Associate Media Director, Platform Investment

About Starcom:

As the Human Experience Company, we are a global media agency that believes in the alchemy of people and technology to create experiences people love and actions brands need. It’s in our DNA. We’re powered by the strength of our innovative, driven, and intelligent people who are deeply passionate about achieving best-in-class results on behalf of our clients –some of the world’s leading marketers.

We value you and the work you do. We work hard, but also enjoy scores of perks rooted in our legacy of having one of the strongest agency cultures. Our top-notch health insurance plans and paid time off allow you much-needed time to recharge and achieve the work-life balance you need to bring your absolute best self to work.

Overview:

The Platform Investment Associate Media Director is responsible for managing the team that handles our clients’ day-to-day digital business and investment operations. The Associate Director develops and implements processes and best practices to ensure digital investment success for our company and clients. The Associate Director works on a variety of accounts and understands our digital systems, data needs, and media buy structure to improve process efficiency. The ability to problem-solve and work well with various internal and external teams is a critical aspect of this role. This role provides the opportunity to work on cross-agency projects that drive business goals (both for Starcom and our clients) and increase efficiency across the agency.

Role Objectives:

• Work with internal and external teams to hone and improve processes for self-service buying across entire Kellogg’s team.
• Be the primary expert across the team in self-service buying platforms (DSPs, Google Ad Words and Social Ads Managers) and possess strong understanding of platform nuances and system setups.
• Must have deep understanding of digital marketplace (primarily in social and programmatic) – providing thought leadership with ability to tie new opportunities to client needs while supporting centralized learning agendas.
• Help improve Kellogg’s data strategy across 1st, 2nd, & 3rd party audiences, encompassing a holistic, cross-platform approach.
• Manage client 1st party data in the data onboarding platform, LiveRamp
• Work alongside Strategy and Investment teams to build audience recommendations for all digital platforms
• Manage brand safety processes and best practices across all Kellogg brands and partners, ensuring Kellogg media only serves adjacent to content in-line with their brand suitability guidelines.
• Spearhead refinement of all planning and buying best practices across programmatic and social platforms –analyzes data from MMM results and quarterly scorecards to improve future media plans.
• Work in partnership with the Measurement Team to align on yearly learning agenda based on client business needs.
• Maintain a strong understanding of the systems used such as Ad Servers/Verification, DSPs, Social Platforms, DMPs, and internal proprietary tools.
• Serve as an escalation point for teams to help troubleshoot operational issues.
• Determine how to deliver necessary data to teams for various activation and reporting purposes.
• Share best practices and learn from other teams in Publicis to ensure consistency and best work product across The Groupe.
• Build and maintain strong relationships across multiple internal teams, client teams and leadership.
• Maintain relationships with key vendors to ensure trust and confidence with our buying partners.
• Cultivate a team-focused mentality across the team that they lead.
• Responsible for team management and development of experienced Sr. Associate/Supervisors.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, advertising, communications, consumer insights or equivalent.
• 5+ years of related experience and 3+ years of management experience.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively with diverse groups.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Experience in data strategy (1st, 2nd, and 3rd party)
• Technical proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite with a heavy focus on Excel.
• Knowledge of digital planning and buying process with an understanding of various vendors, different cost methods, various reporting, and delivery validation.
• Understanding of self-service buying platforms – DSPs, Google Ad Words and Social Ads Managers.
• Strong quantitative skills, including analytical abilities and math proficiency.
• Willingness to learn and create solutions that challenge the status quo.
• Exceptional critical thinking and problem-solving abilities with the ability to think unconventionally in proposing solutions.
• A proven ability to multi-task and manage multiple projects effectively and work well under pressure to deliver high-quality work within tight deadlines.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Proven experience in effectively coaching and developing others.

Starcom