About the Role
The Team Lead - Media Planner will play a critical role in shaping and executing performance-driven media strategies across digital and integrated channels. This role requires a strong balance of strategic thinking, analytical rigor, and hands-on performance understanding, with a deep focus on data-led planning, optimization, and ROI-driven decision-making.
The ideal candidate is a seasoned media strategist with extensive experience in performance marketing, media analytics, and audience-led planning, capable of translating business objectives into scalable, measurable, and impactful media strategies. They will act as a strategic partner to internal teams and clients, ensuring media investments deliver tangible business outcomes.
Responsibilities
- Market Research & Audience Intelligence
- Lead advanced market, category, and audience research to uncover media consumption patterns, platform trends, and competitive activity.
- Leverage first-party, second-party, and third-party data to inform audience segmentation, targeting strategies, and channel selection.
- Utilize media research and analytics tools to generate actionable insights that improve planning efficiency and campaign performance.
- Develop clear, insight-driven reports and POVs on market trends, platform performance, and emerging opportunities.
- Media Strategy & Performance Planning
- Own the development of full-funnel, performance-oriented media strategies aligned to client business objectives, KPIs, and growth targets.
- Translate marketing goals into measurable media frameworks across awareness, consideration, acquisition, and retention.
- Design channel strategies that balance scale, efficiency, incrementality, and performance across paid search, paid social, programmatic, affiliates, and emerging channels.
- Continuously refine media plans based on performance data, attribution insights, and evolving market conditions.
- Media Buying, Budgeting & Optimization
- Demonstrate strong understanding of performance media buying models, including programmatic, biddable platforms, affiliates, and direct buys.
- Collaborate closely with Media Operations and Activation teams to ensure optimal channel mix, budget allocation, and pacing.
- Own budget stewardship, ensuring efficient investment, cost controls, and maximum return on ad spend (ROAS).
- Monitor campaign performance across key metrics (CPA, CAC, ROAS, LTV, conversion rates) and recommend optimizations in real time.
- Measurement, Analytics & Attribution
- Partner with analytics teams to define measurement frameworks, test-and-learn agendas, and performance benchmarks.
- Interpret data from platforms such as Google Ads, Meta, DV360, GA4, and attribution tools to assess media effectiveness.
- Support advanced measurement approaches, including incrementality testing, attribution modeling, and media mix analysis.
- Ensure learnings are documented and applied to future planning cycles.
- Digital Innovation & Media Evolution
- Stay current with platform innovations, ad formats, automation tools, and performance best practices.
- Evaluate and test emerging media opportunities, performance-driven formats, and new partners to drive incremental growth.
- Apply automation, AI-led optimization, and smart bidding strategies to improve efficiency and scale.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration & Leadership
- Act as a strategic partner to strategy, analytics, creative, and client leadership teams.
- Mentor junior media planners, fostering strong analytical thinking, performance mindset, and planning excellence.
- Contribute to the development of agency best practices, frameworks, and planning standards.
- Support new business pitches, strategic POVs, and growth initiatives when required.
Qualifications
- Required
- Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Advertising, Media, Business, Economics, or a related field.
- 810 years of progressive experience in media planning, with a strong emphasis on performance marketing.
- Proven expertise in media strategy development, audience planning, and performance optimization.
- Strong working knowledge of performance platforms and tools including Google Ads, Meta, DV360, GA4, and media research tools (Nielsen, Comscore, etc.).
- Demonstrated experience managing large, complex media budgets and delivering against aggressive KPIs.
- Advanced analytical skills with the ability to translate data into clear strategic recommendations.
- Excellent communication and presentation skills, with experience presenting to senior stakeholders.
- Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple accounts and deadlines.
- Preferred / Strong Plus
- Experience working within a media agency or performance-led digital agency environment.
- Hands-on exposure to programmatic planning, audience data platforms, and performance measurement frameworks.
- Familiarity with ad verification, brand safety, and fraud prevention tools (IAS, MOAT, DoubleVerify).
- Understanding of advanced attribution models, incrementality testing, and media experimentation.
- Experience mentoring or leading junior team members.
- Certifications in Google, Meta, Programmatic, or Advanced Analytics.
