Media Planner/Buyer

Stone Ward; Little Rock (AR); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Stone Ward is seeking a hands-on digital media professional with 3+ years of experience to lead planning, buying and optimization across Meta, Google Ads, and programmatic channels. You will manage full-funnel campaigns across multiple markets, translating performance data into actionable client recommendations.

You will work closely with strategy, creative, and analytics teams, presenting plans to clients and ensuring budgets, pacing, and reporting are accurate.

Qualifications

• 3+ years hands-on digital media planning and buying.
• Strong experience in Meta Ads Manager and Google Ads (Search, YouTube, Performance Max).
• Hands-on programmatic buying through a DSP.
• Experience building and optimizing complex, full-funnel campaigns.
• Strong understanding of media math: CPM, CPC, CPA/CPL, ROAS, reach, frequency, conversions, budget forecasting.
• Advanced Excel/Google Sheets skills with formulas, pivots, lookups and large datasets.
• Ability to translate data into actionable recommendations.
• Confident in presenting media strategy and performance to clients.

Responsibilities

• Plan, build, launch, and optimize paid media campaigns across Meta, Google Ads, YouTube, Performance Max, programmatic/DSPs, and other digital channels.
• Manage full-funnel campaigns from awareness through conversion, including campaign structure, targeting, budgets, bidding, creative rotations, and ongoing optimization.
• Develop media plans and recommendations based on client objectives, audiences, budgets, market dynamics, and performance data.
• Manage campaigns across multiple markets and locations while maintaining accurate budgets, pacing, trafficking, and reporting.
• Analyze performance and identify opportunities to improve efficiency, lead volume, conversion rates, and overall media effectiveness.
• Work directly with clients to present media plans, explain performance, and provide strategic recommendations.
• Collaborate with internal strategy, creative, account service, and analytics teams.

Skills

Campaign planning

Campaign optimization

Data analysis

Excel/Sheets

Client communication

Media math

Budget forecasting

Tools

Meta Ads Manager

Google Ads

Programmatic DSP

Job description

You’re a hands‑on, analytical media professional who is equally comfortable building campaigns, digging into performance data, and talking strategy with clients. You have 3+ years of digital media experience with strong working knowledge of Meta, Google Ads, and programmatic platforms.

You’ve personally built and managed campaigns from the ground up, including campaign, ad group/ad set, audience, creative, and conversion setup. Experience managing campaigns across multiple locations, markets, or business units is a major plus.

You’re numbers-driven, highly organized, and comfortable working in Excel or Google Sheets at an advanced level. You understand how media math connects to business outcomes and can turn performance data into clear recommendations.

• Plan, build, launch, and optimize paid media campaigns across Meta, Google Ads, YouTube, Performance Max, programmatic/DSPs, and other digital channels.
• Manage full-funnel campaigns from awareness through conversion, including campaign structure, targeting, budgets, bidding, creative rotations, and ongoing optimization.
• Develop media plans and recommendations based on client objectives, audiences, budgets, market dynamics, and performance data.
• Manage campaigns across multiple markets and locations while maintaining accurate budgets, pacing, trafficking, and reporting.
• Analyze performance and identify opportunities to improve efficiency, lead volume, conversion rates, and overall media effectiveness.
• Work directly with clients to present media plans, explain performance, and provide strategic recommendations.
• Collaborate with internal strategy, creative, account service, and analytics teams.

What You Bring

• 3+ years of hands‑on digital media planning and buying experience.
• Strong experience in Meta Ads Manager and Google Ads, particularly Search, YouTube, and Performance Max.
• Hands‑on programmatic buying experience through a DSP.
• Experience personally building and optimizing complex, full‑funnel campaign structures.
• Strong understanding of media math, including CPM, CPC, CPA/CPL, ROAS, reach, frequency, conversion rates, and budget forecasting.
• Advanced Excel/Google Sheets skills. We’re looking for someone who genuinely enjoys working with numbers, formulas, pivots, lookups, large datasets, and budget models.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills with the ability to translate data into actionable recommendations.
• Confidence communicating directly with clients and presenting media strategy and performance.

Big Pluses

• Experience managing paid media across multi‑location or multi‑unit businesses.
• Heavy experience with conversion‑focused or lead‑generation campaigns.
• Background in industries such as fitness, higher education, healthcare, franchise/multi‑location businesses, or other performance‑driven categories.
• Experience with advanced measurement, attribution, GA4, conversion tracking, or campaign automation.