As the Senior Media Planner, you will lead integrated media planning and strategy across a portfolio of clients, taking ownership of assigned business in close partnership with the Global Media Director. You will define the strategic role of each channel and develop informed points of view on media value and performance across traditional, endemic and digital media. Working closely with the Digital Strategist, you will help develop digital recommendations, evaluate programmatic and endemic partners, interpret performance data, and present integrated strategies that make effective use of resources, technology, innovation and industry relationships. As the media team evolves, this role is expected to take on direct people-management responsibilities, including coaching, development and oversight of junior team members. This role requires a self-starter with a proven track record of responsibility and accountability.
Core Responsibilities
- Lead integrated media planning from the client brief through recommendation, activation, optimization and reporting.
- Translate business and marketing objectives into clear media strategies, audience approaches, channel roles and measurable KPIs.
- Build full-funnel plans across endemic agricultural media, programmatic, paid social, paid search, digital video, audio, print and other relevant channels.
- Work directly with the Digital Strategist and Media Buyer to build, activate and steward each campaign.
- Partner with the Digital Strategist on audience development, platform strategy, measurement, activation and optimization.
- Research and implement new digital technologies, formats and best practices relevant to clients' media strategies and objectives.
- Analyze and research clients' target audiences, including their characteristics, purchasing behaviors and media habits.
- Serve as both a collaborator and the day-to-day media lead for assigned accounts, confidently presenting recommendations and advising clients.
- Meet with clients to discuss and present projects, understand their advertising strategies and target audiences, and align media recommendations with business needs.
- Write and manage vendor RFPs, evaluating proposals based on audience quality, strategic fit, performance potential and cost efficiency.
- Develop media flowcharts, investment allocations, tactical recommendations and performance projections.
- Develop and maintain strong relationships with media partners, staying current on inventory, rates, capabilities and audience data.
- Negotiate integrated, multichannel media packages with partners, securing competitive rates, added value and terms aligned with strategy. Present alternative options to clients when appropriate.
- Establish measurement frameworks and reporting plans before launch, including KPIs, tracking requirements and benchmarks.
- Ensure paid and traditional media data is captured, measured and translated into clear insights.
- Analyze campaign performance across channels and turn results into optimization recommendations and actionable insights for current and future campaigns.
- Present media plans, performance results and optimization recommendations to clients with confidence and clarity.
- Advise account and creative teams on the most effective media combinations.
- Coordinate with Account Management, Creative, Analytics, Marketing, PR and Content, Project Management and Finance teams to keep work moving smoothly.
- Develop points of view on media valuation, emerging formats and industry shifts to inform client strategy.
- Contribute media expertise to new business pitches and client growth opportunities.
- Mentor and train Media Planners and Media Coordinators, with growing responsibility for team oversight.
Must-Have Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in marketing, media or a related field preferred.
- Approximately 5-8+ years of media planning experience, ideally within an agency environment; media buying experience is a plus.
- Demonstrated experience leading integrated media plans and managing campaigns from strategy through reporting.
- Proven expertise across integrated traditional and digital media planning, including ad serving, behavioral targeting and performance analytics.
- Strong working knowledge of publishers and endemic media partners; agriculture or B2B media experience is strongly preferred.
- Strong grasp of media math and financial management, including CPM, CPC, CPL, reach, frequency, pacing and budget reconciliation.
- Experience managing RFPs, negotiating vendor proposals and securing competitive rates and added value.
- Strong quantitative and analytical skills, with the ability to connect campaign results to strategic recommendations.
- Ability to turn complex information into concise, persuasive client recommendations.
- Strong presentation skills and confidence communicating with senior clients and internal leaders.
- Excellent attention to detail, organization and ownership across multiple accounts, deadlines and budgets.
- Ability to lead collaboratively and proactively without waiting for every next step to be assigned.
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint, with experience using ad platforms, reporting tools and media research tools.
In addition, this role requires:
- Genuine curiosity about agriculture and a willingness to learn complex agricultural audiences and purchasing journeys.
- Comfort working in categories where conversion paths are not always direct or easily attributable.
- The ability to balance trusted endemic media partnerships with data-driven digital opportunities.
- The ability to connect media performance to business outcomes-not just impressions, clicks and engagement.
- A collaborative, accountable and service-oriented approach to working with clients, partners and fellow AdFarmers.
- A commitment to AdFarm's values in all professional activities.
The salary range for this role is $80,000 - $85,000/year. AdFarm offers all employees health, dental, and vision benefits, automatic annual 3% 401k contributions, a Health Spending Account match, health and cell phone reimbursements, and a hybrid working environment with a wonderful group of top-talent individuals.
