Head Media Planning, MENA

Americana Restaurants; Sharjah; On-site; AED 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in the MENA region is seeking a Media Planning Head to oversee media investment strategy across multiple markets. This role involves leading media planning, managing budgets, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to drive performance and brand value.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in media strategy and planning.
• Strong exposure to the MENA region, especially GCC.

Responsibilities

• Lead full-funnel media planning across KSA, UAE, Kuwait, and Qatar.
• Manage media budget with complete accountability on allocation and optimization.

Skills

Media Strategy

Performance Marketing

Communication

Job description

About the Role:

KFC is not just one of the world’s most iconic brands — it’s also the highest-spending media account in the Americana portfolio and one of the top two media accounts in the region. We’re looking for a Media Planning Head to take full ownership of our media investment strategy across the MENA region.

This is a unique opportunity to lead high stake media mandate and work across four high-priority markets — KSA, UAE, Kuwait, and Qatar — while guiding strategy in Levant and Morocco. You’ll operate like a business owner, ensuring every dollar delivers both brand value and business results.

If you come from FMCG, telecom, or retail and know how to build full-funnel strategies, drive performance, and influence stakeholders — we’d love to talk.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead full-funnel media planning across KSA, UAE, Kuwait, and Qatar, with regional oversight into Levant and Morocco.
• Manage media budget with complete accountability on allocation, optimization, and reporting.
• Partner with procurement and finance to ensure spend governance and efficiency.
• Drive both awareness and conversion through integrated ATL, digital, performance, and social media planning.
• Lead MMM (Marketing Mix Modeling) and campaign performance tracking.
• Manage the media agency relationship across all markets.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with cluster marketing leads, digital, CRM, and ecommerce teams.

What We’re Looking For:

• 10+ years of experience in media strategy and planning, preferably from FMCG, Telecom, or Retail.
• Strong exposure to the MENA region — especially GCC, with understanding of Levant and North Africa.
• Proven track record of managing large-scale media investments.
• Expertise in performance marketing, brand media, and MMM or econometrics.
• Commercial thinker, with an entrepreneurial mindset and high ownership.
• Strong communicator with experience influencing cross-functional teams and senior stakeholders.
• Fluent in English; Arabic is a plus.