Associate Director, Media Investment

Digitas is the Networked Experience Agency, built on the vision that we create magnetic experiences that earn the right for brands to exist in human networks. Today, and tomorrow. We deliver Networked Experiences by leveraging comprehensive data, technology, creative, media and strategy capabilities. Digitas delivers ambitious outcomes via unique solutions that include Creative Experiences, Integrated Media, Addressable Relationships, Social Marketing and Total Commerce. Celebrated by AdAge as Data and Insights Agency of the Year, U.S Campaign’s Brand Experience Agency of the Year, Media Network of the Year and celebrated by Forrester and Gartner, Digitas serves the world’s leading brands through a global network comprised of more than 5,500 employees across over 65 offices in 43 countries.

The Digitas culture is made up of fearless, inventive and generous Unicorns of all kinds.

As Associate Director, Cross Channel Investments, you will provide investment leadership across all paid media channels, including but not limited to TV, OOH, video, audio, social, search, display, and influencer. In this role, you will liaise with the channel investment teams to ensure a consistent go-to-market approach and develop synergies with our Media Strategy and Data and Analytics teams to exceed campaign KPIs.

To help with this, we’re looking for an outstanding Associate Director – someone who can win the hearts of clients, inspire their teammates, and skillfully juggle multiple pieces of business.

Sound like you? Read on.

We are seeking a leader who will bring an innovative approach to tactical planning and buying, endless curiosity to identify new opportunities and an ability to achieve greater value through strong partner negotiations and relationships. You will be able to speak fluently to channel buying tactics; often acting as a representative of the full media investment team to clients and the marketplace.

Day to day your role includes:

Leadership

• Partner with the marketplace, build relationships, and co-lead channel negotiations as needed
• Establish and maintain strong partnerships with relevant media partners in the media ecosystem (i.e. Google, Facebook, Amazon, etc.)
• Oversee the work of multiple channel specialists, managing workflow, QA process, providing strategic guidance and oversight and ensuring operational excellence across all stages of tactical planning and buying
• Serve as a central point of contact for clients and internal teams for the client investment portfolio, with oversight from account leadership
• Speak fluently to multiple media channels, calling on deep expertise from activating one or more channels.

• Work alongside Channel Teams and Media Strategy to determine how best to spend media dollars to drive outcomes with account leadership oversight.
• Bring innovative solutions and out of the box thinking to partners and clients.
• Develop thought leadership on media marketplace evolution, ensuring delivery of strong point of view and industry knowledge
• Manage and maintain relationships with internal practice leads and full investment team
• Aid in delivering bespoke agency solutions and offerings to evolve client relationship
• The role reports to VP/VPGD, Investments

Planning & Optimization

• Lead tactical plan development and recommendations, ensuring cross channel and channel tactical recommendations ladder up to the media strategy and are backed up by industry trends, competitive and media insights
• Liaise with channel teams in the creation, distribution and evaluation of RFPs in the marketplace
• Partner with channel teams to assess proposals and negotiate pricing, added value and more
• Create and maintain channel activations on a holistic media plan and flow chart by partner with associated details (flighting, placements, targeting, cost, etc.)
• Develop cross-channel budget shift decisioning and recommendations with assistance from senior account leadership to maximize profitability and exceed client goals.
• Oversee total dollars in market, monitoring pacing and navigating over and underspends by channel, and performance cross channel
• Establish processes, where needed, to deliver operational excellence across buying and execution
• Work within teams to troubleshoot campaign management issues as they arise or identify when to escalate to senior account leadership while also effectively partnering with cross functional teams and senior account leadership to appropriately communicate issues with clients.

Reporting & Analysis

• Liaise with Data & Analytics (DNA) on cross channel performance analysis and reporting

• Liaise with DNA and channel teams on optimization recommendations and opportunities
• Liaise with DNA and channel teams on learning agenda & test and learn strategies

• 7+ years of media planning and buying experience, with a strong foundation in media channel investment and activation (option to add pending client: “;emphasis  on performance media or video or retail media, etc”)
• Bachelor's degree or higher, with a concentration in advertising, marketing, business administration, communications, or equivalent
• Analytical background – comfort with data and numbers
• 5+ years of people managing experience, overseeing five or more reports in an account management/client services team
• Deep industry relationships with ad tech firms, brand teams, and publisher/platform partners
• Excellent negotiation skills and understanding of how to add incremental value and communicate that to our clients
• Strong communication and writing skills—you’re poised, precise, and above all, kind when engaging with others
• Able to package, merchandise, and sell in concepts and new opportunities
• Strategic thinking and able to see the bigger picture

• Self-starter with ability to work independently and in a collaborative team setting
• Familiarity with prompt-based interaction and commonly used generative AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Google Gemini, DALL·E, Midjourney) is a plus, especially for tasks like ideation, research, or content generation

Got the sparkle? Apply if you believe your unique skills are a fit.

Our Publicis Groupe motto “Viva La Différence” means we’re better together, and we believe that our differences make us stronger. It means we honor and celebrate all identities, across all facets of intersectionality, and it underpins all that we do as an organization. We are focused on fostering belonging and creating equitable & inclusive experiences for all talent.

Publicis Groupe provides robust and inclusive benefit programs and policies to support the evolving and diverse needs of our talent and enable every person to grow and thrive. Our benefits package includes medical coverage, dental, vision, disability, 401K, as well as parental and family care leave, family forming assistance, tuition reimbursement, and flexible time off.

If you require accommodation or assistance with the application or onboarding process specifically, please contact [email protected].

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.