Associate Media Director

Backbone Media; Denver (CO); Hybrid; USD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical coverage

Dental coverage

Vision coverage

401(k) match

Wellness benefit

Professional development/education

Paid volunteer hours

Parental leave

Flexible schedule

Company-wide offsites

Hybrid workplace

Job summary

Backbone Media is seeking an Associate Media Director to lead 3–5 client accounts, guiding media strategy and client health. You will stay hands-on in strategy, planning, and client leadership while directing execution through channel teams.

You’ll mentor one to two Media Strategists or Coordinators and report to a Media Director, with a clear path toward Media Director. A strong fluency in both brand and performance media is essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.
• 5-8 years of relevant paid media experience, with depth in brand or performance channels.
• 4+ years leading client relationships, agency side preferred.
• Experience mentoring or training other media team members; formal management experience is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategy and client relationships on 3 to 5 accounts, owning media results and client health on each.
• Build and present full-funnel media strategies that connect brand, performance, and community to business goals.
• Own budget strategy, including forecasting, allocation, pacing, and reconciliation.
• Direct account teams and channel partners, keeping execution on strategy and on pace.
• Manage and develop one to two Media Strategists or Media Coordinators.
• Partner with analytics on measurement plans and turn results into investment decisions and present performance to clients.
• Track team hours in Harvest and support SOWs, renewals, and new business pitches.
• Grow vendor and publisher relationships, negotiating for preferred rates and added value.
• Share learnings and best practices across the Media team and contribute to department process development.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Client advisory

Media planning

Budgeting & forecasting

Team leadership

Data storytelling

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Harvest

The Trade Desk

Job description

At Backbone, we live by the mantra that passion drives results. We partner with leading active lifestyle brands like YETI and Smartwool to drive growth through integrated media and communications. We only work with brands we believe in, and we pair teammates with brands that match their interests and expertise. You'll join a team of smart, driven marketers who share a passion for the outdoors and for doing great work for great brands.

The Job

The Associate Media Director is a senior, client-facing leader on our Media team. You'll be the strategic lead on 3 to 5 client accounts, accountable for media results on each, and a key partner to your Director on client health. You'll build full-funnel media plans that connect brand, performance, and community, and be the person clients and teammates turn to for a clear point of view. You stay hands‑on in strategy, planning, and client leadership, and you direct execution through Backbone's channel teams rather than running every buy yourself.

You’ll directly manage one to two Media Strategists or Media Coordinators. This role reports to a Media Director and is a clear step on the path to Media Director at Backbone.

The ideal candidate is a decisive, strategic thinker with depth in either brand or performance media and a working fluency in the other. You tell clients what the data says, even when it isn't what they hoped to hear. You develop people as well as plans, and you bring empathy to clients and teammates alike.

The Work

• Lead strategy and client relationships on 3 to 5 accounts, owning media results and client health on each
• Build and present full-funnel media strategies that connect brand, performance, and community to business goals
• Own budget strategy, including forecasting, allocation, pacing, and reconciliation
• Direct account teams and channel partners, keeping execution on strategy and on pace
• Manage and develop one to two Media Strategists or Media Coordinators
• Partner with analytics on measurement plans and turn results into investment decisions and present performance to clients
• Track team hours in Harvest and support SOWs, renewals, and new business pitches
• Grow vendor and publisher relationships, negotiating for preferred rates and added value
• Share learnings and best practices across the Media team and contribute to department process development.

The Essentials

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience
• 5-8 years of relevant paid media experience, with depth in brand or performance channels
• 4+ years leading client relationships, agency side preferred
• Experience mentoring or training other media team members; formal management experience is a plus

Your Capabilities

• Trusted client advisor who presents strategy clearly and holds a position under pushback
• Builds full-funnel plans and explains how each channel drives business goals
• Builds budgets and forecasts from business goals up and reallocates spend based on performance
• Turns complex analysis into clear action, with strong storytelling skills in Excel and PowerPoint.
• Develops people through clear delegation and direct, constructive feedback
• Keeps teams focused while adapting plans as client needs shift
• Proactive use of AI tools, with sound judgment about what to delegate
• Challenges the status quo with new ideas, tests, and approaches, and spots growth opportunities for clients and Backbone, including across departments.
• Negotiates confidently with vendors and publishers to secure value for clients.
• Grow vendor and publisher relationships, negotiating for preferred rates and added value

The Extra Mile

• Advanced measurement experience, including incrementality testing, MMM, or attribution
• Fluency in growth metrics such as CAC, MER, iROAS, and LTV:CAC
• Experience leading new business pitches or RFP responses
• Experience with retail media, programmatic, or CTV platforms such as Amazon Ads or The Trade Desk
• A love of the outdoors
• A sense of humor

Be you, on our team. We seek to build an inclusive team and culture that values diverse lived experiences, backgrounds and skill sets.

Salary: $80,000-$100,000 annually plus benefits, depending on experience

Comprehensive Benefits:

• Medical coverage
• Dental coverage
• Vision coverage
• 401 (k) match
• Wellness benefit
• Professional development/education assistance
• Paid volunteer hours
• Parental leave
• Flexible schedule
• Company-wide offsites
• Hybrid workplace, 2 days per week in office

About Backbone Media: We are the country’s leading active lifestyle media agency. For 29 years, Backbone has partnered with brands big and small to develop and execute effective, integrated media strategies. With offices in Carbondale and Denver, Colorado, Backbone has been consistently included on Outside Magazine’s “Best Places to Work” list.

Please no phone calls regarding job inquiries.

Application closing date: November 23, 2026

Backbone provides equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.