Associate Director, Media & Communications Planning - Remote
Classification: Full-Time
Team: Client Services
Reporting to: VP, Planning
Estimated Start: November 2022
Location: REMOTE - Anywhere, US or Canada
Work Authorization: This role is open to US or Canadian Citizens/Permanent Residents and non-citizens allowed to work for any US or Canadian employer. We are unable to sponsor any work authorizations for this role.
What’s the role?
We're looking for an Associate Director, Media & Communications Planning to create strategies across media channels and services which directly answers a client’s brief.
More specifically the role is to listen to clients, getting under the skin of their brief and then brainstorm with channel experts and client service leads to build media plans and forecasts which delivers positive ROI for the client, backed by a sound measurement framework. This might include developing planning waterfalls for clients, building campaign responses, and leading planning discussions and strategy sessions at key moments throughout the year. Depending on client needs, it is likely the communication planner will work on 1-4 clients, across all channels.
So, tell me about the company
Brainlabs is on a mission to build the biggest digital-first media agency in the world.
We hire the top talent in the industry and give them the right training, tools and culture to do the best work of their career.
As one of the world’s leading independent agencies, our agility and client-centricity allows us to win for clients.
To learn more about what it’s like to be a Brainlabber, check out our company handbook.
What this job is:
- Problem solving - your days will be spent understanding a clients business needs and ultimately delivering a compelling solution back to them
- Analytical - as a data driven company, it’s essential all your ideas are grounded in sound data
- Creative - the role is extremely creative, researching relevant profiles and understanding how they tick, to deliver advertising that resonates and works
- Current - media planning means staying up to date on the latest formats, audience, opportunities and considering how that impacts your plans
- Varied - every day is different!
- Collaborative and team orientated - you will be working with multiple stakeholders including channel experts and client contacts
What this job isn’t:
- Samey - workload ebb and flow depending on client planning cycles and needs, new business pipeline and performance of the activity. You’ll also work with different teams coming in as an expert.
- Textbook/handheld - every client has different planning needs, and come from different industries, with different customers. There isn’t a textbook answer for every brief, your role is to curate a plan that works.
Give me a breakdown of what an Associate Director, Media & Communications Planning at Brainlabs does:
- Deliver holistic, data-driven, insight led media plans that outline a clear strategic vision, a modern tactical approach, and a data-driven measurement solution to validate campaign ROI
- Determine how digital fits into a client’s wider media plan and understand the role that digital media, technology and data can play in reaching and communicating with key audiences in the end to end consumer journey
- Collaborate with all channel and platform disciplines to strategically allocate, optimize and manage campaign budgets and ongoing reconciliation.
- Support and justify all client recommendations with sound research and data from internal and external resources
- Create growth plans for our client base using a full funnel approach, an understanding of how digital brand and performance works together will be crucial for this role
- Oversee and enhance value in activation of all digital media in line with clients’ commercial objectives
- Providing and delivering digital recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of media communications outside of campaigns such as changes in data privacy, attribution and data-modelling projects
- Ensuring best practice and standardised outputs whilst introducing innovative new ways of working such as advanced reporting opportunities or new tech and tool adoption
- Apply a clear testing approach and actionable analyses to drive awesome results for clients
- Develop strong relationships with senior clients, helping them understand and successfully navigate the digital media, data and tech landscape
- Work across various verticals, from B2B and lead gen to retail and ecommerce - you will be working on two of the largest clients in the agency, with both national and international remits
- Shape agency processes, best practices and tech automation
- Help us continue to grow and manage one of the best teams in the world!
What we really want:
- Understands ‘bigger picture’ and how a individual tactic ladders up to wider goals
- Highly analytical and data literate individual, comfortable with building forecasts
- Experienced in paid media and able to understand the role each channel could play in a marketing campaign
- Shows their own initiative and is curious and confident in thinking aloud and problem solving with clients and teams
- Collaborative and empathetic, able to bring a newly formed team together and get the best out of every contributor
- Motivated by growth and variety
What particular set of skills would suit this role?
3 to 5 years experience in communications planning and the following skills:
- audience identification and persona development
- customer journeys
- cultural connection
- understand media funnel and approach by phase
- budget allocation for geographies, by channel
- develop macro approach to campaign flighting
- development of macro measurement framework and KPIs
3 to 5 years experience in media planning and the following skills:
- determine spots and dots for campaigns
- identify the right platforms, formats
- finalize budget based on CPMs/CPC
- develop bottom up forecasts
- cross-channel experience (digital a must have, offline a nice to have)
- must have US-market media planning experience
How will I know I am doing it right?
- Healthy debates with key client stakeholders
- Hitting client goals through methodical and data driven media planning
- Clear measurement plans for clients
- Client and team satisfaction.
What happens next
We know searching for a job is tough and that you want to find the best career and employer for you. We also want to ensure that this position is the best fit for both you and us. Therefore, you will participate in a comprehensive interview process that includes skills interviews with our team. The goal of this process is to allow you to get to know us as we learn more about you.
Brainlabs actively seeks and encourages applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds and identities.
Thank you for your interest in Brainlabs! We look forward to getting to know you!
#LI-REMOTE
When you apply to work at Brainlabs, we may use your application data to make employment decisions, but your data will not be distributed or used elsewhere unless you are hired as an employee. All applications ask for your consent to allow us to process your personal data. However, you have the right to withdraw your information at any point by reaching out to careers.us@brainlabsdigital.com.