Media Strategist

Description

:

Job Title: Media Strategist
Department: Marketing

FLSA: Salary

Location: Des Moines, IA

General Function:

The Media Strategist is responsible for planning, executing and optimizing paid media campaigns across digital and traditional channels to drive business objectives. This role manages day-to-day campaign operations, collaborates with internal and external partners, and ensures that campaigns are delivered on time, within budget, and with performance targets in mind.

Reporting Relationships:

Accountable and Reports to: Director, Paid Media

Direct Reports: None

Primary Responsibilities:

Campaign Execution & Optimization

• Develop and implement comprehensive media strategies that align with marketing goals and brand objectives.
• Launch and manage paid media campaigns across platforms including Google Ads, Meta, YouTube, Display, Programmatic, and local broadcast or print (if applicable).
• Monitor performance and implement optimizations to improve KPIs such as ROAS, CTR, CPC, CPA, and brand lift.
• Oversee trafficking, tracking, and QA of creative assets and pixels/tags.

Budget Management

• Manage media budgets by campaign, track pacing, and flag over/underspend.
• Ensure campaigns align with financial goals and deliver strong return on investment.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with brand marketing, creative, social, influencer, and e-commerce teams to align on objectives and deliverables.
• Coordinate with agencies and media partners as needed.

Reporting & Insights

• Develop regular performance reports and insights to inform stakeholders.
• Translate data into actionable recommendations to improve future media strategies.

Process & Documentation

• Maintain campaign documentation, timelines, and media plans.
• Contribute to playbooks and best practices.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Advertising, Communications, or related field.
• 5–7 years of experience in media planning and buying, preferably in-house or agency-side.
• Hands-on experience with media platforms such as Meta Ads Manager, Google Ads, DV360, and campaign tracking tools.
• Strong analytical skills with experience in Excel, Looker Studio, or similar reporting tools.
• Excellent organizational, communication, and project management skills.
• Ability to manage multiple campaigns and priorities simultaneously.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in retail, grocery, CPG, or e-commerce environments.
• Familiarity with attribution modeling, incrementality testing, or MMM.
• Working knowledge of third-party data providers, DSPs, and advanced targeting strategies.

Competencies:

• Strategic Thinking: Ability to develop long-term media plans that align with business goals.
• Analytical Acumen: Comfortable working with data to evaluate performance and inform decision-making.
• Communication Skills: Excellent verbal and written communication for internal collaboration and external negotiations.
• Attention to Detail: Ensures accuracy in media buying, reporting, and budget management.
• Deadline-Driven: Consistently meets project deadlines and campaign launch dates while maintaining high-quality work.
• Adaptability: Stays flexible in a fast-paced and changing media environment.
• Collaboration: Works well across departments and with external vendors to execute integrated campaigns.
• Project Management: Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple campaigns simultaneously.

Are you ready to smile,