Job Details

Overview

Goodway Group is one of AdAge's 2025 Best Places to Work. As an independent and remote-first media and marketing services firm with a 90+ year history, we combine the security of an established company with a startup feel. With teams in the U.S. and the UK, our diverse group of digital strategists, media practitioners, technologists and data scientists has earned awards for innovative marketing technology and inclusive remote-first work.

Associate Media Director (AMD) is a client-facing people & excellence leader who oversees strategic and holistic media activation, optimization, and buying for a team of Media Managers across Programmatic, Search, Social, and Ad Ops, and for a portfolio of clients. The AMD is accountable for overall campaign delivery, ensures the development and execution of effective media activation strategies, uses data to enhance targeting and performance, and aligns with the client's business goals. The role also provides people leadership, manages high-value client relationships, collaborates with cross-functional teams, and demonstrates thought leadership in the media industry.

What You Will Do

Strategic Media Activation:

• Oversee and review Media Managers' strategic media activation planning and buying across multiple channels for a portfolio of clients, ensuring high-quality campaigns that meet objectives and performance metrics before they are submitted or presented to the client.
• Maximize return on investment by ensuring media implementation and activation strategies and plans, including budget allocation and audience optimization, are executed holistically and aligned with the consumer journey and supported by audience insights.
• Utilize client and proprietary data to enhance targeting, provide insights, and maximize campaign performance.
• Demonstrate fidelity to the communication strategy and client business goals through informed platform choices.
• Ensure selection of platforms, publishers, and channels based on analysis of capabilities and desired outcomes.
• Manage and mentor a team of media managers, providing guidance and accountability to high performance standards.
• Train, motivate, grow, and evaluate team members, ensuring adherence to best practices.
• Maintain workflow control and prioritize team responsibilities, addressing issues and staffing needs as required.
• Support personal development through goal setting, tracking, and accountability.
• Optimize current expertise while building new capabilities for tomorrow.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to translate client needs into media activation plans and communicate those needs back to the team.
• Provide senior-level strategic media activation leadership and maintain strong client relationships.
• Ensure high-quality media activation plans exceed client objectives with a clear understanding of how activation supports goals.
• Maintain in-depth knowledge of clients' businesses from current and historical perspectives.
• Participate in New Business efforts and presentations where appropriate.

Cross-functional Collaboration:

• Collaborate with Strategy, Planning, BD, and CX to develop strategic media plans with maximum impact.
• Collaborate with Strategy/Planning on channel optimizations, beta/test-and-learn opportunities, ensuring fidelity in collaboration.
• Work with Investment on channel best practices and provide feedback on client and beta needs.

Thought-Leadership:

• Provide internal and external thought leadership by staying current on media industry trends and identifying opportunities to improve campaign performance.
• Demonstrate marketplace understanding and explain the strategic benefits of investment and activation choices (inventory, platforms, channels, etc.).
• Manage relationships with media vendors/publishers and negotiate rates for best client value as relevant.
• Encourage calculated risks and innovative initiatives rooted in the communication strategy.

What You Bring

• 8+ years of experience in media, with a proven track record of delivering outstanding results for clients.
• Skill in analyzing platforms, publishers, and channels to select options that achieve client outcomes.
• Experience overseeing flawless execution of campaigns across all channels that meet objectives and performance metrics.
• Ability to develop and execute strategic media activation plans across multiple channels.
• Ability to manage and mentor a team of media managers, ensuring adherence to performance standards and best practices.
• Proficiency in maintaining control of workflow, assigning responsibilities, and addressing issues.
• Skill in supporting team members' development through goal setting, accountability, and progress tracking.
• Skill in maintaining strong client relationships and providing senior-level strategic leadership.

If you identify as a female candidate, and feel you can do this role even if there are a few things you have not done, please apply anyway! Goodway Group is 70% Female.

Goodway Group is human-first, committed to inclusivity and diversity. We want applications from everyone, regardless of race, creed, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, marital status, citizen status, age, disability, military or protected veteran status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, or any other legally protected status.

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the self-identification survey. Completion is voluntary and confidential. Information will not be used in hiring decisions.

As set forth in Goodway Group's Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected status under applicable law. This section includes information on veteran status and disability status for compliance purposes.

Disability Status: This information is collected to measure the effectiveness of outreach and recruitment efforts as a federal contractor. It is voluntary, confidential, and will not affect hiring decisions.