Account Executive,
Media Planning

The AE, Media Planning is a junior level position that provides media planning support to the Director of Integrated Media Strategies in fulfilling both client and agency needs. She/he is responsible for assisting on total media services on behalf of the agency’s clients, ensuring that client media requirements are executed in a timely and accurate manner. This encompasses media research, developing a media strategy, planning, budgeting, implementation, post-buy audits and analysis, campaign optimization and final billing/reconciliation. This team member will work on a variety of B2B and Consumer accounts in traditional and online media channels, as well as provide assistance with departmental administration as needed. The position will have an increasing level of responsibility and participation based on performance.

Additionally, the AE, Media Planning supports new business development by contributing at the proposal/pitch stage; providing research guidance, insights, ideas and recommendations for innovative use of media and data-driven insight.

Basic Qualifications

• 1-2 years of experience in media buying and planning for integrated marketing campaigns in both B2B and B2C environments.
• Experience in media planning for digital and offline channels.
• Paid social media experience in Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.
• Possesses good interpersonal communication skills.
• Possesses good math skills.
• Sound reasoning and information processing.
• Passion for learning.
• Ability to handle multiple projects.
• Attention to detail.
• Organizational abilities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Employment or internship with a media, advertising or marketing firm, or similar function.
• Proficient in basic computer applications: MS Office, Internet Browsers, Adobe Acrobat.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Media Responsibilities

Assistance with all media functions including:

• Research
• Planning
• Negotiating
• Buying
• Campaign management (optimization, reporting)
• Understand and keep current on market information necessary to the preparation of effective and efficient media planning, and serve as a resource to account services for ideation and campaign development.
• Collect, interpret, and contribute client data and insights to assist in the preparation of innovative media plans.
• Research marketing campaigns and strategies of clients and their competitors (message, offer, channel, etc.).
• Become expert at media planning/buying software used by the agency, including tools to track competitive media activity.
• Write POVs on media trends, technology and partners.
• Establish relationships with media sales reps and vendors; build rolodex of trusted partners and contacts.
• Assist in preparation of strategic media plan documents; present plans to clients when required.
• Partner with the Creative and Social Media teams on media options, innovative tactics, and spec development.
• Upload appropriate docs to project management system.
• Create, maintain and update the Media & Message Report for creative trafficking.
• Accurate planning and implementation related to media specs, IOs and tracking.
• Assist Media Director in negotiation and implementation of media vendor contracts.
• Provide oversight to client account administration (insertion orders, billing, invoice reconciliation).
• Perform timely and accurate billing and reconciliation in Clients & Profits.
• Assist in the collection of media performance data and provide to Analytics teams when requested.
• Review performance data to deliver learnings.

Agency Needs

• Understand and adhere to agency processes and policies.
• Understand the complete, full-circle process for creative and media workflow through the agency—from brief through planning function, making creative deliverables, approval and release of files, reconciliation.
• Collaborate with PR/SoMe team to maximize total communications around paid, earned and owned channels.
• Reinforce accountabilities of Account Services in the media planning process including: media briefs, client account data and media pre-billing.
• Maintains and updates the Media Services RACI’s (Responsible/Accountable/Consulted/Informed) to adjust to the agency’s needs.
• Reviews and approves media scopes of work prior to client signature.
• Become expert at Asana and other cloud-based tools.
• Be a self-starter and take initiative on projects.
• Demonstrate a team-player attitude by being flexible and responsible.
• Assess potential new media tools as needed.
• Earn and maintain Google Analytics Certification.
• Provide subject matter expertise to the agency in paid social media channels.

Writing

• Observe, learn and create Media RFIs and RFPs.
• Observe, learn and create Media Flowcharts.
• Observe, learn and create Media Insertion Orders.
• Observe and learn how to execute internal planning documents.
• Excellent proof-reading skills and writing PowerPoint presentations.

Research

• Develop customer insights research including media consumption, market analysis, utilizing primary and secondary research, and media analysis tools.
• Develop a media landscape detailing available media opportunities for the agency’s clients.
• Monitor industry and competitive trends.

New Business Support

• Contribute to the development of new business proposals; assist in preparation and information gathering in answering RFPs (requests for proposal).
• Assist with the development of media strategy and planning sections of RFPs, proposals and presentations.

Finance/Billing

• Develop media planning estimates and SOWs.
• Monitor internal status of jobs, timelines and due dates and advise Media Director of developments.
• Creates purchase orders and media tasks in Clients & Profits agency billing system.
• Calculate commission on media spend and bill appropriately.
• Monitor and track monthly client billing against insertion orders and Clients & Profits jobs.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in advertising, marketing, communications, or a related field.
• Previous experience at an advertising agency, marketing firm, media department preferable.
• Technical skills including: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, basic Google Analytics, SRDS planning tool.

Professional Development

• Passion for media especially digital and emerging channels.
• Learn and advocate for new media planning tools and methodologies.
• Identify and pursue professional development goals.
• Seek out opportunities for training in specific media disciplines and channel subject matter expertise.
• Attend industry events.
• Aspire to the next level within the organization: Media Supervisor.