Associate Director, Planning

Publicis Groupe; El Segundo, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 97,000 - 149,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical coverage

Dental and Vision

Disability insurance

401(k) plan

Parental and family care leave

Tuition reimbursement

Flexible time off

Job summary

Spark Foundry is seeking an Associate Director, Strategy to steward media issues for assigned brands, ensuring accurate budget control and smooth flow of online activity. You will partner with Managers to develop and communicate media recommendations and to deepen knowledge of client businesses.

The role requires 5+ years in digital media planning, strong cross-channel expertise, and excellence in client and vendor relationships.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in digital media planning, buying and management
• Capable of leading a team with cross-functional coordination
• Strong client and vendor relationship skills
• Excellent presentation and communication abilities
• Interest in digital gadgets, social networks and new media technologies

Responsibilities

• Plan and buy across digital channels
• Build trusted client relationships and lead client meetings
• Manage timelines, projects and teams across multiple streams
• Contribute strategic thinking and collaboration to outputs
• Coordinate cross-functional teams and vendor partners
• Present and defend media recommendations to clients

Skills

Digital media planning

Team leadership

Client relationship management

Vendor relationship management

Strategic thinking

Presentation skills

Time management

Job description

Company description

Spark Foundry was built during the most transformative time in the history of advertising and marketing. We deliver everything a traditional media agency has to offer and have grown into one of the world’s most successful agencies by helping brands evolve their marketing by leveraging identity, commerce, artificial intelligence, and more to connect with people. Transformation is part of our DNA. Spark Foundry's start-up spirit delivers high-touch approaches and a never-ending desire to challenge the status quo. Combined with Publicis Group's powerhouse soul leveraging connected data assets, advanced AI applications, and investment clout, we Bring HEAT to Brands. No other agency possesses the expertise that we do to address today’s most pressing challenges to drive business transformation through media.

Overview

The Associate Director, Strategy is the day-to-day steward on media issues for assigned brands, including accurate budget control and flow of online media activity. They will be required to develop and maintain a strong knowledge of their clients' business and apply their media understanding accordingly to help deliver against the clients' needs/objectives. They will work closely with the Managers in the development and communication of all media recommendations.

Responsibilities

• Strong cross-channel planning and buying skills, particularly in digital
• Successful at building strong, collaborative client relationships, instilling trust and authority on behalf of the agency
• Ability to manage timelines, projects and personnel within direct report team and across cross-functional teams
• Flexible and able to keep up with a fast-paced, constantly-evolving environment
• Including the capacity to successfully manage multiple work streams at one time
• Strong foundation in strategic and critical thinking, finding ways to innovate and collaborate with teams to improve outputs
• Experience with productive and positive vendor relationship management
• Individual should possess confidence, composure, and polished presentation skills to effectively attend and lead in-person meetings with key clients on a daily basis
• Self-motivation and organization are key due to coordination with multiple internal and external clients

Qualifications

• Have been working in digital media planning, buying and management for 5+ years with progressive levels of responsibility
• Think strategically, take into account the bigger picture, analyze everything and think critically when solving problems to come up with unconventional solutions
• Have led a team before, know what it takes to manage a group, even when a lot of moving parts are involved
• Able to take care of the day-to-day part of overseeing others and good at helping them grow and realize their own potential
• Build great relationships with clients, vendors, and reps; have a history negotiating to get the job done right and track record of success in media; understand business; have a knack for sharing complicated ideas in a simple, understandable way
• Already active in the kinds of digital gadgets and communities that are changing our business; have a passion for tablets, smartphones, social networks, instant messaging, widgets, apps, blogs and whatever is new and life-changing; want to find ways to make them work for brands

Additional information

Our Publicis Groupe motto Viva La Différence means we're better together, and we believe that our differences make us stronger. It means we honor and celebrate all identities, across all facets of intersectionality, and it underpins all that we do as an organization. We are focused on fostering belonging and creating equitable & inclusive experiences for all talent.

Publicis Groupe provides robust and inclusive benefit programs and policies to support the evolving and diverse needs of our talent and enable every person to grow and thrive. Our benefits package includes medical coverage, dental, vision, disability, 401K, as well as parental and family care leave, family forming assistance, tuition reimbursement, and flexible time off.

If you require accommodation or assistance with the application or onboarding process specifically, please contact [e-mail].

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

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Compensation Range: USD $97,375.00 - USD $149,296.00/Annually. This is the pay range the Company believes it will pay for this position at the time of this posting. Consistent with applicable law, compensation will be determined based on the skills, qualifications, and experience of the applicant along with the requirements of the position, and the Company reserves the right to modify this pay range at any time. Temporary roles may be eligible to participate in our freelancer/temporary employee medical plan through a third-party benefits administration system once certain criteria have been met. Temporary roles may also qualify for participation in our 401(k) plan after eligibility criteria have been met. For regular roles, the Company will offer medical coverage, dental, vision, disability, 401k, and paid time off. The Company anticipates the application deadline for this job posting will be 10/26/2026.