Director, Planning

BarkleyOKRP•Kansas City, MO

2h•$100,000 - $150,000

About The Position

MissionOne Media, a brand within BarkleyOKRP, combines full-funnel media planning and buying, CRM, data, analytics, retail media, SEO, and digital experiences. It is an independent media partner focused on transparency, integration, and business impact. The Director, Planning is a strategic and operational lead within a planning pod, bridging high-level strategy and execution. The role leads integrated media recommendations and day-to-day client relationships, translating strategic direction into actionable, audience-first plans that align media placement with creative messaging. The Director applies analytical rigor and creative problem-solving, coaches and manages junior planning talent, elevates team output, and maintains operational and financial discipline across assigned accounts. The position also leads client communication and cross-functional integration, oversees planning quality and media budgets, supports implementation and billing, and develops the team’s skills and capabilities. The Director stays current on media and marketplace trends, identifies opportunities for client impact and organic growth, and keeps the VP, Planning informed about account status, resource needs, and issues.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in a related field.
At least 6 years of media planning experience.
Ability to apply strategic thinking to solve client challenges.
Ability to think critically and apply a strategic approach to plans and projects.
Ability to work effectively with internal teams and business groups, including Creative, Media, Data & Measurement, Project Management, and Finance.
Ability to communicate effectively within a team and with external media sales representatives.
Passion for media and advertising.
Strong organizational and mathematical skills, including basic media math.

Nice To Haves

Strong knowledge of traditional media channels and an understanding of digital media.

Responsibilities

Manage day-to-day media planning work across the team, delegating where possible to balance workload and support individual growth.
Review and approve team work, obtaining VP feedback or approval as needed.
Own key client relationships, lead communication on key media projects, and integrate work across internal departments.
Act as a strategic lead across clients, ensuring tactical recommendations align with the strategic direction of media.
Generate creative, ownable ideas that create breakthrough audience moments and encourage the team to think beyond standard media opportunities.
Manage and support the team, balancing delegation with involvement in assigned projects and plans.
Lead team training on trending media topics, planning approaches, processes, and tools.
Coach team members on deliverables, ways of working, competencies, and soft skills to improve the client experience and support their growth.
Build and maintain strong working relationships with client experience, activation, data and analytics, CRM, strategy, and finance teams.
Translate client- and strategy-defined audiences into strategic media audiences using third-party syndicated audience tools, and help teams develop clear audience profiles and strategic media approaches.
Use competitive intelligence to identify category white space, guide media strategy, and illustrate competitive impact on media.
Oversee client media budgets, including reviewing and approving media flowcharts and authorizations for Activation teams.
Support client billing in partnership with Activation and Finance, improving processes and resolving challenges.
Identify and develop internal and external points of view on media, category, or market trends and explain their anticipated impact to clients.
Ensure media reports provide a clear point of view on performance trends and implications, and apply learnings to future strategies and recommendations.
Read industry trades and engage with the Media Team to stay current on trends and client opportunities.
Identify and lead strategic analyses of audiences, geography and markets, and media vendors to inform recommendations aligned with client goals.
Identify and prepare non-media projects and recommendations, including competitive audits, target audience profiles, and geographic analyses.
Identify organic growth opportunities across Media, Data & Analytics, and CRM, and develop growth approaches with Leadership.
Maintain positive relationships with media vendor partners and stay current on marketplace trends.
Work closely with Activation to ensure flawless implementation of approved media recommendations and lead key client communications.
Present at all key client presentations.
Lead the team in preparing budget recommendations based on client goals and objectives.
Develop a complete understanding of each client’s business, organization, procedures, and industry conditions.
Bring energy and new ideas that motivate team members.
Monitor active campaigns and identify optimization opportunities to maximize performance.
Evaluate planning processes, workflows, and resources, escalating additional needs or issues to the VP, Planning.
Assess planning resources and propose additional tools to the VP, Planning to support current trend awareness and high-quality client recommendations.
Keep the VP, Planning updated on account status and escalate key issues or concerns.