Director of Brand Media

Finn Partners•, AL

5d•$130,000 - $150,000•Remote

About The Position

As Director of Brand Media, you will own brand media strategy across the agency's client roster, leading upper-funnel channel selection, narrative development, and innovation partnerships. You will build every media plan in lockstep with the Performance Media team, ensuring brand and performance are planned as one connected, interdependent system. You will manage and develop the Brand Media team, own new business planning for brand media, and represent FINN's media perspective and point of view externally. You will surface media landscape insights and media channel context in the strategy brief, shaping how campaigns come to life from the outset.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience
7+ years of media, brand strategy, advertising agency, client-side, or publisher-side experience
Proven experience leading brand media strategy and channel planning across multiple accounts
Experience across brand channel formats: premium video (linear/CTV/streaming), programmatic video and display (DSP), audio, OOH, brand partnerships, integrations, sponsorships, brand social, emerging media, and custom activations
Experience managing significant client budgets and investment decisions
Strong leadership experience, including hiring, mentoring, performance management, and career pathing for a growing team
A track record of gaining trust through sound judgment, including under pressure or ambiguity
Experience partnering with performance media counterparts to build genuinely integrated plans across brand and performance
Experience collaborating across multiple disciplines, such as creative, strategy, SEO/GEO, web development, and PR, within a full-service agency or an integrated client-side marketing organization
Strong new business pitch experience, from strategic ideation through proposal development and delivery
Strong client-facing storytelling and presentation skills, able to translate complex strategy for varied audiences
Proficiency with FINN's reporting and dashboard platforms, including Ninjacat and Funnel, or similar tools
Familiarity with AI tools used across the agency, including Gemini, OpenAI, Copilot, and Claude, to support planning, research, and reporting workflows
Familiarity with audience research and competitive intelligence platforms such as GWI and MediaRadar, or similar tools
Experience with social listening and publishing platforms such as Sprout Social, or similar tools, given Brand Media's ownership of brand social
Strong understanding of the brand marketing funnel and upper-funnel channel strategy
Strong proficiency in Google Workspace and Microsoft Office, particularly Sheets/Excel and Slides/PowerPoint
Ability to translate media strategy into clear, compelling narrative for senior client stakeholders
Comfort partnering with Account leads and cross-functional teams outside your direct reporting line
Strong problem-solving skills, with the initiative to challenge clients and internal teams to raise the bar
Excellent written, verbal, and visual communication skills
Ability to manage multiple accounts, priorities, and deadlines

Responsibilities

Lead brand media strategy and channel selection across multiple client accounts, ensuring narrative and channel choices connect directly to business objectives
Partner with the Performance Media team to build every plan as one integrated system, aligned to a single business outcome
Champion integration between Brand Media, Account, Strategy, and Creative teams throughout client planning and development
Interrogate the client brief, evaluating whether it's asking the right questions and grounded in the right audiences and objectives
Lead relationships and negotiations for custom media vehicles, sponsorships, franchise opportunities, and emerging partnership formats
Develop thought leadership and market perspective applicable across clients, establishing a distinct FINN point of view
Represent FINN's media expertise externally, including client presentations, new business pitches, panels, and industry platforms
Lead new business planning for brand media, partnering with senior media colleagues on client retention
Champion the use of AI and automation across planning, strategy development, and reporting
Manage and develop the Brand Media team: interview, hire, delegate, mentor, conduct performance reviews, and recommend compensation decisions
Evaluate staff development needs in terms of rotation and promotion, ensuring role definition keeps pace with the team's growth
Coordinate with Account leads on day-to-day client direction, while retaining ownership of your team's development, performance management, and discipline standards