Associate Director, Planning
BarkleyOKRP · Kansas City, Chicago, Denver · $80,000–$120,000 (stated in the posting)
MissionOne Media is a brand within BarkleyOKRP that combines full-funnel media planning and buying services, CRM, data, analytics, retail media, SEO, and digital experiences. We're an independent media partner offering transparency, integration, and a relentless focus on business impact.
In this role, you will own client relationships and lead a team in the development of Media Strategy & Tactical Media Recommendations that allow for a tight alignment between media placement and the message. You will work closely with others across MissionOne Media and BarkleyOKRP client experience teams, and you will partner closely with clients.
Here's what it takes to be successful in the role:
- Curiosity and Skepticism: You are always asking, "WHY?" You have an internal drive to learn more and expand your knowledge. You consider situations from multiple perspectives, and use that to gain alignment to your recommendations.
- Strategic, Creative Problem-Solving: You are analytical and enjoy working with data to derive insights. You use insights and knowledge to develop robust strategies and visions for success. You love coming up with creative solutions to new and old problems alike.
- Initiative & Accountability: You are a gritty self-starter driven to find answers, solve tough problems, and overcome challenges. You proactively bring solutions to challenges, and help coach your teams through challenging internal and external situations. You are able to manage client business autonomously and support your team in navigating multiple projects simultaneously.
- Communication & Storytelling: You can easily communicate complex information or nuanced situations. You know what details are necessary and what details to leave behind. You can marry data and storytelling to articulate a compelling vision. You confidently represent a clear media POV in both internal and external rooms.
- Adaptability: You can comfortably adjust in evolving or ambiguous situations. You use creativity to tackle new and existing challenges. You have a firm grasp on changes in the media landscape, and you use that to bring forward new, interesting ways-in for clients.
- Self-Development: You're reflective and self-aware. You seek opportunities to learn and develop yourself and others. You identify gaps in individual performance, and put together goals for individuals to help grow their experience and skillset.
Requirements:
- Manages the day-to-day of all media planning work across the team, delegating when possible to ensure even workload across the team and allow for individual growth.
- Acts as a reviewer and approver of all work the team completes, getting VP feedback/approval as necessary.
- Owns the key client list, leading client communication on key media projects and acting as a key point of integration across other departments internally (such as Data & Analytics, CRM, Strategy, Creative, and PR).
- Acts as a strategic lead across clients, bringing a keen eye for how to showcase the strategic direction of media, and ensuring tactical recommendations clearly align.
- Generates creative, ownable ideas to create breakthrough audience moments that go beyond standard media opportunities, and pushes the team to think more creatively on how they approach media recommendations.
- Manages a team, balancing the need for delegation with support for the projects and plans they've been assigned.
- Leads team training on trending media topics, media planning approach, process, and tools.
- Coaches team on media deliverables, ways of working, competencies and soft skills to continually improve the client experience and grow team members.
- Builds and maintains strong working relationships with internal teams, including client experience, activation, data & analytics, CRM, strategy, and finance.
- Translates audiences identified by client and Strategy teams into strategic media audiences through the use of 3rd-party syndicated audience tools (MRI-Simmons, Resonate, YouGov Profiles), and supports teams in creating a clear picture of who the audience is, driving the direction for a strategic media approach.
- Uses competitive intelligence tools to identify category white space and drive the direction of a media strategy, and identifies unique ways to illustrate competitive impact on media.
- Oversees the flawless management of client media budgets, including reviewing and approving media flowcharts and authorizations for Activation teams to purchase as needed.
- Supports the team in client billing, including partnership with Activation and Finance teams to improve the billing process and find solutions for any challenges that arise.
- Identifies new opportunities for POVs, both internal and external, based on trending topics impacting the media landscape, category, or market trends, and crafts them to clearly articulate the anticipated impact to clients.
- Ensures media reports have a clear POV based on performance trends and implications, and learnings are applied to future media strategies and recommendations.
- Reads industry trades and engages with the Media Team to stay current on all media trends, and how those trends present opportunities for clients.
- Has thorough knowledge of key media planning tools, such as Vivvix, Pathmatics, MRI-Simmons, SRDS, SQAD, Nielsen NMI/IMS, Guideline Planning, and others.
- Identifies the need for, and leads the development of, strategic analyses on audience, geography/market approach, and media vendor information necessary to develop the media plan recommendation that best delivers upon the client's goals and objectives.
- Identifies the need for and prepares non-media projects and recommendations, including but not limited to competitive audits, target audience profiles, geographic analyses, etc.
- Identifies potential organic growth opportunities across Media, Data & Analytics, and CRM, and crafts a strategic approach to growth with Leadership.
- Maintains a positive rapport with media vendor partners, keeping up to date with the latest trends in the marketplace.
- Works closely with the Activation team to ensure flawless implementation of all approved media recommendations, serving as the integral lead in key client communication.
- Presents at all key client presentations.
- Leads the team to prepare budget recommendations based on client goals and objectives.
- Demonstrates a complete understanding of the client's business, maintaining familiarity with the history, present organization, and procedures of the client, as well as conditions of the industry.
- Provides an energy level that brings new and exciting ideas, motivating other team members.
- Keeps a pulse on all active campaigns, identifying opportunities to optimize for maximum performance.
- Helps evaluate current processes, workflows, and resources and is responsible for elevating to the VP, Planning when there are any additional needs or issues.
- Evaluates current Planning resources and proactively brings proposals to VP, Planning for any additional tools needed to stay on top of current trends, and ensures we're delivering best-in-class recommendations to clients.
- Updates VP, Planning on status of current accounts on an ongoing basis, elevating key issues or concerns as they arise.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent in a related field.
- 6 or more years of media planning experience required.
- Able to apply a strategic filter to solve client challenges.
- Strong knowledge of traditional media channels with an understanding of digital is preferred, but not a requirement.
- Ability to think critically and apply a strategic approach to all plans or projects.
- Ability to work effectively with a variety of internal teams and business groups, including Creative, Media, Data & Measurement, Project Management, and Finance.
- Ability to communicate effectively within a team environment as well as with outside media sales reps.
- Displays a passion for media and advertising.
- Strong organizational and mathematical skills (including basic media math).
- Ability to multi-task and deliver work on-time for set deadlines.
- Must be prepared for a fast-paced environment and be comfortable making decisions.
The annual gross base salary range is $80,000 - $120,000 USD. This range represents the anticipated target salary range for this position. Actual salaries will vary and are based on factors such as a candidate’s qualifications, skills, and geographic location. Salary is one component of BarkleyOKRP's total compensation package, which includes multiple health insurance options, flexible PTO, life insurance, and 401K.
BarkleyOKRP’s Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion + Belonging
- At BarkleyOKRP, DEI+B drives work that matters. We believe people and creativity are made of the same substance, and when every perspective is valued, the impact is stronger. We build belonging as a business strategy, power inclusive creativity that delivers measurable results, and hold ourselves accountable as a B Corp committed to progress over performative intent. When people are valued, the work carries greater impact.
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