Description

Position: Strategic Media Planning + Investment Lead
Contract / Fractional / Potential Work-for-Hire

Position reports to VP - Data, Digital, Technology

Date - June 2026

Classification - Exempt, Full-time

Environment - Office / Remote

Physical - Office, predominantly office-based, occasional travel may be required to attend events, conferences, or meet with key stakeholders. Physical requirements are generally limited to standard office activities, including sitting, standing, and using a computer for extended periods.

SAFETY: MANDATORY UNCOMPROMISING COMPLIANCE WITH COMPANY SAFETY POLICIES

Position Overview

As a strategic advisor to clients and internal teams, you will be responsible for defining media investment strategies that align with business objectives, customer journeys, and growth goals.

You will serve as the lead strategist responsible for determining the optimal channel mix, budget allocation, audience targeting approach, testing frameworks, and performance optimization strategies across integrated activation programs.

This role requires a deep understanding of both traditional and digital media ecosystems, strong vendor and publisher relationships, and a relentless curiosity for emerging trends, technologies, and opportunities shaping the future of media.

While this role will oversee media buying and investment decisions, it is first and foremost a strategic planning and optimization role.

Primary Responsibilities

Strategic Media Planning & Investment Leadership

• Develop comprehensive, data-informed media strategies aligned with client business objectives and marketing goals.
• Define integrated channel strategies across digital and traditional media platforms.
• Determine the optimal mix of paid channels based on audience behavior, customer journey stage, business objectives, and market opportunity.
• Develop annual, campaign-level, and activation-specific media plans that maximize efficiency and effectiveness.
• Establish investment frameworks, budget allocation models, and media recommendations that balance awareness, consideration, demand generation, and sales activation objectives.
• Serve as CLUTCH's internal and client-facing subject matter expert on media strategy and channel planning.

All Channel Strategy & Ecosystem Leadership
• Define the role, purpose, and strategic contribution of each channel within the broader customer journey and growth ecosystem.
• Develop + lead integrated channel strategies - including social, paid, owned, earned, and shared media environments.
• Establish channel-specific objectives, audience strategies, content frameworks, activation approaches, and success metrics.
• Provide strategic recommendations across social platforms, search, programmatic, endemic media, television, radio, print, YouTube, CTV, newsletters, communities, and emerging channels.
• Ensure channel investments align with business objectives, audience consumption behaviors, and customer decision-making processes.
• Lead channel testing initiatives to identify new opportunities, improve performance, and optimize investment allocation.
• Translate channel performance data into strategic recommendations that improve awareness, engagement, demand generation, and conversion outcomes.
• Continuously evaluate changes in audience behavior, platform capabilities, AI-driven media experiences, and emerging distribution channels.

Media Buying & Vendor Management

• Lead media investment strategy and buying coordination across digital and traditional channels.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with publishers, media partners, technology platforms, and vendors.
• Evaluate media opportunities, negotiate placements, and identify strategic partnerships that create value for clients.
• Continuously assess new media offerings and opportunities to improve campaign effectiveness and efficiency.
• Ensure media investments align with both strategic objectives and performance expectations.

Strategic Channel Optimization & Performance Evaluation

• Lead ongoing optimization efforts across campaigns, channels, and media investments.
• Evaluate channel effectiveness beyond surface-level metrics by considering channel purpose, audience engagement, customer behavior, and contribution to broader business goals.
• Develop testing frameworks and experimentation roadmaps to identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Recommend adjustments to channel mix, investment levels, targeting strategies, and media tactics based on performance insights.
• Work closely with analytics and reporting teams to translate data into actionable media recommendations.

Client Relationship Leadership

• Serve as a trusted advisor to clients on media strategy, channel investment decisions, and performance optimization opportunities.
• Present recommendations, campaign performance, and strategic insights to client stakeholders.
• Educate clients on emerging trends, evolving media landscapes, and new opportunities for growth.
• Build confidence and trust through strategic thinking, clear communication, and consultative problem solving.

Media Innovation & Industry Leadership

• Stay at the forefront of media innovation, emerging platforms, evolving consumer behaviors, and advertising technologies.
• Continuously evaluate shifts in media consumption and identify implications for client strategies.
• Monitor developments across AI-powered advertising, conversational platforms, retail media networks, programmatic innovation, CTV, YouTube, social media, and emerging advertising ecosystems.
• Bring new thinking, ideas, and opportunities to both clients and internal teams.
• Champion a culture of curiosity, experimentation, and continuous learning.

Audience Development & Media Monetization Strategy

• Identify opportunities to build and monetize niche audience communities, content ecosystems, newsletters, sponsorship programs, and industry-focused media properties.
• Develop strategies for audience growth, partner engagement, sponsorship activation, and revenue generation.
• Evaluate media platform opportunities that strengthen CLUTCH's ability to connect clients with highly targeted audiences.
• Help establish scalable operating models for future publishing and audience development initiatives.

What This Role Is Not

While we may ask you to support these functions, this role is not primarily responsible for:

• Ad operations
• Campaign trafficking
• Pixel implementation
• Campaign setup and deployment
• Dashboard development
• Day-to-day reporting execution

The ideal candidate understands these functions, can collaborate effectively with the teams responsible for them, and is willing to jump in when needed, but their primary value comes from strategic planning, media leadership, optimization, and investment guidance.

Industries we cover

• B2B marketing environments
• Dealer and distributor-driven sales models
• Manufacturing
• Agriculture, Building Materials, Healthcare

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in media strategy, planning, buying, and optimization.
• Demonstrated success developing integrated media strategies across both traditional and digital channels.
• Deep understanding of paid search, social, programmatic, YouTube, CTV/OTT, endemic media, print, radio, and television.
• Strong vendor negotiation and relationship management experience.
• Proven ability to translate business objectives into effective media investment strategies.
• Experience presenting recommendations and performance insights to executive stakeholders.

• Hands-on experience with a dedicated media planning platform (e.g., Bionic, Mediaocean, BluHorn) preferred; familiarity with Bionic a strong plus.

• Strong analytical mindset combined with strategic business thinking.

Success in This Role

Success will be measured by your ability to:

• Develop media strategies that drive measurable business outcomes.
• Help clients make smarter media investment decisions.
• Continuously improve channel effectiveness through strategic optimization.
• Identify emerging opportunities before competitors do.
• Strengthen CLUTCH's reputation as a trusted growth partner and media advisor.

• Retain client media investment and drive account growth by delivering demonstrated performance, strategic value, and proactive identification of expanded media opportunities.

• Contribute to the development of scalable audience, publishing, and media monetization initiatives that create long-term value for both CLUTCH and its clients.