Senior Media Buying & Agency Strategy Lead

Dis-Chem Pharmacies; Midrand; On-site; ZAR 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

Dis-Chem Pharmacies in Midrand seeks an experienced media professional to define media principles, govern plans across digital and traditional channels, and optimise agency performance. The role drives efficiency, ROI, and accountability across multi-brand campaigns in retail environments.

The successful candidate will partner with marketing teams, lead agency relationships, and negotiate media buying strategies to maximise value while ensuring brand alignment and governance compliance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or diploma in Marketing, Media Studies, Communications, Business, or related discipline.
• 5+ years’ experience in ATL, digital, retail media, media buying, media planning, or campaign management roles within retail, FMCG, consumer-facing environments, or mediaagencies
• 2–3 years’ experience leading campaign delivery, vendor coordination, or cross-functional media execution initiatives.
• Proven experience managing media agencies and driving buying efficiencies

Responsibilities

• Define and maintain group-wide media principles, buying guidelines, and guardrails across digital, traditional, and in-store media
• Establish standards for media planning, buying, optimisation, and reporting to ensure consistency and transparency
• Ensure alignment between media guidelines, brand standards, and marketing governance frameworks
• Optimise media buying strategies to improve reach, efficiency, and return on investment across channels
• Lead relationships with media agencies, ensuring clear roles, performance expectations, and accountability
• Support rate negotiations, buying efficiencies, and consolidation opportunities to maximise value
• Execute media plans in alignment with go-to-market priorities and campaign requirements
• Partner with Integrated Marketing Campaigns, Strategy & Brand, and Category Marketing teams to ensure media plans support campaign objectives
• Review media performance and insights to identify optimisation opportunities and inform future guidelines
• Provide guidance and expertise on media choices, channel mix, and investment decisions
• Strong understanding of media strategy, planning, and buying across digital and traditional channels
• Experience setting media governance, guidelines, and buying standards, with knowledge of agency models and performance metrics
• Strong commercial focus with the ability to optimise media spend and agency value
• Effective stakeholder and agency management, supported by a structured, analytical approach

Job description

Dis-Chem Pharmacies in Midrand seeks an experienced media professional to define media principles, govern plans across digital and traditional channels, and optimise agency performance. The role drives efficiency, ROI, and accountability across multi-brand campaigns in retail environments.

The successful candidate will partner with marketing teams, lead agency relationships, and negotiate media buying strategies to maximise value while ensuring brand alignment and governance compliance.