Manager, Media Planning

Bully Pulpit International•Washington, DC

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

Bully Pulpit International (BPI) is an outcomes agency composed of strategists, data scientists, and artists with experience in politics, brands, and government. They communicate without barriers and measure what matters, operating with over 400 team members across six countries and thirteen offices. BPI utilizes its expertise in strategic communications, public affairs, research, and digital marketing to develop sophisticated, customized strategies that drive change for both American and European clients. In this role, the Associate Director, Media Planning will conduct research to create accurate media plans, leverage internal data for insights, and shape future strategies. The position is based in one of their offices (Chicago, DC, NYC, SF, LA) with an expectation to work from the office at least 3 days a week. The role involves managing standard media campaigns independently, supporting larger campaigns, developing data-driven media plans, managing external vendors, leading campaign execution and analysis, and fostering collaboration with internal teams. Additionally, the role includes managing and mentoring junior staff.

Requirements

3–5 years of professional experience in digital media strategy, media planning, and campaign management (agency experience strongly preferred).
Experience managing campaigns for corporate reputation, public affairs, and/or political clients.
Demonstrated capability in creating media plans, conducting vendor RFP processes, negotiating rates/added value, and analyzing campaign performance against KPIs.
Strong proficiency with Microsoft Excel / Google Sheets for budget tracking, performance data manipulation, and reporting.
Demonstrated ability to quickly learn and navigate new digital systems, emerging media tech, and specialized proprietary tools with minimal downtime.
Ability to indirectly manage junior staff through task management and skill development.
Strong organizational, written, and verbal communication skills, with experience synthesizing campaign data into actionable client insights.

Nice To Haves

Enthusiasm for Democratic/progressive politics and excitement to work alongside non-profit, advocacy, and corporate public affairs clients.

Responsibilities

Conduct media, industry, or company research to enable the agency to construct highly accurate, strategic advertising and marketing plans.
Leverage internal data sources and past performance analytics to derive key insights and shape future strategy.
Manage the day-to-day of standard media campaigns independently and support mid- and large-scale campaigns by owning specific channels or workstreams.
Develop data-driven media plans that align with client and campaign objectives, collaborating closely with Client/Account Leads to ensure plans deliver on agreed strategies.
Manage external vendor communications, issue Requests for Proposals (RFPs), and negotiate key terms, rates, conditions, and added value.
Lead campaign management and execution, overseeing how campaigns are implemented, optimized, and analyzed across platforms.
Analyze and gauge media performance against established KPIs to determine the extent to which original objectives and strategies were met.
Foster strong, collaborative working relationships across all client and internal specialty teams (Buying, Analytics, Research) to facilitate flawless execution of plans.
Organize project briefs, timelines, and updates within internal project management tools to ensure seamless cross-team communication.
Directly manage Fellows through task management, active mentorship, and structured training.
Serve as a role model for junior team members, guiding quality of work and supporting team development.