Associate Director, Media Planning

NOVUS Careers•Chicago, IL

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

We’re looking for an Associate Director, Planning to lead day-to-day planning across a set of complex client businesses. This role sits at the intersection of strategy and media, translating media into business outcomes. The Associate Director will lead a team of 1-2 planners, collaborate with strategy, analytics, and investment teams, and serve as a trusted client advisor. This position reports to the Senior Director, Planning and is a key leadership role responsible for the quality of planning work and for elevating planning standards across the team. It connects various disciplines within an evolving integrated model.

Requirements

7+ years in media planning or integrated communications planning.
2+ years managing planners.
Deep understanding of media fundamentals, including brief interrogation, audience strategy, channel mix, R&F, flighting, budget accuracy, and investment handoff.
Proven track record of driving measurable business outcomes (acquisition, sales, leads) on performance-driven businesses, alongside brand-building efforts.
Experience planning across a full range of media channels (broadcast, streaming, search, social, programmatic, local).
Significant depth in performance media channels.
Experience directly managing and developing planners, ideally across multiple accounts.
Working fluency in measurement approaches (incrementality testing, geo testing, attribution, MMM), enabling partnership with analytics teams and action on findings.
Experience working with investment teams on in-flight optimization, including performance review, shift agreement, and holding the plan to business goals.
Hands-on proficiency with planning tools: flowcharting and budget management platforms, R&F and cross-media modeling, syndicated and competitive research tools, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Comfort with active use of AI tools in planning workflows.
Track record of contributing to new business pitches.
Understanding of scope, staffing, and resource allocation for planning work.
Confidence and clarity in client communication, including delivering difficult messages or providing immediate answers.
Willingness and ability to travel occasionally for client meetings, agency events, and other business needs.

Nice To Haves

Experience with businesses whose footprint varies market-to-market and require local or regional media.
Breadth across categories such as subscription services, retail, or QSR.

Responsibilities

Help shape and write the agency's planning playbook, turning new approaches into templates and best practices.
Own media planning across a portfolio of accounts, translating client business goals into full-funnel media strategies that deliver business outcomes (sales, leads, subscribers).
Lead, develop, and grow a team of planners, providing coaching, feedback, and skill development.
Manage day-to-day client relationships with Director and VP level leads, presenting performance, answering questions, and providing clear recommendations.
Develop integrated media plans that balance brand building with performance-driven acquisition goals.
Partner with strategy, investment, and channel teams to ensure media plans are executed effectively and optimizations align with business goals.
Collaborate with analytics and strategy teams to define success metrics that connect media to client business outcomes, and translate data into actionable planning decisions.
Operate fluently across all media channels, including linear and streaming TV, audio, OOH, print, paid search, paid social, programmatic, and local media, across paid, earned, and owned.
Make sound, quick decisions with imperfect information in fast-paced performance businesses.
Actively use AI tools to enhance planning work and guide the team in adopting effective AI applications.
Contribute to new business pitches with strong planning thinking.
Collaborate effectively with external agency partners (creative, CRM, PR, etc.) to keep work moving forward.