Manager, Media Planner

Ross Stores, Inc.; Dublin (CA); Hybrid; USD 113,000 - 173,000; Full time

Job summary

Ross Stores, Inc. in Dublin, CA seeks a Media Manager to lead in-house media planning across traditional and digital channels, translating business goals into data-driven campaigns.

You will partner with agencies and cross-functional teams to drive brand awareness and store traffic while optimizing media investments. This role requires 4–6 years of brand or agency media planning experience and advanced Excel skills to analyze performance, inform strategy, and guide investment decisions.

Qualifications

• 4–6 years of brand or agency media planning experience.
• Advanced Excel data analysis, modeling and scenario planning.
• Experience analyzing campaign performance and translating data into insights and recommendations.
• Familiarity with media measurement tools (platform analytics, MMM, brand lift studies).

Responsibilities

• Lead in-house media planning across traditional, digital, and paid social channels.
• Partner with brand, creative, and social teams to align content with objectives.
• Oversee end-to-end campaign execution, timelines, approvals and asset readiness.
• Manage and optimize large-scale media budgets with strong financial stewardship.
• Lead regular status meetings and ensure alignment on priorities and performance expectations.

Skills

Brand media planning

Excel analytics

Campaign analysis

Media measurement tools

Strategic thinking

Multitasking

Cross-functional collaboration

Attention to detail

Data-driven decisions

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Marketing/Advertising/Business

Tools

Platform analytics

MMM

Brand lift studies

Job description

Our values start with our people, join a team that values you!

Bring your talents to Ross, our leading off-price retail chain with over 2,200 stores, and a strong track record of success and growth. Our focus has always been bringing our customers a constant stream of high-quality brands and on-trend merchandise at extraordinary savings. All while providing a fun and exciting treasure hunt experience.

As part of our team, you will experience:

• Success. Our winning team pursues excellence while learning and evolving
• Career growth. We develop industry leading talent because Ross grows when our people grow<
• Teamwork. We work together to solve the hard problems and find the right solution
• Our commitment to Diversity, Equality & Inclusion, and our community. We celebrate the backgrounds, identities, and ideas of those who work and shop with us because our differences make us stronger. We strive to be a positive force in our community.

Our Corporate headquarters are in Dublin, CA, we have 3 buying offices in key markets in New York City, Los Angeles, and Boston, and 8 distribution centers nationwide. With 2023 revenues of $20.4 billion, we are a Fortune 500 company who is committed to providing an inclusive work environment with continuous learning opportunities and development for our teams.

GENERAL PURPOSE

The Media Manager is responsible for developing and executing integrated media strategies that drive brand awareness, shape brand perception, and increase store traffic for Ross. This role partners closely with internal cross-functional teams and external agency partners to translate business objectives into effective, data-driven media plans across traditional and digital channels. The Manager leverages insights from campaign performance, consumer behavior, and market trends to inform strategic decisions and optimize media investments. This role plays a key part in ensuring campaigns are executed efficiently and effectively, balancing analytical rigor with creative thinking to deliver strong business outcomes.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

In-House Media Leadership

• Build internal media planning capability by serving as a strategic in-house media lead across traditional, digital, and paid social channels.
• Bring hands-on brand-side or retailer-side media experience to improve internal ownership, agency oversight, and cross-functional planning.
• Translate business priorities into clear media briefs, audience strategies, testing plans, and performance expectations.
• Develop channel mix, audience targeting, geographic, and campaign flighting strategies.

Paid Social, Audience & Content Strategy

• Partner with brand, creative, and social teams to align content, messaging, and formats to priority audiences and campaign objectives.
• Support paid social strategy, including audience targeting, content testing, platform learnings, and performance optimization.
• Identify opportunities to improve content-to-audience fit across channels, markets, and campaign types.

Campaign Execution & Optimization

• Oversee end-to-end campaign execution, including timelines, approvals, and asset readiness
• Monitor in-flight performance and implement optimizations to improve effectiveness
• Ensure delivery against media plans, including managing under-delivery and campaign adjustments
• Manage and optimize large-scale media budgets with strong financial stewardship

Agency & Internal Operating Model

• Serve as primary day-to-day partner to media agencies
• Strengthen the internal media operating model by improving briefing, planning, feedback, optimization, and reporting processes.
• Ensure agencies are delivering strategic recommendations, not just executional plans.
• Proactively identify capability gaps, process improvements, and opportunities to increase media effectiveness.
• Lead regular status meetings and ensure alignment on priorities and performance expectations

Testing, Measurement & Learning Agenda

• In partnership with analytics team; Develop and manage a test-and-learn roadmap across audiences, creative, channels, markets, and media tactics.
• Use campaign results, MMM, brand lift, platform reporting, and other measurement inputs to recommend optimizations and future investment shifts.
• Partner with analytics and agency teams to define hypotheses, success metrics, readouts, and implications for future planning.

Market & Industry Expertise

• Stay current on media trends, consumer behavior, and competitive activity
• Evaluate emerging platforms, technologies, and opportunities to enhance media effectiveness
• Provide thought leadership on implications for Ross media strategy

COMPETENCIES

• Building Effective Teams
• Developing Talent
• Collaboration
• Leading by Example
• Communicates Effectively
• Ensures Accountability & Execution
• Manages Conflict
• Business Acumen
• Plans, Aligns & Prioritizes
• Organizational Agility
• Strategic Thinking
• Analysis & Judgment
• Decision Quality
• Drives Results

QUALIFICATIONS & SPECIAL SKILLS REQUIRED

• 4–6 years of experience in brand of agency media planning
• Advanced proficiency in Excel, including data analysis, modeling, and scenario planning (e.g., pivot tables, lookups, large datasets)
• Experience analyzing campaign performance and translating data into insights and recommendations
• Familiarity with media measurement tools (e.g., platform analytics, MMM, brand lift studies)
• Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving skills
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment
• Effective collaboration and communication skills across cross-functional teams and external partners
• Detail-oriented with strong organizational and execution skills
• Demonstrated ability to balance data-driven decision-making with creative thinking

EDUCATION / CERTIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Advertising, Business, or related field; advanced degree a plus

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Job requires ability to work in an office environment, primarily on a computer
• Requires sitting, standing, walking, hearing, talking on the telephone, attending in-person meetings, typing, and working with paper/files, etc
• Consistent timeliness and regular attendance
• Vision requirements: Ability to see information in print and/or electronically
• Travel to agencies and corporate offices required
• This role requires regular in-office presence, including to engage in in-person team interaction, meetings and collaboration, client support, mentoring, coaching, and/or feedback
• However, this role can perform duties effectively using a combination of in-office and remote work

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

None

DISCLAIMER

This job description is a summary of the primary duties and responsibilities of the job and position. It is not intended to be a comprehensive or all-inclusive listing of duties and responsibilities. Contents are subject to change at management's discretion.

Ross is an equal employment opportunity employer. We consider individuals for employment or promotion according to their skills, abilities and experience. We believe that it is an essential part of the Company's overall commitment to attract, hire and develop a strong, talented and diverse workforce. Ross is committed to complying with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religious creed, age, national origin, ancestry, physical, mental or developmental disability, sex (which includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and medical conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding), veteran status, military status, marital or registered domestic partnership status, medical condition (including cancer or genetic characteristics), genetic information, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, as well as any other category protected by federal, state or local laws.

The base pay range for this role $113,200.00 to $172,600.00. The base pay range is dependent on factors including, but not limited to, experience, skills, qualifications, relevant education, certifications, seniority, and location. The range listed is just one component of the total compensation package for employees. Other rewards vary by position and location.