VP, Investment and Activation

GENERAL PURPOSE OF JOB The VP, Investment leads senior media relationships across a portfolio of clients, and is responsible for interfacing and interacting with clients, all Rise and QAS departments and / or other Quad teams on a regular basis to strengthen client relationships and grow client business. This is a hands-on role that provides ongoing communication, consulting, and insights regarding strategic media decisions and emerging trends in specific media channels, sectors, and spaces in which Rise has deep expertise and talent, while also providing ideas and consultative support. The VP leads and participates in new business initiatives including in-person pitch meetings, RFPs and spec work. The VP is responsible for ensuring team infrastructure / organization, resource deployment and staff training within Investment keeps up with client and new business demand. In partnership with peers, the VP also oversees and drives operational aspects of the department including technology usage / deployment, financial planning / analysis, development / implementation of client contracts and SOWs, implementation of company-wide initiatives and day-to-day processes / execution of for all media channels. Location: Chicago, 4 days in office KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Participate in the new business process, helping to sell prospects on the Rise value proposition, products and services; likewise, support business development efforts that grow current accounts organically and leverage both the Rise and Quad suite of services Work with other department VPs and directors to collaborate and sell cross-functionally; detect and problem solve any issues that arise re: same Evolve the media offering (ongoing) by leveraging expertise in performance- and brand-based media to keep pace with changes in the media landscape and in response to changing client objectives; leverage Rise partnerships and talent in support of same Contribute to delivery of corporate financial commitments related to agency P&L; review the financial performance for the prior month and for YTD ongoing; participate in routine planning activities and financial report-outs Develop / monitor staff plans in support of media delivery with deep understanding of pricing levers and models Work with clients to establish media goals, objectives and strategies within budget; advise client management on relevancy and practicality of recommended media strategies, tactics and recommended alternatives Steward media delivery based on executed Scope of Work details, and manage team to the successful, error-free execution of every media engagement (ongoing) Partner with the Group Director, Partnerships to identify new partners, develop testing strategies and cultivate strong relationships across partner portfolio, including responsibility for JBP stewardship and fulfillment, as assigned Lead teams in successful vendor negotiations to ensure optimum use of budgeted funds and long-term contracts Manage a team of direct reports (remote and across all Rise locations) with accountability for all aspects of team oversight, including employee onboarding, employee training, employee performance (accountability and behavior), employee retention Effectively motivate and lead team while fostering accountability and ownership; marshal onshore / offshore resources to ensure proper team structure, staffing levels and budget performance Overall control of workflow and assigned responsibilities within the team; oversee the progress of all projects and aid, where necessary, to ensure timely completion; quickly and tactfully troubleshoot employee and client issues; continuously monitor the department’s performance and quality of the work product Collaborate with leadership and peers to develop solutions that will enhance our operational efficiency, tools, and systems, and improve current workflows, including use of AI, automation, platform and other emerging technologies Work with direct reports to help develop their staff management and mentoring skills JOB REQUIREMENTS Appropriate education and/or experience may be substituted on an equivalent basis Education: Bachelor’s degree (communications, marketing, advertising, or business) Ability to speak, read and write the English language Experience: 15+ years of marketing / media / channel experience (corporate or agency) in client-facing roles 10+ years developing and managing high performance teams Exceptionally strong verbal and written communication skills to effectively interact with clients (including C-suite), vendors and all levels of the organization Experience managing and scaling offshore teams Experience utilizing 1P / 3P data and proprietary / syndicated / custom data stacks for audience development and in-platform activation High degree of business acumen and sound decision-making abilities Deep experience managing and executing digital media strategies / tactics for performance-based and brand-based clients, including retail Ability to identify / recruit / retain top talent; experience positively managing personnel issues Proven ability as a creative problem solver Proven ability to manage multiple, simultaneous short- and long-term projects Track record of demonstrating strong judgment and prioritization capabilities Ability to implement change quickly to support evolving / changing client initiatives Certificates, Licenses, Registrations: N/A Knowledge, Skills & Abilities: Possess superior knowledge of the media industry, demonstrating depth in media strategy and full funnel (brand + demand) marketing across all channels, media analytics / ROI, and planning and buying local and national media Demonstrated ability to grow and expand the agency’s offering at the channel level, specifically demonstrating deep knowledge of search, social and programmatic Influential and persuasive communicator with strong interpersonal skills; exceptional ability to grow and foster internal / external relationships Strong presentation and impeccable written and verbal communication skills Expert ability to create strategic, compelling and thoughtful written and visual strategic proposals / presentations with rationale Demonstrated ability to learn and understand each client’s business; act as an extension of the client with working knowledge of issues that could influence media decisions Proven ability to lead and develop high-performing, cross-functional teams Passion for a purpose-driven, team oriented, client-first, cross-functional culture Possess a desire for excellence and successin a rapid-paced, deadline-committed environment Ability to articulate a clear and compelling vision to direct and maximize team performance Expert synthesizer of detail and information for client, peer and management consumption Exhibit sound business judgment to navigate through everyday client and team challenges, commanding both authority and respect Proficient with Microsoft Office applications; advanced Microsoft Excel experience a plus Travel: 20+% (estimated) Employees can be expected to be paid an annualized salary range of $175,830- $225,000, based on variations in knowledge, skills, experience and market conditions. #LI-DP1