Responsibilities

• Develop insight-driven media strategies aligned with client business objectives, communications goals, KPIs, and budgets.
• Translate audience research into integrated media recommendations across Search, Social, Programmatic, Display, Video, CTV, Audio, Broadcast, Print, OOH, and emerging platforms.
• Conduct audience analysis using tools such as MRI-Simmons, GWI, eMarketer, Nielsen, and first-party data sources.
• Build comprehensive media plans including channel strategy, targeting, flighting, budgeting, forecasting, and measurement frameworks.
• Identify opportunities to test new media channels, technologies, AI capabilities, and emerging platform features that improve campaign performance.
• Collaborate with client leadership, creative, analytics, and digital teams to ensure media strategy supports the broader communications effort.
• Execute media buys directly across major advertising platforms, including Google Ads, Meta Ads Manager, LinkedIn Campaign Manager, and other self-service platforms.
• Develop RFPs, evaluate proposals, negotiate rates, secure added value, and manage publisher and vendor relationships.
• Issue insertion orders, oversee trafficking, coordinate creative delivery, and ensure campaigns launch accurately and on schedule.
• Maintain campaign documentation, including media plans, buy summaries, specifications, UTMs, authorization tracking, and campaign setup materials.
• Monitor live campaign performance and pacing across multiple channels.
• Analyze KPIs including impressions, reach, CTR, CPC, CPM, CPA, ROAS, VCR, engagement, and conversion metrics.
• Make data-driven optimization recommendations involving audiences, creative, bidding strategies, placements, frequency, and budgets.
• Troubleshoot tracking, tagging, pixel implementation, and delivery issues in partnership with analytics and technical teams.
• Lead structured testing initiatives to continuously improve campaign effectiveness.
• Manage campaign budgets from planning through final reconciliation.
• Track authorizations, insertion orders, revisions, vendor invoices, and monthly billing.
• Ensure campaigns deliver efficiently without over- or under-spending.
• Identify and resolve delivery discrepancies with vendors proactively.
• Develop reporting that goes beyond performance metrics to explain: What happened, Why it happened, Why it matters, What should happen next

Requirements

• 5+ years of paid media experience with demonstrated ownership of strategy, planning, buying, optimization, and reporting.
• Hands-on experience across Google Ads, Meta Ads Manager, Reddit, Snapchat and LinkedIn Campaign Manager preferred.
• Experience developing integrated media plans spanning both digital and traditional channels.
• Strong understanding of audience research, campaign measurement, attribution, and media analytics.
• Experience negotiating directly with media vendors.
• Strong financial management skills, including budget pacing, authorizations, insertion orders, and invoice reconciliation.
• Excellent presentation, communication, and client relationship skills.
• Close attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.

Preferred

• Agency experience or in-house media team experience managing multiple clients simultaneously is preferred.
• Experience with Strata, Prisma, or comparable media management platforms.
• Experience using MRI-Simmons, GWI, Nielsen, GA4, Looker Studio, Tableau, or similar reporting tools.
• DC Metro (DMV) candidate

Benefits

• Competitive salary and benefits, including health, dental, vision, 401(k), paid holidays, and flexible PTO.
• Manage meaningful campaigns that improve public safety, transportation, health, and communities.
• Work across a diverse portfolio of national and regional clients.
• Own your accounts from strategy through reporting.
• Collaborate with a lean, high-performing team where every voice matters.
• Help shape the future of a growing, modern paid media department.