Senior Manager, Media Strategy

Monks; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Excellent health insurance

Generous PTO & holidays

401k with company contribution

Parental leave

Work‑life balance

Career growth in disruptor space

Diverse, inclusive culture

DEI commitment

Job summary

Monks seeks a Sr Manager, Media Strategy to lead day-to-day planning, insights and client service for key relationships. You will guide cross-channel campaigns, build data-driven stories, and present high-impact strategies to senior clients.

The role requires 3+ years in media planning or client service, strong communication, and a comfort with AI-enabled workflows. You will collaborate with Activation, Investment and Data teams, mentor junior staff, and help grow client engagements.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in media planning, digital media or client service.
• Self-starter who can manage multiple projects with high standards.
• Experience with syndicated media planning tools (MediaOcean Prisma, Comscore, GWI, Nielsen).
• Strong written and verbal communication skills for client conversations and presentations.
• Comfortable with data analysis and AI-enabled workflows.
• Desire to grow as a leader and mentor to colleagues.
• BA or equivalent with emphasis on marketing, advertising, or business.

Responsibilities

• Manage cross-channel campaign planning and deliver holistic, full-funnel recommendations.
• Own project management across client workstreams, coordinate timelines and escalate risks.
• Manage campaign logistics to ensure flawless execution.
• Lead daily/weekly client interactions and share performance details.
• Coordinate with Activation, Investment and Data & Measurement teams on optimizations.

Skills

Cross-functional leadership

Media planning

Client service

Storytelling with data

Senior stakeholder communication

Education

BA or equivalent in marketing/advertising/business

Tools

MediaOcean Prisma

Comscore

GWI

Nielsen

Job description

About Monks

Monks is a new kind of agency, built from the ground up by award-winning creatives, top data scientists and cutting-edge media people willing to defect from the old agency model to create smarter work. Challenging convention, we bridge the gap between meaningful storytelling, data‑led optimization and commerce. A spirit of curiosity, relentless creativity and data‑informed decision making define our culture and people.

About Media Strategy

The Media Strategy department is the strategic heart of Monks' media offering: a unified team bringing together deep expertise in media strategy, media planning, and account management. We build integrated, full‑funnel media strategies that connect brand storytelling to measurable business outcomes, powered by AI‑enabled workflows and analytical rigor.

About the Role

The Sr Manager, Media Strategy works on some of Monks' most important and valuable client relationships, driving day-to-day planning, insights and client service. The team you'll support demonstrates expertise in:

• World‑class communication and relationship skills, with the confidence to lead strategic conversations and build trusted partnerships
• An exceptional track record of managing and growing accounts
• Fearless ability to tell data‑driven stories and extract key insights
• Building and presenting high‑impact presentations to senior‑level clients
• Full‑funnel understanding of the media landscape across Social, Search, Audio, Programmatic/Digital Investment, Commerce (Amazon), Holistic Video, OOH, and Direct Partnerships.

Responsibilities:

• Manage cross‑channel campaign planning efforts and partner closely with key stakeholders to deliver holistic, full‑funnel recommendations.
• Own project management and delivery across assigned client workstreams, proactively managing priorities, negotiating timelines and deliverables, and escalating significant risks to senior leadership
• Manage campaign logistics to ensure flawless execution.
• Own daily and weekly client interaction: facilitate client calls and meetings, handle one‑off requests and share campaign performance details.
• Be the internal champion for your client's goals, coordinating closely with Activation, Investment and Data & Measurement teams on optimizations and performance
• Guide and elevate the work of cross functional teams, sharing expertise and support for more junior team members to help foster stronger strategic thinking and collaboration
• Maintain analytical curiosity and the ability to turn complex data into compelling stories, actionable insights, and clear recommendations, both internally and externally
• Use AI‑enabled tools to accelerate research, audience insights, plan building and reporting.
• Brainstorm and implement new ways to optimize client and business workflows, bringing innovative thinking and practical solutions to the table
• Understand the full spectrum of services Monks offers and help grow new and existing engagements in a thoughtful, consultative way.
• Package learnings into case studies, best practices and client‑facing POVs with cross‑functional teams.
• Contribute to the culture of the Media Strategy department and the agency by being curious, thoughtful and fearless.

About You

The essentials:

• 3+ years of experience in media planning, digital media or client service, ideally within complex organizational structures.
• A self‑starter who manages multiple projects at once with very high standards for your work.
• Experienced with syndicated media planning tools (e.g., MediaOcean Prisma, Comscore, GWI, Nielsen) to build audience‑driven plans.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, bringing energy and enthusiasm to client conversations while simplifying complex strategies and tailoring your message to the audience.
• Comfortable with data analysis and eager to adopt AI‑enabled ways of working.
• Excellent problem‑solving and critical thinking abilities.
• Desire to grow as a leader and mentor to colleagues.
• Not afraid to defect from the status quo in order to make our clients and company more successful.
• BA or equivalent with emphasis on marketing, advertising, or business.

At Monks, we believe in fostering an environment where a diversity of perspectives can thrive. We proactively work to design hiring processes that promote equity and inclusion while mitigating bias. We celebrate diversity and are committed to building a team that reflects the communities we serve. We welcome and encourage qualified applicants, from all backgrounds, who are excited to contribute to our mission.

#LI-OG1 #LI-Remote

What We Offer

Benefits

• Excellent, full coverage medical, dental, and vision insurance - more about our coverage here!
• Generous PTO and 15 company-wide holidays
• 401k with company contribution
• Paid parental leave
• Work‑life balance with an emphasis on personal well‑being
• Career growth in a disruptor space & entrepreneurial opportunities within the Monks network
• A globally diverse & inclusive culture with employee resource groups such as S4 Melanin, Pride.Monks, Cultura.Monks, and more!
• Authentic commitment to DEI efforts and sustainable growth. (Why Sir Martin Sorrell signed The Climate Pledge here!)

This role is subject to our Return to Office (RTO) policy. If you reside within a commutable distance of one of our office locations, you will be expected to work from the office a set number of days per week. The specific details, including the number of required office days, will be in accordance with the company’s then-current RTO policy, which is subject to change from time to time.

Monks has provided a compensation range that represents its good faith estimate of what Monks may pay for the position at the time of posting. Monks may ultimately pay more or less than the posted compensation range. The salary offered to the selected candidate will be determined based on job‑related factors, but not based on a candidate’s sex or any other protected status.

Salary Range:

$85,000 — $95,000 USD

About Monks

Monks is the global, digital‑first, data‑driven, unitary operating brand of S4Capital plc, where our culture centers on how we show up for the work and for one another. That begins with the commitment to strive for mastery—taking deep pride in our craft and creating work that sets the bar. In everyday execution, we drive momentum by choosing bold action rather than waiting for certainty. Above all, our teams are stronger together, bringing diverse perspectives into a unified team that communicates with clarity, trust, and mutual respect.

This commitment to craft and innovation translates directly into widespread industry acclaim: Monks was named a Contender in The Forrester Wave: Global Marketing Services and a leader in the 2026 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Global Digital Marketing Agencies. It ranks among Cannes Lions' Top 10 Creative Companies (2022-25) and remains the only partner featured in AdExchanger’s Programmatic Power Players list every year (2020-24). Named Adweek’s first AI Agency of the Year (2023) and The One Show’s inaugural AI Pioneer Organization (2025), Monks was also awarded Business Intelligence Group’s 2026 Excellence in Artificial Intelligence Award in the Human-Machine Interaction Team category. Additionally, Monks.Flow earned AI‑based Marketing Solution of the Year at the 2026 AI Breakthrough Awards and a 2026 Global Generative AI Award in the Agentic Marketing Innovation category. Finally, Monks achieved a record‑breaking number of FWAs and continues to hold the most of any partner.

We are an equal‑opportunity employer committed to building a respectful and empowering work environment for all people to freely express themselves amongst colleagues who embrace diversity in all respects. Including fresh voices and unique points of view in all aspects of our business not only creates an environment where we can all grow and thrive but also increases our potential to produce work that better represents—and resonates with—the world around us.