Director, Media Operations

Overview

The Director, Media Operations will be a solution-oriented business partner to the Razorfish and Publicis media teams within a complex Power of One team. The candidate will be responsible for media and financial operations, integrating multiple parties within the media team and the Power of One team, process improvements, systems management, general reporting, and driving compliance. They will coordinate and support the media finance process flow, specifically regarding budgeting, billing, forecasting, with oversight of ad operations, and ensuring end-to-end operational excellence for the client.

We are looking for a leader with expertise in the fields of marketing technology and media performance management and measurement.

The ideal candidate is a dot connector with an analytic mindset, problem-solving skills, and the ability to organize and track multiple projects simultaneously. They should be proactive, resourceful, agile, and a creative problem solver. They will foster client relationships and partner with the client to work through process changes, escalations, and forward-thinking ideas.

• Help build and continue to optimize the paid media financial process to further streamline and deliver operational excellence to the agency teams and the client.
• Participate as an active leader in the agency’s development of a framework and build a bespoke media operations team in support of client operational excellence.
• Key partner in leading the process to drive agency compliance of scope and monitor financial penalty implications (SLOs).
• Track key Ops-led activities, anticipate challenges, and raise the appropriate flags to ensure timely execution of deliverables.
• Drive process adoption, optimization, maintain level of integrity in an environment that has high urgency and is outcomes oriented.
• Execute routine process and data quality checks to ensure accuracy and optimal efficiency whilst re-inventing processes as needed.
• Ensure accuracy of data pulls from various systems (e.g. Mediaocean/Prisma, Guidelines Planning).
• Monitoring of Standard Operating Procedures with the purpose of identify problems and recommendations for process efficiency improvements, and SOX requirements.
• Create training materials to document processes and instill best practices across teams.

• Service as the media business partner across agency financial teams and Publicis agencies.
• Manage budget, billing, and financial compliance.
• Improve and streamline existing media budget forecasts, actuals and billing processes and ensure all reconciliations are completed according to client guidelines.
• Provide supportive guidance and consultancy in the multi-facet areas of Client Billing, working closely with stakeholders including Media Strategy & Activation, Finance Operations and Corporate Accounting.
• Track client budget approvals through client’s APRIMO system and ensure communication of approved funding to the paid media team.
• Billing for Paid Media, including scheduling changes, special client requests, coordination with shared financial services, invoices, and related tasks.
• Preparing billing verification and budget management reports that include data from APRIMO, Guidelines Planning and Mediaocean/Prisma; resolve discrepancies prior to monthly billing; analyze and explain variances.
• Track client payables and receivables, respond to client questions, and resolve issues.
• Coordinate billing approvals with inter-company partner(s); prepare ad-hoc reports for internal and external clients.
• Manage the account monthly budgeting process and coordinate and resolve forecast/billing issues; verify and reconcile reporting of actuals with the client.
• Offer administrative support, training and troubleshooting for Guidelines Planning platform.
• Ensure team and personal deliverables are met on time and steward workflow and project management; establish work plans and task assignments with client liaison.
• Support Key Account Leadership with assessing and communicating monthly risks and opportunities.

• Maintain client updates, develop/manage budgets, and identify/address media financial business challenges.
• Identify and communicate organizational or business challenges and work to deliver on the needs of the broader agency team and client in media operations.
• Manage the client reconciliation process for timely review and reconciliations of client accounts with credits and debits adjustments.
• Primary contact for client finance questions and/or issues with Account Management, Media Operations Delivery, and Client.

• Foster a collaborative culture, develop talent and maintain strong stakeholder relationships.
• Liaise across disciplines and business leaders for financial operations, legal matters, and other areas of media operations and compliance.
• Collaborate with senior leadership in creative, analytics, search, and related teams to provide strategic Technology & Activation direction to all account…