Description

The Integrated Media & Strategy Group Director (IMSGD) is responsible for leading and overseeing the Integrated Media & Strategy department, ensuring strategic alignment with the agency’s broader goals, and maintaining operational efficiency across the Integrated Media & Strategy groups including media planning, activation and measurement. This role acts as the chief ambassador for the agency's paid media discipline, representing the interests of the department in a way that transcends a full-service, cross-functional agency environment. The IMSGD plays a critical role in identifying and adopting the talent, processes, solutions and capabilities necessary to elevate the agency’s paid media offerings to compete effectively with any leading-edge agency. 

Essential Duties & Responsibilities as Integrated Media & Strategy Group Director:

• Lead and inspire a team of dedicated media professionals across planning, buying and measurement focus areas
• Expand the creative boundaries of the department in developing and communicating ideas and recommendations
• Ensure operational efficiency by continuously evaluating team performance and identifying process and workflow enhancements to uphold media best practices
• Manage team bandwidth by assessing team allocations, monitoring capacity, and supporting the development of proposals and Statements of Work (SOWs)
• Collaborate with other agency departments to incorporate strategic media insights into integrated teams
• Lead and provide training on developing strategic media and tactical recommendations
• Identify creative ways to use data-driven approaches to solve unique client challenges
• Update CEO and other agency executive leaders on current team status, escalating challenges as needed
• Evaluate current media resources and proactively seek opportunities to build the agency's media tech stack, measurement capabilities and additional tools needed to maintain a competitive edge and deliver strong strategic media recommendations
• Review and provide constructive feedback for client-facing work
• Guide and mentor direct reports who are emerging leaders within the agency
• Represent the Integrated Media & Strategy practice and play a leading role in helping support business development and agency growth initiatives
• Remain at the forefront of industry trends and foster a culture of innovation and enthusiasm within the team

Requirements

• 10 years of media experience
• Experience working within an agency environment
• Strong background managing large teams
• Extensive cross-channel paid media planning experience with an emphasis on digital media
• Strong organizational skills to effectively manage an agency department and multiple projects at a time
• Knowledge of the paid media, ad tech and measurement landscape
• Excellent interpersonal and presentation skills, demonstrating energy and passion for the work
• Effective problem-solver and generator of innovative solutions
• Experience with planning tools such as MRI-Simmons, Nielsen Commspoint, MediaTool and SRDS 
• Familiar with leading ad platforms such as SA360, DV360, The Trade Desk, and Amazon
• Familiar with analytics and measurement capabilities such as BigQuery, Looker Studio, GA4, GTM and MMM
• Proficient in Google Suite applications
• Bachelor’s degree

This job description serves as an overall summary of responsibilities for the position outlined. Please note it is subject to change with specific expectations associated with the position.

Culture Alignment

At Wray Ward, we firmly believe that internal and client relationships are key to our success. Certain attitudes define how we work and are important in what we seek for our culture and mission. Our key agency attitudes are:

WE, NOT ME — We check our egos at the door. As a result, we thrive in a positive, collaborative atmosphere that welcomes diverse professionals and invites everyone to contribute their best.

ASK “WHAT IF?” — Always going beyond what is and considering what could be, we create unexpected possibilities that differentiate our brands and accelerate their success.

BE FEARLESS — Creativity demands that we hold nothing back. So we mutually support each other in speaking up, taking risks and courageously contributing audacious, unedited, unconventional ideas.

NAIL IT — Everything we do is about results. We not only achieve our clients’ goals, but also continually exceed their expectations. Every person here shares individual responsibility for their own, our agency’s and our clients’ success.

Our 39,000-square-foot home promotes collaboration and productivity through inspired meeting areas, offering natural light, vibrant colors, patterns and textures. Homelike elements are found in every corner, from the open-air roof-deck to our game room with foosball, ping-pong, Connect Five, classic board games and cornhole. Brightly colored throw pillows on sofas and our town hall meeting space, smart entertainment systems and live plants are scattered throughout. From holiday parties to movie nights, bowling and dodgeball teams to yoga and walking groups, we have a warm and inviting culture. Our office ushers us in, and it welcomes us home.

Our Mission

Day in and day out, we will passionately create the most innovative, engaging and effective work in the home category — we will live it, we will breathe it and we will own it.

Candidates must possess authorization to work in the United States, as it is not the practice of Wray Ward to sponsor individuals for work visas. Wray Ward participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the United States.

At Wray Ward, we strongly believe that a diverse staff and inclusive culture will greatly enrich our work, our business, our industry and our lives. We are committed to an intentional approach to listening, understanding and talking, and to using our individual and collective talent, voices and influence to drive change.

Wray Ward is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class.