Associate Director, Media Planning

Overview

Bully Pulpit International is an outcomes agency made up of strategists, data scientists, and artists. We come from politics, brands, and government and we communicate without barriers and measure what matters. We have more than 400 team members in six countries and thirteen offices — Berlin, Brussels, Chicago, D.C., London, Los Angeles, New York, Oslo, San Francisco, and Zürich. We apply our unique expertise across strategic communications, public affairs, research, and digital marketing to create sophisticated and customized strategies that make change possible for both American and European clients.

In this position as an Associate Director, Media Planning, you will act as a core contributor to team priorities, effectively communicating the strategic value and the "why" behind specific departmental goals to the broader media team. You will also help develop, articulate, and evangelize the agency-wide departmental view on media strategy, emerging tactics, and technical execution, in addition to conducting deep-dive media, industry, or company research to allow the agency to develop highly accurate, innovative, and strategic advertising and marketing plans.

• Independently run mid-spend campaigns from inception to completion.
• Regularly present sophisticated media strategies, performance insights, and campaign reporting directly to clients.
• Develop comprehensive, data-backed media plans that align with client and campaign objectives, collaborating with Client/Account Leads to ensure deliverables map back to high-level strategic approaches.
• Lead end-to-end campaign implementation and management, overseeing how campaigns are executed, optimized, and analyzed across various digital and traditional platforms, including partner negotiation and contracting.
• Proactively identify, improve upon, and develop new processes to streamline cross-team communication and ensure flawless execution of media plans.

• Foster strong, collaborative working relationships across all client and internal specialty teams to facilitate seamless execution.
• Identify distinct areas for team-wide workflow and operational process improvements, partnering with Planning Directors to implement scalable solutions.

• Attract, retain, and elevate talent across the paid media team through active, empathetic management, regular mentorship, and structured training.
• Serve as a role model for junior and mid-level planners, providing guidance on campaign management, analytical thinking, and client communication muscle.

• 6–9 years of relevant work experience in digital media strategy, planning, and direct-IO buying (agency experience preferred).
• Proven track record of independently running campaigns for corporate reputation, public affairs, and/or political clients.
• Enthusiasm for Democratic/progressive politics and excitement to work alongside our nonprofit, advocacy, and corporate social impact clients in addition to larger, corporate reputation accounts.
• Advanced analytical thinking capabilities, with strong hands-on experience utilizing media consumption tools and business intelligence/dashboard software.
• Demonstrated ability to quickly learn and navigate new digital systems, emerging media tech, and specialized proprietary tools with minimal downtime.
• Expert-level proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets for budget tracking, performance analysis, and data manipulation.
• Exceptional organizational skills, rigorous attention to detail, and a demonstrated ability to manage multiple high-stakes projects simultaneously.
• A readiness to work independently, think big, solve complex problems creatively, and scale leadership capabilities rapidly within a fast-paced environment.

BPI offers benefits to U.S.

-based employees, including company-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance; a 401(k) program with employer match up to 4%; generous time off for vacation; monthly phone reimbursement; unlimited sick time; and paid parental leave. Benefits prioritize employee wellness and progressive support for a diverse workforce.

We are an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are based on commitment to excellence without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, disability, or other protected characteristics. We consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories as permitted by law.

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