Integrated Media Planner

Spectrum Science; United States; Hybrid; USD 125,000 - 155,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Monthly cell phone reimbursement

Sabbatical program after 7 years

13 weeks parental leave

Tuition reimbursement programs

Headspace mindfulness tools

401k with company match

Medical, dental, vision benefits

Flexible time off (PTO)

Performance-based development

Job summary

Spectrum Science seeks a Director of Integrated Media Planning to lead paid media strategies for health-focused brands. You will guide cross-functional teams, shape media plans, negotiate with partners, and optimize campaigns across digital and traditional channels.

The role emphasizes collaboration, strategic thinking, and hands-on execution in a remote-friendly, hybrid work environment. Ideal candidates bring 6+ years in agency planning, strong experience with pharma advertising, and

Qualifications

• Minimum 6 years planning experience within the agency environment. Experience within PR/Communications agencies is a strong plus.
• Core competency in traditional and offline channel planning.
• Strong fluency in sponsored content and endemic direct buys within the healthcare space, ideally with corporate communications clients.
• Minimum 4 years’ experience with pharmaceutical advertising.
• Understanding of digital advertising platforms including Google Ads, Facebook Ad Manager, Programmatic DSPs, and other relevant media platforms.
• Experience with campaign management, ad serving, and viewability/fraud prevention technology.
• Working knowledge of third‑party media research and competitive monitoring tools.
• Working knowledge of Google Analytics.
• Excellent presentation and deck building skills.
• Able to travel to meet client and agency needs.
• Ability to work autonomously while also being a strong relationship builder.
• Strong attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Drive organic growth of media solutions within the client base.
• Lead media solutions for new business pitches.
• Manage, mentor, and grow a cross-functional team of media planners and optimizers.
• Develop and document team processes and best practices.
• Lead the media planning, negotiation, and deployment, and optimization process for assigned clients from beginning to end.
• Identify and procure or conduct research on media consumption and trends for target audiences.
• Develop media strategies that directly address client objectives.
• Partner closely with earned media specialists to develop integrated strategies across Paid, Earned, Owned, and Shared channels.
• Directly and through junior staff manage media schedules, budget reconciliation, develop and send RFPs to identified media partners.
• Critically evaluate and compare RFP responses and negotiate added value while building and maintaining high trust and respect relationships with external media partners.
• Work with internal account and subject matter expert teams to collaboratively develop strategic brand plans with integrated media.
• Assist project management and account teams with estimation of paid media projects and retainers.
• Develop and nurture relationships with sales reps across key media partners and stay on top of emerging trends, technologies, and paid media opportunities.
• Educate internal teams on the media planning process, deliverables, timelines, and help upskill broad agency paid media proficiency.
• Plan across all paid media channels from digital channels like display, native, search, and social, to traditional channels like print and OOH, as well as video and audio advertising.
• Collaborate with subject matter experts within the paid media team to create holistic strategies while leveraging best practices and full strength of media capabilities.
• Show a collaborative, flexible, and solution-oriented working style and be prepared to roll up your sleeves when a hands‑on approach is needed

Skills

6+ years planning

Traditional media planning

Sponsored content

Pharma advertising

Digital ad platforms

Campaign management

Media research tools

Google Analytics

Presentation skills

Willing to travel

Autonomy & relationship-building

Attention to detail

Tools

Google Ads

Facebook Ad Manager

Programmatic DSPs

Job description

At Spectrum Science, our mission—connecting humankind to its best healthlife—comes to life through a culture rooted in curiosity, collaboration, and innovation. We believe breakthrough ideas happen when diverse perspectives are embraced and people are empowered to challenge what’s possible.

Join our team of award-winning health-focused experts across advertising, clinical trial experience, communications, consulting, media, medical communications, and patient engagement. Together, we create the momentum that moves science, brands, and careers forward.

The Director, Integrated Media Planning must have a love for strategic thinking blended with an ability to roll up their sleeves and see things through to execution and optimization. They will have proven themselves as an energetic and collaborative team member with responsibilities on high performing brands/accounts. They are ready to show—and teach—junior media planning specialists how it’s done. Ideally, the right candidate will possess an interest in healthcare and the scientific process and how to reach various audiences – from patients to healthcare professionals and everyday practitioners to thought leaders. An idea partner, they know that collaboration is key, and works lockstep with fellow disciplines to deliver high quality work to set the tone for what performance excellence looks like.

For this role, you will be a key member of an integrated cross-functional team working to bring marketing and communications campaigns to life through all types of paid media from print and digital to audio/video and emerging mediums, with a heavy emphasis in sponsored content. This position will work primarily with our clients in the communications and public relations area of our business. As a leader on the paid media team, you must be able to collaboratively lead internal and client strategic thinking to ensure that proposed media tactics directly achieve client strategic imperatives. You must also be an effective team leader mentoring a world-class team of cross-functional media planners and optimizers.

Job Responsibilities

• Drive organic growth of media solutions within the client base
• Lead media solutions for new business pitches
• Manage, mentor, and grow a cross-functional team of media planners and optimizers
• Develop and document team processes and best practices
• Lead the media planning, negotiation, and deployment, and optimization process for assigned clients from beginning to end
• Identify and procure or conduct research on media consumption and trends for target audiences
• Develop media strategies that directly address client objectives
• Partner closely with earned media specialists to develop integrated strategies across Paid, Earned, Owned, and Shared channels
• Directly and through junior staff manage media schedules, budget reconciliation, develop and send RFPs to identified media partners
• Critically evaluate and compare RFP responses and negotiate added value while building and maintaining high trust and respect relationships with external media partners
• Work with internal account and subject matter expert teams to collaboratively develop strategic brand plans with integrated media
• Assist project management and account teams with estimation of paid media projects and retainers
• Develop and nurture relationships with sales reps across key media partners and stay on top of emerging trends, technologies, and paid media opportunities
• Educate internal teams on the media planning process, deliverables, timelines, and help upskill broad agency paid media proficiency
• Plan across all paid media channels from digital channels like display, native, search, and social, to traditional channels like print and OOH, as well as video and audio advertising
• Collaborate with subject matter experts within the paid media team to create holistic strategies while leveraging best practices and full strength of media capabilities.
• Show a collaborative, flexible, and solution-oriented working style and be prepared to roll up your sleeves when a hands‑on approach is needed

Desired Skills and Qualifications

• Minimum 6 years planning experience within the agency environment. Experience within PR/Communications agencies is a strong plus
• Core competency/capability in traditional and offline channel planning
• Strong fluency in sponsored content and endemic direct buys within the healthcare space, ideally with corporate communications clients
• Minimum 4 years’ experience with pharmaceutical advertising
• Understanding of digital advertising platforms including Google Ads, Facebook Ad Manager, Programmatic DSPs, and other relevant media platforms
• Experience with campaign management, ad serving, and viewability/fraud prevention technology
• Working knowledge of third‑party media research and competitive monitoring tools
• Working knowledge of Google Analytics
• Excellent presentation and deck building skills
• Able to travel to meet client and agency needs
• Ability to work autonomously while also being a strong relationship builder
• Strong attention to detail

The anticipated salary range for this position will be $125,000-$155,000. Salary is based on job‑related factors such as: years of relevant experience, qualifications and/or certifications. Spectrum reserves the right to modify this pay range at any given time.

We want to ensure our employees are living their best (health and professional) life and offer a variety of benefits and perks which support our flexible work environment.

All positions are remote friendly. At Spectrum, you choose where you work. We are a hybrid work environment with options to work in one of our three offices (D.C., New York, and Chicago), remotely from anywhere in the United States, or a combination.

No matter where you work, you’ll benefit from the monthly cell phone reimbursement.

Flexible time off. Take the time you need in addition to company holidays, voting time, jury duty and bereavement. We also offer a Sabbatical Program after 7 years of service.

13 weeks paid Parental Leave, inclusive of adoption and foster care placement.

Continuous learning and development through Greatest Potential Self (proprietary talent program), tuition reimbursement programs, and in‑house 1:1 coaching with access to talent and productivity‑based assessments.

Bring your friends to work at Spectrum and earn a generous referral bonus.

Medical concierge service to assist with scheduling appointments, finding care, estimating and resolving claim issues, etc.

Thorough onboarding including accessible conversations with leadership.

401k with company match and 1:1 Financial Coaching and Education.

Wellness benefits including medical, dental, vision, as well as science‑backed meditation and mindfulness tools through Headspace.

Spectrum is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Spectrum is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. To request a reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, contact [e-mail]