Associate Director, Planning & Strategy

Responsibilities

• Develop integrated digital media plans for healthcare clients using audience insights, channel strategy, budget allocation, and performance goals.
• Lead client-facing media planning discussions, presenting recommendations, reporting, and optimization opportunities to senior stakeholders.
• Manage media budgets, vendor relationships, media spend approvals, and campaign expenses in partnership with Media Operations.
• Collaborate with Analytics to review campaign performance, identify insights, and translate reporting into actionable media optimizations.
• Partner with Creative, Content, Strategy, and Client Services teams to align media plans with campaign objectives and measurable business outcomes.

Requirements

• 7+ years of media planning experience, including agency experience developing digital media plans across paid search, display, video, email, mobile, or programmatic channels.
• 3+ years of client-facing experience presenting media strategy, recommendations, and performance reporting to senior clients or cross-functional stakeholders.
• Experience managing media budgets, vendor relationships, campaign spend approvals, and media-related expenses for active client programs.
• Hands-on experience with DoubleClick Campaign Manager, DoubleVerify, Bionic, or comparable media planning and campaign management tools.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint, including budget tracking, media plan development, reporting, and client-ready presentations.
• Experience planning media for US healthcare, pharmaceutical, life sciences, or regulated-industry clients.

Preferred

• Comfort and enthusiasm for using AI as a regular part of how work gets done.
• Experience influencing content, creative, and channel recommendations within a full-service digital marketing agency.
• Experience working across both US and Canadian healthcare audiences, including patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals.
• Experience translating media performance data into optimization recommendations for clients or internal stakeholders.
• Familiarity with healthcare media compliance, regulated communications, or pharma review processes.