Media Supervisor

Laughlin Constable; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 75,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Laughlin Constable is seeking a Senior Media Planner to manage day-to-day client communications and drive media strategies across traditional and digital channels. You will translate objectives into actionable plans for national and local markets, leveraging research tools to uncover insights and optimize performance.

You will oversee budgets, collaborate with cross-functional teams, and mentor the Coordinators to ensure effective media activation and measurable growth for a high-volume retail

Qualifications

• Minimum 4 years of media planning experience.
• Experience with multi-location or retail environments preferred.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong Excel and PowerPoint skills.

Responsibilities

• Manage day-to-day expectations and communications with the Client and align with sales, traffic, and brand goals.
• Translate client objectives into actionable, measurable media plans across traditional and digital channels.
• Leverage research tools to understand target audiences and inform hyperlocal and national strategies.
• Prepare and present integrated media plans detailing objectives, strategy, and execution.
• Oversee coordinators and ensure budgets and billing accuracy; mentor junior staff.
• Collaborate with creative, analytics, and specialist teams to ensure integrated messaging.

Skills

Media planning

Client communication

Vendor negotiation

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

The Media Supervisor will manage day-to-day expectations and communications for a leading convenience and fuel retailer with aggressive growth, sales, and market share goals. This position requires the ability to balance brand-building with highly targeted local-market activation, ensuring media strategies deliver measurable impact across both established and emerging markets.

The Supervisor will establish a true partnership with the Client’s business by gaining and maintaining a deep understanding of retail category dynamics, competitive activity, regional market differences, and seasonal sales drivers. They will maintain a vocal, visible role in all major internal and client meetings and be ready to step in and handle situations when the Media Director is not available.

This role offers frequent client contact and the opportunity to lead cross-media integration across a high-volume, performance-driven retail account.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Manage day-to-day expectations and communications with the Client, building trusted relationships and ensuring alignment with sales, traffic, and brand equity goals.
• Understand client business objectives and translate them into actionable, measurable media strategies and tactical plans across traditional and digital channels.
• Leverage proprietary and third-party research tools to deeply understand target audience segments — including their behaviors, motivations, and media consumption patterns — and distill those findings into relevant, actionable insights that inform hyperlocal and overarching media strategies that exceed client goals, address challenges, and identify innovative tactics to drive growth.
• Prepare and present integrated communication plans that clearly and succinctly convey objectives, strategy, rationale, and tactical execution to the client.

Strategic Planning & Execution

• Maintain thorough, up-to-date knowledge of the Client’s business, including market share, business priorities, category seasonality, and competitive strategies.
• Oversee Coordinators, managing day-to-day operations of all media activity and ensuring plans align with the Client’s business needs.
• Use proprietary and third-party research tools (e.g., Telmar, Resonate Data, Vivvex) to inform strategic planning and audience targeting.
• Prepare and present integrated communication plans including objectives, strategy, rationale, and supporting documentation, with a focus on both national and local-market initiatives.
• Ensure effective stewardship of client budgets and media billings, proactively managing investment pacing and reconciling discrepancies.
• Partner with finance and operations teams to maintain accuracy in all billing, authorization, and reconciliation processes.
• Oversee and mentor Coordinator, ensuring they understand the unique objectives, strategies, and KPIs for the Client’s campaigns.
• Establish strong working relationships with creative, analytics, and specialist teams to ensure seamless integration of media and messaging.
• Foster a culture of curiosity and innovation, encouraging the team to explore emerging media channels and retail-specific opportunities.

Performance Optimization & Industry Engagement

• Continuously analyze campaign performance, working collaboratively with analytics, to identify opportunities for improvement, applying a test-and-learn approach.
• Stay abreast of retail, media, and consumer trends — especially in convenience, foodservice, and fuel categories — to identify proactive opportunities for the Client.
• Cultivate strong relationships within the media sales community to leverage partnerships and secure high-value opportunities.

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE / SKILLS

• Minimum 4 years media planning experience (current title should be Senior Media Planner
• Retail and/or multi-location business experience preferred; experience with market-level
• planning and localized targeting a plus.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with the ability to engage with all levels of client and agency teams.
• Proven ability to craft concise, persuasive media presentations and present with confidence.
• Strong command of media fundamentals and research tools, with the ability to translate consumer insights into actionable strategies.
• Skilled negotiator with proven vendor relationship management.
• Ability to prioritize and organize multiple projects, balancing national and local-market demands.
• Advanced Excel skills; intermediate PowerPoint and Microsoft Word skills.

Laughlin Constable is an equal opportunity employer and participates in E-Verify. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.