Associate Media Director

Zambezi; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

Zambezi is seeking an Associate Media Director to join their team in Los Angeles. This role involves leading integrated media planning, executing campaigns, and managing client relations. Ideal candidates have over 8 years in media planning/buying with strong communication and leadership skills.

Benefits

Comprehensive benefits

Open PTO

100% medical, dental, vision coverage

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in media planning/buying in an agency/client environment.
• Strong understanding of digital media planning and buying processes.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop strategic integrated media strategies.
• Oversee execution of media campaigns and supervise direct reports.
• Manage client media plan and budget details.

Skills

Media planning

Client relationship management

Communication skills

Data analysis

Leadership

Tools

Google Suite

Excel

Powerpoint

Media planning tools

Job description

Zambezi’s media division, Scale by Zambezi, is seeking an Associate Media Director to join the growing team. Scale is a modern media practice that combines creative thinking with data-driven insights, and was named ADWEEK’s 2025 Breakthrough Media Agency of the Year.

The ideal candidate has previous experience leading integrated media planning and is looking to play a role in expanding our offerings. You will thrive in an entrepreneurial and collaborative environment. In addition to providing strategy, you will also be hands-on in the planning and execution. If you are looking for a place where you can continue to expand your repertoire and do your best work in an exciting creative environment, then this role is for you.

Candidates must reside in the greater Los Angeles area.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop strategic integrated media strategies inclusive of traditional and digital media channels
• Oversee the flawless execution of media campaigns, while supervising, advising, and providing counsel to direct reports
• Anticipate client needs and serve as client contact for strategic oversight, POVs and problem-solving
• Manage day-to-day operations of the client media plan and budget details, including flowcharts, budget trackers, and media authorizations
• Guide the team in drafting RFPs, developing partner lists and evaluating/negotiating proposals
• Build and present media plan recommendations, recaps and thought leadership
• Develop timelines and content to deliver on media brief deliverables, check-ins, presentations, launch, QA, and reporting
• Utilize planning tools to inform media mix selection, recommend budget scenarios, illustrate reach/frequency outputs, provide competitive intelligence
• Maintain effective communication between internal teams, with clients and with vendors
• Ensure accuracy across all planning documents; manage client budgets, billing schedules, flowcharts, and media plan details
• Manage assignments across the team, inform prioritization and workload management
• Mentor team members and contribute to their development
• Maintain strong relationships with clients and vendors
• Contribute creative media ideas and tactics

REQUIREMENTS

• 8+ years of experience working in media planning/buying in within an agency/client environment
• Demonstrate a strong understanding of digital media planning & buying processes
  • Familiarity with campaign trafficking, reporting, and digital specs is essential
• Ability to foster strong client relationships
• Experience with clients in financial vertical or B2B campaigns is a plus
• Exhibit experience in planning both national & local media, encompassing large-scale executions and tactical media initiatives
• Proficiency in implementing media measurement frameworks, employing test-and-learn approaches, and driving optimizations is required
• Capability to translate client objectives into actionable media strategies
• Experience with media planning tools such as DCM, Comscore, Nielsen, MRI/Simmons, Prisma, Media Tools, MOAT, IAS, and DV is necessary
• Experience working with Social & Programmatic teams, with platform experience being a plus
• Familiarity with site analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Adobe)
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, along with a high degree of attention to detail and accuracy, are critical
• Ability to interpret research, data/analytics, and comfort with general mathematical concepts
• Demonstrated experience presenting directly to clients
• Prior experience managing and mentoring junior staff
• Ability to manage timelines, multiple workstreams, and prioritize effectively
• Experience within Google Suite, Excel and Powerpoint
• Self-starter, able to work with a high level of autonomy

The salary range for this position is $100,000 - $125,000. Exactly where a prospective employee will be paid within this range will depend on, among other factors, the candidate’s depth of experience and qualifications about the job description and the actual job duties of the role. In addition to salary, we offer comprehensive benefits (covering 100% medical, dental, vision, open PTO, and more). The range above is for the expectations as laid out in the job description, however, we are often open to a wide variety of profiles to find the right candidate for Zambezi.

Our recruitment process relies on human evaluation and judgment to ensure a fair and equitable experience for all candidates. We do not utilize AI-powered tools or automated decision-making systems for screening, evaluation, or hiring decisions.

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