Associate Director, Planning

Brainlabs; Ontario; On-site; CAD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading advertising agency in Ontario is seeking an Associate Director, Planning, to join its Strategy & Planning team. In this pivotal role, you will drive the development of innovative media strategies that yield impactful business results while nurturing client relationships. The ideal candidate will possess extensive digital expertise and a robust understanding of cross-channel media planning, making them an essential part of the firm's mission to enhance its client offerings.

Benefits

Culture-first environment

Diversity and inclusion initiatives

Qualifications

• 4+ years of experience in media planning, with significant digital expertise.
• Proven track record of developing and executing successful cross-channel media strategies.
• Strong presentation and communication abilities.

Responsibilities

• Develop cross-channel media strategies aligning with clients' business objectives.
• Build and maintain strong client relationships as a trusted advisor.
• Lead client meetings and present strategic recommendations.

Skills

Digital expertise

Media planning

Client relationship building

Strategic thinking

Education

Relevant degree or equivalent experience

Tools

Audience tools (GWI, MRI, YouGov)

Media planning tools (Commspoint, Nielsen Media Impact)

Job description

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We are Brainlabs, the High-Performance media agency, on a mission to become the world's biggest and best independent media agency. We plan and buy media that delivers profitable and sustained business impact. And what’s our formula? Superteams of Brainlabbers, fueled by data and enabled by technology.

Brainlabs has always been a culture-first company. In fact, from the very beginnings of the agency a set of shared principles, philosophies and values was documented in The Brainlabs Handbook, helping us create our unique culture.

As with everything here we always seek to adapt and improve so The Brainlabs Handbook has been fine-tuned to become The Brainlabs Culture Code.

This Culture Code consists of 12 codes that talk to what it means to be a Brainlabber. It’s a joint commitment to continuous development and creating a company that we can all be proud of, where Brainlabbers can turn up to do great work, make great friends and win together.

You can read The Brainlabs Culture Code in full here.

Role type: Full-time

Team: Strategy & Planning Team

Reporting to: Managing Partner, Strategy & Planning

Estimated Start: July 2025

Location: On-site in Toronto, Ontario

Compensation: We are open to hiring candidates in our various office locations. We also receive applications from, and hire, candidates with varying levels of experience for example those who have a few years experience in a role to those who are looking to make a step up. The salary ranges on our job postings are set so as to account for these variable factors with decisions on the salary to be offered only made once we know the experience and location of our new hire.

Work Authorization: This role is open to Canada citizens and Permanent Residents. We are unable to sponsor any work authorizations for this role.

What's The Role

We are seeking an experienced Cross-Channel Media Planner to join our digital-first agency. The ideal candidate will be a strategic thinker who can develop and execute innovative, integrated media strategies that drive measurable business results for our clients. This role sits at the intersection of data, creativity, and media strategy, leading the development of fluid, holistic plans that balance both long-term brand building and short-term performance outcomes.

So, Tell Me About The Company

Brainlabs is culture-first. You’ve probably heard other companies describe themselves as people, clients, or profit first – but we see people, clients and profit as the building blocks of our ecosystem. Culture powers all three and we know that when the ecosystem is balanced, we all win! That's why the culture we cultivate is a culture of winning together.

To learn more about what it’s like to be a Brainlabber, check out our culture code.

What You Do

Strategic Planning & Leadership

• Responsible for understanding client’s business objectives and advertising strategy to develop, implement, and activate the media plan
• Develop comprehensive national and local cross-channel media strategies that align with clients' business objectives and marketing goals, across paid, owned, earned and shared
• Includes, but not limited to: audience analysis, comms goal setting, channel and media partner selection, budget optimization, flighting recommendation, etc.
  
• Partner with strategy to translate business and audience insights into actionable communication objectives
• Drive innovation in media planning approaches, incorporating the latest industry trends and best practices
• Partner with internal teams to ensure seamless integration of strategy, planning, and audience insights, including:
• Account leads and clients: foster strong partnerships to understand business needs and challenges
• Data and measurement: develop and implement measurement frameworks to track campaign effectiveness
• Digital and traditional media specialist teams: Ensure seamless integration to ensure strategic vision is threaded through the entire media plan
• Creative: Ensure media strategy enhances creative effectiveness
• Media partners: Develop innovative solutions and opportunities
  
• Responsible for partnering with account leaderships, strategy and channel leads to bring proactive thought leadership to the business
  
  

Client Leadership

• Build and maintain strong client relationships, serving as a the day-to-day trusted advisor on media strategy
• Present strategic media recommendations to senior client stakeholders
• Lead client meetings and workshops to align on objectives and approach for cross-channel plan
• Provide thought leadership and point of view on industry trends and innovations
  
  
  

Who You Are

Required Qualifications

• 4+ years of experience in media planning, with significant digital expertise
• Experience working in CPG, Petcare, or Retail experience
• Proven track record of developing and executing successful full-funnel cross-channel media strategies
• Experience with audience planning and segmentation, including audience tools (GWI, MRI, YouGov, Google Insights, etc.)
• Experience with media planning and optimization tools (incl. Commspoint, Nielsen Media Impact, Comscore, Ad Intel, Pathmatics, Claritas etc.)
• Deep understanding of media methodology, including brand building principles and performance marketing
• Deep understanding of the digital media landscape, including programmatic, social, search, and emerging channels
• Proven experience taking complex plans and building easy-to-understand deck presentations, both in story and visually
• Strong presentation and communication abilities
  
  
  

Desired Skills & Experience

• Strong understanding of media measurement, including digital metrics, traditional media metrics, and attribution modeling
• Experience with marketing technology platforms (DSPs, DMPs, attribution tools)
• Knowledge of marketing mix modeling and multi-touch attribution
• Experience translating data to insights
• Experience crafting brand strategies
• Experience with advanced analytics and data visualization tools
• Background in managing integrated campaigns across multiple markets
  
  
  

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!

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. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace: we are committed to equal opportunity for all applicants and employees regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion, or belief, and marriage and civil partnerships. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation during the application process, please let us know!

Please note that we will never ask you to transfer cash or make any other payment to us in order to apply for a role or to work for Brainlabs. Any such asks are fraudulent and should be reported to the appropriate authorities in your area.

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Business Development and Sales

• Industries

  Advertising Services

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