Manager, Media Planner
Posted Updated
Description
GENERAL PURPOSE
The Media Manager is responsible for developing and executing integrated media strategies that drive brand awareness, shape brand perception, and increase store traffic for Ross. This role partners closely with internal cross-functional teams and external agency partners to translate business objectives into effective, data-driven media plans across traditional and digital channels. The Manager leverages insights from campaign performance, consumer behavior, and market trends to inform strategic decisions and optimize media investments. This role plays a key part in ensuring campaigns are executed efficiently and effectively, balancing analytical rigor with creative thinking to deliver strong business outcomes.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
In-House Media Leadership
- Build internal media planning capability by serving as a strategic in-house media lead across traditional, digital, and paid social channels.
- Bring hands-on brand-side or retailer-side media experience to improve internal ownership, agency oversight, and cross-functional planning.
- Translate business priorities into clear media briefs, audience strategies, testing plans, and performance expectations.
- Develop channel mix, audience targeting, geographic, and campaign flighting strategies.
Paid Social, Audience & Content Strategy
- Partner with brand, creative, and social teams to align content, messaging, and formats to priority audiences and campaign objectives.
- Support paid social strategy, including audience targeting, content testing, platform learnings, and performance optimization.
- Identify opportunities to improve content-to-audience fit across channels, markets, and campaign types.
Campaign Execution & Optimization
- Oversee end-to-end campaign execution, including timelines, approvals, and asset readiness
- Monitor in-flight performance and implement optimizations to improve effectiveness
- Ensure delivery against media plans, including managing under-delivery and campaign adjustments
- Manage and optimize large-scale media budgets with strong financial stewardship
Agency & Internal Operating Model
- Serve as primary day-to-day partner to media agencies
- Strengthen the internal media operating model by improving briefing, planning, feedback, optimization, and reporting processes.
- Ensure agencies are delivering strategic recommendations, not just executional plans.
- Proactively identify capability gaps, process improvements, and opportunities to increase media effectiveness.
- Lead regular status meetings and ensure alignment on priorities and performance expectations
Testing, Measurement & Learning Agenda
- In partnership with analytics team; Develop and manage a test-and-learn roadmap across audiences, creative, channels, markets, and media tactics.
- Use campaign results, MMM, brand lift, platform reporting, and other measurement inputs to recommend optimizations and future investment shifts.
- Partner with analytics and agency teams to define hypotheses, success metrics, readouts, and implications for future planning.
Market & Industry Expertise
- Stay current on media trends, consumer behavior, and competitive activity
- Evaluate emerging platforms, technologies, and opportunities to enhance media effectiveness
- Provide thought leadership on implications for Ross media strategy
COMPETENCIES
Building Effective Teams
Developing Talent
Collaboration
Leading by Example
Communicates Effectively
Ensures Accountability & Execution
Manages Conflict
Business Acumen
Plans, Aligns & Prioritizes
Organizational Agility
Strategic Thinking
Analysis & Judgment
Decision Quality
Drives Results
QUALIFICATIONS & SPECIAL SKILLS REQUIRED
- 4–6 years of experience in brand of agency media planning
- Advanced proficiency in Excel, including data analysis, modeling, and scenario planning (e.g., pivot tables, lookups, large datasets)
- Experience analyzing campaign performance and translating data into insights and recommendations
- Familiarity with media measurement tools (e.g., platform analytics, MMM, brand lift studies)
- Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving skills
- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment
- Effective collaboration and communication skills across cross-functional teams and external partners
- Detail-oriented with strong organizational and execution skills
- Demonstrated ability to balance data-driven decision-making with creative thinking
EDUCATION / CERTIFICATIONS
- Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Advertising, Business, or related field; advanced degree a plus
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
Job requires ability to work in an office environment, primarily on a computer
Requires sitting, standing, walking, hearing, talking on the telephone, attending in-person meetings, typing, and working with paper/files, etc
Consistent timeliness and regular attendance
Vision requirements: Ability to see information in print and/or electronically
Travel to agencies and corporate offices required
This role requires regular in-office presence, including to engage in in-person team interaction, meetings and collaboration, client support, mentoring, coaching, and/or feedback
However, this role can perform duties effectively using a combination of in-office and remote work
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES
None