Media Planner

Spectraforce; Irvine (CA); Hybrid; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Spectraforce is seeking an Associate Media Planner / Media Buyer III in Irvine, CA. This hybrid role focuses on end-to-end media contracting, campaign trafficking, financial tracking, and vendor coordination across multiple brand portfolios.

You will work with Media Planners, Procurement, Finance, Legal, and external vendors to ensure compliant, on-time campaigns and precise spend reporting.

Qualifications

• 2–4 years of marketing agency, media planning, media buying, or campaign operations experience.
• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Advertising, Communications, Business, or a related field.
• Strong command of media campaign lifecycles from plan approval to contracting, trafficking, launch verification, and billing.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel (VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, pivot tables, data reconciliation) and full fluency in Microsoft 365 (PowerPoint, Teams, Outlook).
• Experience managing multiple high-detail workstreams (IOs, POs, media trackers) in a structured or regulated environment.
• Confident verbal and written communication with external vendors and internal teams.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end media contracting lifecycle: contract intake, vendor onboarding, SOW/Work Order creation, IOs and PO alignment.
• Coordinate cross-functional compliance routing across Data Privacy, Legal, Procurement, and Brand teams for reviews and approvals.
• Maintain status trackers to resolve contracting roadblocks and keep flight schedules.

Skills

Media planning

Media buying

Campaign operations

Excel advanced

Microsoft 365

Education

Bachelor's degree in Marketing/Advertising/Communications/Business

Tools

Telmar

CD Promo

Media trackers

Microsoft Copilot

Job description

Position Title: Associate Media Planner / Media Buyer III

Duration: 1-Year on W2 (High conversion-to-FTE potential based on performance and business needs)

Work Arrangement: Hybrid, 3 days on-site

Location: Irvine, CA 92612

Interview Process: 2 Virtual Rounds

Role Overview:

The Associate Media Planner plays a pivotal operational role in translating approved media strategies across multiple brand workstreams into fully executed, compliant advertising campaigns. Operating within an in-house agency environment supporting multi-brand portfolios, this role bridges the gap between Media Planners, Procurement, Finance, Legal, and external Media Vendors.

This position focuses heavily on end-to-end media contracting, campaign workflow trafficking, financial tracking, and vendor coordination, serving as an ideal role for an operational marketer or media coordinator looking to advance into strategic media planning.

Qualifications & Candidate Profile:

Required Experience & Skills

• Experience: 2–4 years of marketing agency, media planning, media buying, or campaign operations experience.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Advertising, Communications, Business, or a related field.
• Core Competencies: Strong command of media campaign lifecycles (from plan approval to contracting, trafficking, launch verification, and billing).
• Technical Proficiency: Advanced Microsoft Excel skills (VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, pivot tables, data reconciliation) and full fluency in Microsoft 365 (PowerPoint, Teams, Outlook).
• Operational Execution: Demonstrated experience managing multiple high-detail workstreams (e.g., IOs, POs, media trackers) in a structured or regulated environment.
• Communication: Confident verbal and written communication skills with comfort running follow-ups across external vendors and internal corporate teams.

Preferred

• Prior experience within an advertising agency or internal agency setting supporting multiple brands or therapeutic areas.
• Familiarity with media-buying workflows, standard trafficking operations, and media reconciliation software.
• Experience or exposure to media planning/research tools (e.g., Telmar, CD Promo, or equivalent planning software).
• Experience utilizing productivity tools like Microsoft Copilot.

Key Responsibilities:

Media Contracting & Procurement Operations

• Own the end-to-end media contracting lifecycle: contract intake, vendor onboarding, Statement of Work (SOW)/Work Order creation, Insertion Orders (IOs), and Purchase Order (PO) alignment.
• Coordinate cross-functional compliance routing across Data Privacy, Legal, Procurement, and Brand teams for required reviews, approvals, and formal filing.
• Maintain clear status trackers to resolve contracting roadblocks and maintain campaign flight schedules.

Campaign Trafficking & Launch Coordination

• Partner closely with Media Planners and Media Managers to operationalize approved media plans across digital and traditional channels.
• Own and update core operational assets: media calendars, creative asset trackers, spec sheets, and buy authorizations.
• Coordinate with external media partners to deliver technical specifications, monitor launch readiness, confirm live placements, and collect proof-of-performance (screenshots/tear sheets).

Financial Tracking & Budget Reconciliation

• Track campaign budgets, PO numbers, monthly invoiced amounts, accrued spend, and variances.
• Reconcile discrepancies between billing, contracted work orders, and third-party media delivery, escalating financial risks promptly to Finance and Media Leads.
• Act as the direct point of contact for external media publishers and vendors regarding missing assets, technical specs, tracking tags, and administrative queries.
• Drive operational momentum across multiple brand teams simultaneously, keeping stakeholders informed of critical deadlines and delivery dependencies.

At SPECTRAFORCE, we are committed to maintaining a workplace that ensures fair compensation and wage transparency in adherence with all applicable state and local laws.