Associate Media Planner – Marketing & Media Operations

Virtual Company; Irvine (CA); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 69,000; Full time

Job summary

The Fountain Group is seeking an Associate Media Planner to support an Integrated Media team within a global biopharmaceutical organization in Irvine, CA. Hybrid preferred, with remote candidates considered.

The role focuses on media operations, vendor coordination, campaign execution, contracting, and financial tracking, with 2–5 years' related experience ideal for candidates early in their media planning careers.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Advertising, Communications, or a related field.
• 2–5 years of experience in media planning, media operations, advertising operations, marketing coordination, media buying, or related fields.
• Understanding of media channels, campaign execution, and advertising workflows.

Responsibilities

• Support Media Planners and Media Managers with campaign planning, activation, and execution.
• Coordinate approved media buys to ensure campaigns launch on schedule and run smoothly.
• Maintain media calendars, campaign timelines, creative trackers, and planning documentation.
• Coordinate advertising material trafficking, media specifications, campaign readiness, and placement verification.
• Track campaign progress, collect proof-of-performance documentation, and provide status updates.

Skills

Media planning

Campaign coordination

Vendor management

Financial tracking

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint

Outlook

Teams

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Marketing/Advertising/Communications

Tools

Telmar

CD Promo

MediaTools

Job description

The Fountain Group is currently seeking an Associate Media Planner for a prominent client in the biopharmaceutical industry.

Location: Irvine, CA (Hybrid Preferred; Remote Candidates Considered)

Pay Rate:

• Irvine/Local Candidates: $47.00–$50.00/hour
• Remote Candidates: $39.00–$42.00/hour

Initial Contract Length: 1 year, with potential for extension or conversion to permanent employment

Interview Process: 2 rounds

Position Overview

We are seeking a detail-oriented and motivated Associate Media Planner to support an Integrated Media team within a leading global biopharmaceutical organization.

This position focuses on media operations, vendor coordination, campaign execution, contracting, and financial tracking. The ideal candidate will have approximately 2–5 years of relevant experience in media planning, advertising operations, marketing coordination, or agency environments.

This is an excellent opportunity for an early-career professional looking to develop their expertise in media planning and operations while gaining exposure to cross-functional teams, senior leadership, and a highly collaborative environment.

Location Flexibility: Candidates local to Irvine, CA are strongly preferred for a hybrid schedule. Remote candidates will also be considered, particularly those open to relocating to Irvine if a permanent conversion opportunity becomes available.

Key Responsibilities

Media Planning & Campaign Coordination

• Support Media Planners and Media Managers with campaign planning, activation, and execution.
• Coordinate approved media buys to ensure campaigns launch on schedule and run smoothly.
• Maintain media calendars, campaign timelines, creative trackers, and planning documentation.
• Coordinate advertising material trafficking, media specifications, campaign readiness, and placement verification.
• Track campaign progress, collect proof-of-performance documentation, and provide status updates.

Media Contracting & Vendor Management

• Coordinate media contracting activities, including intake requests, work orders, insertion orders (IOs), and purchase orders (POs).
• Support vendor onboarding, procurement activities, contract approvals, and documentation requirements.
• Communicate with external media vendors and internal stakeholders to obtain required information and resolve outstanding issues.
• Partner with Procurement, Legal, Finance, Operations, and Data Privacy teams throughout the contracting process.
• Proactively identify missing information, resolve discrepancies, and prevent campaign or contracting delays.

Financial Tracking & Operational Support

• Track media budgets, campaign spending, invoices, purchase orders, and vendor payments.
• Maintain accurate financial records and assist with billing reconciliation.
• Identify budget discrepancies, outstanding invoices, and potential financial risks.
• Ensure campaign documentation and financial trackers remain current, accurate, and accessible.
• Support compliance with pharmaceutical industry regulations, internal policies, and procurement requirements.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Advertising, Communications, or a related field.
• Approximately 2–5 years of experience in media planning, media operations, advertising operations, marketing coordination, media buying, or a related field.
• Understanding of media channels, campaign execution, and advertising workflows.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Experience coordinating with internal stakeholders, external vendors, and cross-functional teams.
• Strong Microsoft Office skills, particularly Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently, take initiative, identify issues, and follow tasks through completion.
• Strong problem-solving abilities and willingness to learn new systems and processes.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting media planning or buying teams within an advertising or media agency.
• Familiarity with media contracting, insertion orders (IOs), purchase orders (POs), invoicing, and vendor onboarding.
• Experience maintaining media calendars, campaign trackers, and financial reports.
• Familiarity with media planning platforms such as Telmar, CD Promo, MediaTools, or similar tools.
• Experience using Microsoft Copilot.
• Previous experience in pharmaceutical, healthcare, or another regulated industry is beneficial but not required.

Ideal Candidate Profile

We are particularly interested in candidates who:

• Have early-career to intermediate-level media planning or media operations experience.
• Enjoy coordinating multiple projects, vendors, and stakeholders.
• Demonstrate ownership of assignments from initiation through completion.
• Are proactive, curious, organized, and comfortable asking questions.
• Have a strong interest in professional development and long-term career growth.
• Want to build a career in media planning and operations within a large organization.

This role is best suited for an associate-level professional seeking growth opportunities rather than a senior-level media strategist or people manager.

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