Associate Director, Paid Media

mllnnl is a collective of performance marketers and inspired creatives dedicated to building brands we believe in and supporting causes we’re passionate about. We left the slow-moving, bureaucratic, big-agency world to create an agile, results-driven, quality-of-life focused agency experience, with incredible people, exciting projects, and great culture. 

We’re a dynamic, collaborative team with an entrepreneurial spirit and high vibe. We are looking for like-minded individuals to join our growing team and help co-create the vision and work with us. 

We are looking for an experienced Associate Director to oversee the planning, implementation, and optimization of media strategies across multiple channels. In this role, you will manage media campaigns, collaborate with cross-functional teams, and drive the successful execution of digital and traditional media initiatives. The ideal candidate has a deep understanding of the media landscape, a strategic mindset, and a proven ability to manage campaigns that deliver measurable results.

Join our dynamic, remote team and take the lead in shaping cutting-edge media strategies that drive meaningful results for our clients. If you’re a proactive media professional looking to make an impact in a fast-growing agency, this is the perfect opportunity for you.

Key Responsibilities

• Campaign Strategy Development: Lead the creation of comprehensive media strategies that align with client objectives, utilizing both digital and traditional media platforms (TV, radio, print, OOH, digital, social, etc.)

• Media Planning & Buying:  Oversee the media planning and buying process, ensuring optimal use of budgets, accurate targeting, and effective channel mix.

• Client Management: Serve as the main point of contact for clients, presenting media strategies, campaign updates, performance insights, and recommendations for optimizations.

• Team Leadership: Supervise and mentor junior media planners and buyers, providing guidance, support, and training to develop their skills and enhance overall team performance.

• Campaign Monitoring & Optimization: Monitor ongoing media campaigns, track KPIs, and make data-driven decisions to optimize for performance, ensuring delivery against client goals (e.g., ROI, CTR, CPC, etc.).

• Vendor Negotiations: Build and maintain relationships with media vendors, negotiating rates, placements, and added value to maximize media investments.

• Budget Management: Track and manage media budgets, ensuring campaigns are executed within scope while maximizing results.

• Performance Reporting: Create detailed post-campaign reports and presentations, providing in-depth analysis of campaign performance and insights for future media planning.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with creative, account, and analytics teams to ensure media strategies are fully integrated into the broader marketing objectives.

• Market & Trend Analysis: Stay current on industry trends, emerging media channels, and competitive activity to inform innovative media strategies and recommendations. 

• Quality Assurance: Ensure all media plans and campaigns are executed accurately, within deadline, and comply with client and industry standards. 

• 5-7 years of media planning and buying experience, with a strong focus on both digital and traditional media.

• Proficiency in media planning tools (e.g., Google Ads, Facebook Ads Manager, The Trade Desk, Nielsen, etc.).

• Experience managing media budgets and optimizing for performance across various channels.

• Excellent analytical skills with the ability to translate data into actionable insights.

• Strong leadership and team management skills, with experience supervising and mentoring junior staff.

• Excellent communication and presentation skills.

• Ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.

• Remote work experience is a plus.

Preferred Skills

• Experience with programmatic media buying and advanced targeting strategies. 

• Familiarity with ad servers and tracking tools such as DoubleClick, Sizmek, or similar. 

• Google Ads and Facebook Blueprint certifications are a plus. 

Salary Range

• Depending upon experience, salary range is between $110,000 - $130,000.

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