Associate Director, Media Strategy

Known•New York, NY

2d•$120,000 - $130,000•Onsite

About The Position

Known’s Media Science team uses advanced analytics, machine learning, statistics, and algorithms to plan and optimize advertising dollars. We partner with our clients to translate their business goals into meaningful metrics, and buy media across all channels to drive those target outcomes. The Associate Director, Media Strategy will lead media strategy for a major food & beverage retailer, working full-time and fully dedicated to this single flagship account. You will guide strategy across both pulsed, promotionally-driven campaigns and the annual media plan while leading and developing a team of media strategists — overseeing a high-volume, always-on campaign portfolio delivered through two manager-led pods — in close partnership with channel lead counterparts. This position reports to the Sr. Director, Media Strategy.

Requirements

8+ years of client-facing media planning experience with a track record of driving results
In-depth knowledge of the media landscape, consumer behavior and media consumption trends
Cross-channel understanding of the media plan ecosystem and lifecycle from strategy to reporting
Curious mindset with strong critical thinking skills needed to solve diverse business challenges
Experience in a client-facing environment leading relationships with a commitment to excellence
Superb communication and presentation skills translating client challenges to campaign solutions
Ability to work collaboratively in a cross-functional environment (internally & externally)
Desire to be a hands-on multi-tasker that thrives in a fast-paced environment
A data-driven approach, leveraging insights to develop strategy and define measurement
3+ years directly managing and developing media planners or direct reports
Strong organizational skills — able to manage timelines, specs, POs, and flowcharts

Nice To Haves

Previous agency experience handling retail, food & beverage or consumer goods preferred
Knowledge and experience of Prisma and Lumina preferred
Experience using SharePoint (Excel, PowerPoint) and Google Suite (Slides, Docs) highly preferred
Familiarity with retail media networks and shopper marketing a plus

Responsibilities

Develop cross-channel strategy & planning for media campaigns, as well as coordinating the inputs for buying
Write client briefs & translate them into insights-led media strategy
Lead cross-channel planning in partnership with channel and buyer science teams, translating audience and research insights into actionable media plans
Remain fully embedded in all aspects of the campaign including the planning process, through campaign execution and measurement
Serve as a thought leader on the account — providing proactive POVs and recommendations, and co-leading a monthly training series for the client
Lead and develop a team of media strategy planners (two managers, each supporting a senior specialist); help field, plan, and navigate the execution of pulsed and annual campaigns
Balance workload and resourcing across two manager-led pods, keeping capacity aligned to campaign demand
Coach and mentor direct reports, managing prioritization and professional development across the team
Set quality standards and review team output to ensure accuracy and consistency across deliverables
Serving as the primary day-to-day media contact for key clients
Lead & manage assigned aspects of client relationships
Partner with clients to understand their business goals, marketing objectives and competitive constraints for the purpose of leading agency media planning outputs
Work and collaborate on co-deliverables with our client’s internal media strategy and planning team for cohesive, integrated strategies and plans
Foster collaboration between teams; work with partner agencies to integrate messaging & creative campaigns into overall media campaigns
Oversee cross-channel budget management (e.g. flowcharts, budget trackers) workstreams with client and internal stakeholders
Work closely with channel team leads on the account to ensure deliverables are met on time and to a high quality standard
Own campaign timelines and deliverables with Media Operations at the portfolio level, ensuring launches, pacing, and reporting meet client expectations
Provide operational oversight and stewardship of the team's internal planning, trafficking, and asset-management tools
Align measurement framework to client business objectives, ensuring strategy is followed through to execution
Coordinate with buyer scientist and channel teams to map strategy with activation
Ensure measurement plan is executed to client expectations
Serve as the primary escalation point and client communicator when issues arise across the campaign portfolio