Media Director

Location: Cleveland or Cincinnati, OH with 2 days in office

Who Is Marcus Thomas?

Marcus Thomas is one of the country’s leading independent advertising and marketing agencies. From our offices in Cleveland and Cincinnati, Ohio; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Santiago, Chile, we bring together thinkers, makers and storytellers who help brands grow by creating meaningful connections with people.

We offer a full range of services: creative, media, digital, PR, social, search and CRM, all working together to build ideas that make an impact. Our integrated approach has earned national recognition for work that blends strategy, creativity and technology to move businesses forward.

At Marcus Thomas, we believe great marketing makes people’s lives better. We call that the Value Exchange : a partnership where everyone benefits. Join us and help shape an agency driven by curiosity, collaboration and results.

About the Role

The Media Director is a senior media leader responsible for guiding key client relationships, shaping integrated media strategy, and supporting the continued growth of the Media team. This person combines deep media expertise with strong business judgment, consultative client leadership, and the ability to turn data, insights and emerging opportunities into clear recommendations. Working closely with the Chief Media Officer, this person will lead major client assignments, contribute to new business, develop talent, and partner across creative, social, influencer, analytics and other disciplines to deliver connected solutions.

Key Responsibilities

Client Leadership and Media Strategy

• Provide strategic oversight for assigned media accounts, including day-to-day execution, campaign KPIs and overall account success.
• Develop digital-first, data-informed media strategies that use attribution, performance metrics, research, audience insights and emerging opportunities to guide recommendations and connect media performance to the client’s broader business story.
• Serve as a senior, consultative media partner to key clients, building trusted relationships and confidently leading strategic conversations, recommendations, performance discussions and challenging client situations.

Integrated Agency Partnership

• Partner closely with creative, social, influencer, analytics, strategy and other agency disciplines to ensure media recommendations connect to the broader client strategy and customer experience.
• Help shape connected solutions that reflect the client’s business goals, audience needs and broader marketing ecosystem.

Team Leadership and Development

• Provide leadership and continued education to the agency, develop the skill and knowledge base of the Media team, and encourage innovation and creativity across projects.
• Directly manage and develop two direct reports, setting clear goals, providing ongoing coaching and supporting their career growth.
• Identify and develop Media team members in partnership with Human Resources, including planning staff development needs related to rotation, promotion and growth support.
• Recognize team members’ strengths and growth areas, providing clear feedback, coaching and support regardless of direct reporting relationship.

Operations, Quality and Innovation

• Help develop department processes for better efficiency, review media deliverables and make adjustments as needed to raise the benchmark of excellence for the agency’s media products.
• Stay current on industry trends, emerging tactics and market changes, proactively bringing informed points of view and strategic opportunities to clients and internal teams.

New Business and Industry Presence

• Play a meaningful role in new business by helping shape media strategy, developing the media story and recommendation, and presenting effectively to prospective clients.
• Represent the agency in relevant industry groups, committees and partner forums as appropriate.

What Success Looks Like

• By 3 months: Running assigned accounts successfully — meeting spend and KPI goals, effectively managing two direct reports and working well with other CoPs.
• By 6 months: Growing the media business with clients through test-and-learns, and participating in new business.
• By 12 months: Successfully managing and growing at least two accounts, developing two direct reports, and participating in new business pitches.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience required.
• 10+ years of media planning experience required.
• 5+ years of management experience required.
• Strong mathematical abilities required.
• Ability to travel every 1 to 2 months for client meetings.
• Attention to detail and ability to handle multiple tasks required.
• Advanced knowledge of media technology partners, self-service platforms, measurement tools, attribution, performance metrics and research resources.
• Practical AI literacy, including an understanding of how AI can support media research, analysis, planning and workflow efficiency while maintaining human judgment, critical thinking, accuracy and accountability for the final recommendation.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to turn complex media information into clear, client-ready recommendations.

Preferred Qualifications (Nice to Have)

• Marketing and media agency experience.
• Experience representing the agency at key organizational conferences and working groups.
• Experience seeking out unique or beta opportunities with vendors, platforms and partners.
• Experience playing a key role in new business presentations and pitches.
• Strong relationship-building, influence, people development and strategic leadership skills.
• Grocery, retail or similarly complex consumer-category experience preferred.

Benefits Highlights

• Time Off: Flexible policy; most teammates enjoy 4-6 weeks annually
• Family Support: 12 weeks of fully paid parental leave
• Health & Wellness: Comprehensive medical, dental and vision coverage, plus telemedicine, behavioral health and access to the Calm app
• Lifestyle Perks: Wellness and creative stipends, phone plan support, and partner discounts
• Financial Benefits: 401(k) with company contributions, student-loan paydown and college-savings options

Team Values

At Marcus Thomas, our values shape how we work with each other and with our clients.

Community – We contribute to the growth of our agency, our industry and our communities.
Accountability – We show up, keep our word, and take ownership of our work and results.
Collaboration – We lead with empathy, listen actively and value every voice.
Curiosity – We stay curious, ask questions and bring new ideas to the table.
Diversity – We respect and celebrate different perspectives because they make the work stronger.
Make Work Play – We bring energy, creativity and joy into everything we do.

Our Hiring Process

Our hiring process is designed to help us get to know you and give you a genuine feel for our culture and team. It typically includes short conversations with our recruiting team and hiring manager, a team and/or leader interview, and final selection.

To support fairness and consistency, we use AI tools to assist with parts of the process. Résumés may be reviewed initially with an AI assistant that compares experience and skills to the job description and highlights potential matches for our recruiting team. Candidates can choose to opt out of AI résumé screening when applying.

We also use AI to record and transcribe interviews to promote accuracy and equity. Transcripts may be reviewed by HR to confirm that all candidates are treated respectfully and evaluated fairly. Candidates can opt out of this transcription feature at any stage.

While AI helps us stay organized and consistent, every decision to move a candidate forward is made by real people. Our recruiting and hiring teams remain hands-on throughout the process and use AI only as a tool, not as a decision-maker for how to find talent.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

At Marcus Thomas, we believe diversity is a strength and that great ideas come from different perspectives. We’re committed to creating opportunities for talented individuals who have been historically underrepresented in our industry and to fostering an inclusive culture where everyone can grow, thrive and do their best work.

We encourage women, people of color, LGBTQIA+ individuals, immigrants, people of all religions and nationalities, and people with disabilities to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, marital status, protected veteran status, or disability.