Media Buyer - Durban Based

Media buyer is responsible for effective negotiating, purchasing/booking and administration of time or space that is acquired across all media touch points on behalf of a portfolio of clients.
The buyer is responsible for ensuring the media appears on-time at the best cost whilst being accountable for managing all investment.
Buyer will work closely with the entire on and off-line media team (strategists & implementation planners) and provide strong support to this team.

Core Responsibilities

1. Buying/booking – Following Buying Process from start to end
2. Ensuring that written client approval and PO numbers are obtained prior to any booking being made.
3. Liaising with and all administration related to transactions with the media owners including providing relevant documentation i.e. applications/booking instructions, contracts and confirmation instructions.
4. Providing accurate and detailed information on the CI to the media owner and advise the various media owners of the creative agency supplying the material.
5. Notification of unavailable spots/positions and suitable alternatives.
6. Issuing of accurate and detailed material chase lists for all mediums to creative agencies.
7. Digitally filing all bookings and related correspondence to be accurate, timeous, and logical.
8. Create IO’s in Symphony to buy/bill Digital media.

Negotiation

1. Be conversant with the Group M trading considerations, engaging regularly with Group M trading head and/or business head to ensure current trading policy is adhered to.
2. Negotiating over and above the Planners schedule for best deals possible. This includes negotiation of additional discounts at time of booking or placing of advertising in a better position.
3. Negotiate compensation for non-placement and incorrect media placement.
4. Every media placement booked to carry a discount or added value.

Input into Navision and monthly billings

1. Input into media administrative system for billing and budget control purposes – accurately following the detailed Buying processes.
2. Ensuring all rate stages, dates and positions are correct and loaded onto the billing system accordingly i.e., rate card rate, discount, net, AV, special loading, etc.
3. Continuously inform implementer of any rate, position, or date changes.
4. All media to be loaded and checked against media contracts and schedules.
5. Balancing back to flowplans with actual monthly expenditure updated by the implementer.
6. Co-ordination with finance department to ensure billing ensues correctly and timeously (i.e. date set by finance is currently 25th the month for ATL, 10th day of the new month for Digital) – all billings to be signed by buyer, planner and business head prior to being sent to the finance department for billing.

• Updated flow plans are to accompany the client’s monthly statements & invoices.
• Run monthly reports to update Planners in assisting them with updating Flowplans, Schedules & PO Trackers.

Monitoring

1. React to any misplacement or non-placement of advertising, negotiating compensation accordingly. This is a responsibility of both buyers and implementer.
2. Supplying tear sheets to clients on any print bookings.
3. Supplying site bibles to client monthly for OOH.

Other

1. Supply of media costs on request.
2. Maintaining good media owner relationships.
3. Accountable for all financial queries and the timeous resolution thereof – 48 hours.
4. No up-front payments may be made to any media owner prior to funds being received from client.
5. On request, provide assistance on client business that is not traditionally within your allocated portfolio.
6. Assisting in New Vendor onboarding through ME-Suite.
7. Training and development.
8. Offer Mentorship to junior buyers.

Skills & Experience

1. Good administration skills.
2. Good administration, planning and organising skills.
3. Sound negotiation skills.
4. Problem Solver.
5. Accountable, responsible, reliable, flexible, proactive, and productive - understanding the impact on the business of not delivering to agreed commitments and strives to deliver the highest quality at all times by displaying a consistently high degree of accuracy and a sense of urgency even when under pressure.
6. 3 years Digital Buying experience.
7. Completes reasonable amount of work, of acceptable standard, timeously.
8. Ability to assimilate information, demonstrate resourcefulness and make decisions quickly.
9. Aptitude for and confident with numbers – high degree of numeracy.
10. Good communication skills both written and verbal.
11. Team player and interpersonal skills - ability to build and maintain strong relationships with media owners, creative agency teams and internal colleagues.
12. Computer literacy with proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Navision and Symphony.
13. Trustworthy, displaying initiative and integrity whilst always striving to negotiate the best possible deal.
14. Willingness to learn, accept instructions, correction, and supervision and/or direction.

Professional attributes

1. Good understanding of the media industry and essential solid understanding of the billing process, from inception to client invoice.
2. Good understanding of financial systems - commercial and budget awareness.