciplines and business leaders for financial operations, legal matters, and other areas of media operations and compliance.
Responsible for working with the senior leadership teams of creative, analytics, search, and
Technical authority for all ad tech issues involved in running online ad campaigns
Candidate must be able to work closely with senior agency leadership and account leadership (digital & non-digital) to provide strategic Technology & Activation direction to all account teams (including but not limited to pricing, scope & deliverable alignment, resource alignment, product development, new business, etc.)
Must actively develop junior talent and work with leadership to cultivate a consultative and growing team of advertising professionals and media tech pioneers.

Benefits

Paid Family Care for parents and caregivers for 12 weeks or more
Monetary assistance and support for Adoption, Surrogacy and Fertility
Monetary assistance and support for pet adoption
Employee Assistance Programs and Health/Wellness/Comfort reimbursements to help you invest in your future and work/life balance
Tuition Assistance
Paid time off that includes Flexible Time off Vacation, Annual Sick Days, Volunteer Days, Holiday and Identity days, and more
Matching Gifts programs
Flexible working arrangements
‘Work Your World' Program encouraging employees to work from anywhere Publicis Groupe has an office for up to 6 weeks a year (based upon eligibility)
Business Resource Groups that support multiple affinities and alliances