VP, Media

Critical Mass; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 185,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in the media industry is seeking a VP of Media to spearhead media strategies for key clients. The ideal candidate will have over 10 years of experience, strong leadership skills, and a passion for digital media. This role involves managing a high-performing team, overseeing client relationships, and driving performance media strategies to achieve client KPIs. The company offers competitive benefits and a collaborative work environment.

Benefits

Global maternity and parental leave

Competitive benefits packages

Vacation and wellness days

Early Dismissal Fridays

Internal learning and development programs

Qualifications

• 10+ years of media experience with a focus on digital.
• Proven experience managing teams of 10+ professionals.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a hybrid team across media strategies.
• Oversee client relationships and manage omni-channel campaigns.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Data Analysis

Digital Media

Tools

eMarketer

Nielsen

comScore

Google Ad products

Job description

As the VP of Media, you will lead the development and execution of media strategies across key client accounts. The ideal candidate brings over 10 years of diverse media experience, with a strong emphasis on digital, and has a proven track record of managing and developing high-performing teams of 10 or more professionals. This role requires a confident, decisive leader who excels in client-facing settings, communicates effectively, and drives strategy, planning, and recommendations grounded in data-driven insights. Your leadership will be integral in shaping and optimizing media strategies that deliver measurable results for our clients.

You Will:

• Lead, mentor, and inspire a hybrid team (both in-person and remote).
• Oversee client relationships, ensuring alignment with marketing goals and budgets.
• Manage omni-channel campaigns and collaborate with social, creative, and other media teams.
• Drive performance media strategies and optimization to ensure clients meet their KPIs.
• Attend and lead regular client meetings.
• Serve as a strategic advisor, guiding clients through the media planning process.
• Collaborate closely with internal and external stakeholders to ensure seamless execution.
• Partner with Strategy, Creative, Marketing Science, and Client Services leads across the organization.
• Support Marketing and Media Managers with reporting templates, management, and client presentations.
• Pull and deliver accurate data for initial analyses.
• Provide insights on campaign analysis and optimization.
• Research and prepare new information for paid media plans, RFPs, and presentations.
• Evaluate, build, and maintain relationships within the display and emerging media community.
• Stay up-to-date on the latest trends in interactive marketing and media and advise the Marketing and Media teams accordingly.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including social leads, creatives, and account managers.

You Have:

• Must have:Auto industry and agency experience.
• 10+ years of comprehensive media experience, with a passion and focus on digital.
• Proven experience managing and developing teams of 10+ professionals.
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to make decisive decisions and maintain a confident, clear voice.
• Expertise in using data to inform media strategy, planning, and recommendations.
• Experience with both tier 1 and tier 2 media (national and regional).
• Exceptional communication skills, particularly in client-facing settings.
• In-depth understanding of key media channels, including search and social.
• Ability to mentor and guide directors, supporting their professional growth.
• Comfortable leading client meetings, driving performance media, and providing regular marketing pulse checks.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and grow a team of media professionals.
• Experience with eMarketer, Nielsen, and comScore.
• Familiarity with Google Ad products.
• Expert-level understanding of digital media and the digital landscape.
• Thorough knowledge of standard and rich media ad trafficking software for display, video, mobile, and emerging channels.
• Passion for digital media and staying ahead of industry trends.
• Flexible and adaptable to new situations and challenges.

Nice-to-Haves:

• Experience with the OMNI marketing orchestration platform.

What We Offer:

• Global maternity and parental leave
• Competitive benefits packages
• Vacation, compassionate leave, wellness days, and flex days
• Access to online services for families and new parents
• Early Dismissal Friday’s (off at 3:00 PM local time every Friday)
• 13 affinity groups
• Internal learning and development programs
• Enterprise-wide employee discounts

The Talent Team at Critical Mass is focused on ensuring we provide the best training, onboarding, and employee experience possible! Our new hires & employees are the future of our organization, and we want to set you up for long-term success. In an effort to do so, we expect our team to work from an office a minimum of 3 days a week.

We continually review ranges to address skills, experience and markets. Base salaries are determined during our interview process, by assessing a number of factors that inclu de, but aren’t limited to, a candidate’s experience and skills relative to the scope and responsibilities of the position. For current CM employees, tenure will also be a consideration.

Salary Range

$185,000 - $210,000 USD

Critical Mass is an equal opportunity employer.

The Critical Mass Talent Acquisition team will only communicate from email addresses that use the URLs criticalmass.comandus.greenhouse-mail.io . We will not use apps such as Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, or Google Hangouts for communicating with you. We will never ask you to send us money, technology, or anything else to work for our company. If you believe you are the victim of a scam, please review your local government consumer protections guidance and reach out to them directly.

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