Media Strategist

Backbone Media•Carbondale, CO

3d•$60,000 - $70,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Backbone partners with a wide range of clients, and the Media Strategist works with 3 to 5 of them at a time in two capacities. On some accounts you're the lead, owning paid media end to end, from strategy through planning, execution, and optimization. On others, you're part of a larger, integrated team, contributing paid media strategy, and helping coordinate account activity. This role reports to a Media Director at Backbone. This is a strategy role, not just an execution role. You are expected to develop paid media strategy specific to each client's goals and audience, and to back your recommendations with a clear rationale. The ideal candidate is a proactive, decisive critical thinker with an analytical mindset and hands-on experience across digital and traditional media. Above all, you are expected to move the needle on real business results through the paid media you manage.

Requirements

2 to 5 years of relevant paid media experience
Agency or client-side marketing experience preferred
Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience
Develop paid media strategy independently, and know when to pull in the team and the resources around you
Execute directly on channels outside search, social, and programmatic, such as direct partnerships and traditional buys, including negotiating and managing those buys
Strong quantitative and analytical skills
Comfortable reading and interpreting campaign performance in reporting tools and communicating those results to clients
Proactive use of AI tools, with sound judgment about what to delegate to them and what not to
Strong written and verbal communication with peers, clients, and partners
Effective with research tools including MRI, industry reports, and other digital sources
Solid grasp of marketing and advertising principles, media concepts and terms, and creative and budget requirements
Detail-oriented, with strong critical-thinking and problem-solving instincts
Able to prioritize, juggle multiple accounts, and work well under pressure
Strong project-management and time-management skills
Proficient in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, Word)

Nice To Haves

Hands-on execution experience in search, social, or programmatic is a highly preferred
Knowledgeable across digital and traditional media: paid social, SEM, SEO, social media management, mobile, out-of-home, TV, print, and more
Experience with Amazon Marketing Services and Amazon DSP
Basic understanding of public relations, community management, and affiliate marketing
You get Backbone's core values
You have a favorite professional climber, runner, skier, snowboarder, surfer, or the like
Your ideal weekend involves being outside
A sense of humor

Responsibilities

Develop paid media strategy grounded in each client's business goals, audience, and the competitive landscape
Provide clear strategic recommendations with the rationale to back them up
Build and present media plans across the full mix: paid social, paid search and shopping, programmatic and streaming/CTV, retail media, direct partnerships, and traditional buys
Execute directly on the channels outside search, social, and programmatic, including direct partnerships and traditional buys
Partner with Backbone's internal execution teams on search, social, and programmatic, handing off clear direction and keeping the work on strategy and on pace
Turn campaign performance data into insight and a point of view, not just a report, and recommend the tactical changes to act on it
Steward the overall plan: pacing and day-to-day changes
Own client and vendor relationships with confidence
Manage, track, and balance client budgets and cash on hand
Keep communication clear and actionable across internal teams: analytics, social, SEM, finance, and others
Respond to competitive requests, pulling the right data and analysis
Use research to shape strategy and tactics