Digital Media Strategist

SmartRecruiters, Inc.; Oak Park (IL); On-site; USD 65,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Shaker Recruitment Marketing seeks a Digital Media Strategist to own a portfolio of enterprise client accounts and translate client objectives into comprehensive media plans. You will develop channel mixes, budgets, and KPIs across paid search, social, programmatic, video, and emerging media, while collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure flawless execution.

The role requires hands-on media experience, strong client-facing skills, and the ability to optimize campaigns based on

Qualifications

• Agency background and hands-on paid digital media experience.
• 2+ years hands-on paid digital media experience.
• 1+ year independently managing a portfolio of client business.
• Experience across paid search, paid social, programmatic, video, and other digital channels.
• Advanced working knowledge of Google Ads and Meta Ads Manager; familiarity with other platforms.

Responsibilities

• Own a portfolio of enterprise-level client accounts and be the Digital subject matter expert.
• Develop integrated digital media strategies and budget scenarios.
• Lead client meetings, planning sessions, and quarterly business reviews.
• Coordinate with Client Services, Analytics, Ad Operations, and vendors.
• Translate data into actionable business recommendations and optimize campaigns.

Skills

Agency background

Paid digital media

Portfolio management

Google Ads

Meta Ads Manager

Budgets & forecasting

Analytics reporting

Excel proficiency

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

Google Analytics 4

Job description

• Compensation: USD 65,000 - USD 80,000 - yearly

Company Description

At Shaker, we believepeoplecan doimpactfulthings. Especiallyourpeople. In this role,you’llhelp us transform companies by connecting them to the right solutions for their most complex talent needs.Focused onhelpingorganizationsenhance their recruitment and retention results,you’llcollaborate with co-workers, partners,and clients to make it happen.Within our tight-knit community,you’llsee the future you create and enjoy theteamsupport to learn, grow, and thrive. What could be more powerful than that? Connect to the Power of People, with Shaker.

Job Description

The Digital Media Strategist is a client-facing strategic lead responsible for developing, managing, and evolving integrated digital media strategies that support clients’ hiring and recruitment goals. This individual owns an assigned book of business and is accountable for translating client objectives into actionable media strategies, measurable KPIs, channel recommendations, budget allocations, and ongoing performance improvements.

This role combines strategic thinking with hands-on platform knowledge. The Digital Media Strategist partners with Client Services, Digital Activation, Analytics, Ad Operations, Creative, vendors, and platform partners to ensure strategies are executable, campaigns remain aligned to client objectives, and performance insights lead to clear recommendations.

Responsibilities

Client and Book of Business Ownership

• Assume strategic ownership of an assigned portfolio of enterprise and complex client accounts.
• Develop a strong understanding of each client’s business, hiring goals, priority audiences, markets, media history, measurement capabilities, contractual requirements, and growth opportunities.
• Serve as the primary Digital subject matter expert for Client Services and assigned clients.
• Lead or actively participate in client meetings, planning sessions, performance reviews, quarterly business reviews, and new-business presentations.
• Manage multiple concurrent strategies, reporting deadlines, client meetings, renewals, and campaign priorities across the assigned book of business.
• Proactively identify performance risks, tracking gaps, budget concerns, scope changes, launch dependencies, and growth opportunities.
• Maintain clear account documentation and ensure continuity during account transitions or team absences.
• Balance proactive strategic planning with time-sensitive client and campaign needs.

Integrated Media Strategy

• Develop integrated digital media strategies across paid search, paid social, programmatic display, native, video, CTV, audio, and emerging media.
• Determine the appropriate channel mix based on audience behavior, hiring objectives, geography, competition, available creative, campaign duration, measurement capabilities, and budget.
• Build audience, keyword, campaign-structure, creative, testing, and measurement recommendations.
• Define success metrics and KPIs across awareness, consideration, engagement, application, and hiring outcomes.
• Develop budget scenarios, forecasts, media plans, rate estimates, and investment recommendations that clearly explain assumptions and tradeoffs.
• Conduct audience, competitive, platform, and market research to inform planning and testing opportunities.

Performance, Measurement and Optimization

• Own overall campaign performance and provide strategic direction with Digital Activation on optimizations, budget shifts, targeting refinements, keyword updates, bidding changes, creative testing, and channel adjustments.
• Analyze campaign data to identify trends, performance drivers, risks, and opportunities.
• Translate performance results into clear, actionable business recommendations rather than simply reporting metrics.
• Work with Analytics and Ad Operations to define conversion actions, validate measurement, build UTM and pixel-based tracking plans, identify tracking gaps, and appropriately communicate attribution limitations.
• Distinguish media-performance issues from tracking, audience, creative, landing-page, apply-flow, or broader market challenges and overall performance trends

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Partner with Digital Activation to ensure campaign launches, changes, and optimizations align with the approved strategy.
• Collaborate with Client Services, Analytics, Ad Operations, Creative, Copy, Programmatic Job Distribution, vendors, and platform partners.
• Provide clear direction, complete documentation, and timely feedback to enable accurate execution.
• Consult with and educate clients and internal teams on media best practices, platform changes, digital trends, testing opportunities, and emerging advertising capabilities.
• Contribute to process improvements, reusable frameworks, strategic documentation, and team knowledge sharing.
• Work effectively in a fast-paced, collaborative environment while remaining highly organized and operating with limited supervision.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Agency background.
• 2+ years of hands-on paid digital media experience, preferably in an agency or multi-client environment.
• 1+ years independently managing a portfolio or book of client business.
• Demonstrated experience developing and managing integrated strategies across paid search, paid social, programmatic, video, and other digital channels.
• Advanced working knowledge of Google Ads and Meta Ads Manager, with experience in additional platforms such as Microsoft Advertising, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Reddit or demand-side platforms.
• Experience managing large and small campaigns, monthly budgets, performance forecasts, and optimization decisions.
• Experience presenting media strategies, performance findings, and recommendations directly to clients and internal leaders.
• Strong understanding of conversion tracking, UTMs, pixels, attribution limitations, Google Analytics 4, and campaign measurement.
• Ability to turn complex performance data into clear business recommendations.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple accounts, deadlines, and priorities with limited supervision.
• Strong judgment, client presence, written and verbal communication, quantitative thinking, creative thinking, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong proficiency in Excel, including pivot tables, lookups, formulas, and performance-data analysis.
• Track record of successful digital media campaigns and measurable optimization recommendations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Recruitment marketing, performance marketing, or talent-attraction media experience.
• Experience managing enterprise, multi-location, global, or high-spend accounts.
• Agency background.
• Experience with Asana or a comparable project-management platform.
• Google Ads certifications or comparable platform credentials.
• Experience contributing to quarterly business reviews, new-business pitches, annual planning, renewals, and account-growth recommendations.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience.

Additional Information

Rewards and Career Advantages

Within a culture defined by energy, fun, and talent, our team enjoys competitive pay, health and financial benefits, and the opportunity to work among innovative, friendly colleagues.

About Us

Shaker Recruitment Marketing is the leading full-service talent marketing agency redefining how organizations attract, hire, and retain talent. With 75 years of expertise in branding, talent attraction, media, MarTech, and analytics, Shaker delivers strategies that lead with insight, fueled by creativity, and grounded in a legacy of trust and innovation.