Associate Director, Strategy

Company Description

Zenith is one of Publicis Groupe's largest media agencies, spanning 95 markets globally with US offices in New York, Burbank, Chicago, Atlanta and Detroit. For more than 30 years, we have been at the forefront of media, helping to evolve and reshape the industry. We are highly regarded as a true agency partner by many high-profile brands for our expertise across numerous categories and wide range of capabilities that are unparalleled in the industry. Clients hire us for our track record of excellence in strategic planning, investment, and measurement. We also have specialist offerings, including content, commerce, multicultural and future-proofed data capabilities.

Job Description

PubW is a bespoke business unit set up to bring the full power of the Publicis Groupe together to support Walmart's media and data needs. Through our Power of One model, we put Walmart at the center bringing together specialists in strategy, media investment, data, influencers, commerce, and content delivering a highly connected, purpose-led and collaborative approach for our clients. PubW's mission is to help Walmart navigate a period of intense change, continually keeping them "one more step ahead". This means challenging conventions, driving continual progress, and pushing the marketplace to keep Walmart at the forefront of the media industry. Our approach is grounded in using data and technology to connect with real people across the full funnel, ensuring that Walmart's investment in media is directly contributing to innovative marketing experiences, driving brand and business growth.


Role Overview

PubW is looking for a talented Associate Media Director, Strategy to manage the day-to-day Media Planning and Strategy for a high profile and fast-paced account. This person will lead a team in the development, execution, and stewardship of media plans for the client's business. They will be required to develop and maintain a strong knowledge of the clients' business and apply their media understanding accordingly to help deliver against the clients' needs and objectives.


Responsibilities

1. Strategy & Planning

• Drive the media planning process, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives
• Oversee cross-channel media strategy development (TV, Digital, Social, OOH, Audio, etc.), including channel mix recommendations, flighting, and budget allocation
• Own the development of strategic recommendations and client facing POVs, coordinating with necessary teams to account for all relevant inputs

1. Plan Execution & Investment Stewardship

• Oversee end-to-end media planning and execution across campaigns, ensuring strategic rigor, accuracy, and executional excellence
• Partner with activation and investment teams to ensure plans are effectively executed and optimized
• Lead accurate budget management with activation and investment teams

1. Performance & Optimization
   • Evaluate campaign performance and identify opportunities to improve effectiveness, efficiency, and business outcomes
   • Lead optimization recommendations rooted in data, audience insights, and market trends
   • Translate performance results into clear business implications and future planning recommendations
2. Client & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Build strong, collaborative client relationships that instill confidence and trust
• Lead both internal and client-facing meetings and presentations
• Collaborate and effectively communicate across multiple teams including strategy, investment, analytics, commerce, operations, and more

1. Team Leadership & Talent Development

• Manage, mentor, and develop junior team members, fostering growth and accountability across the team
• Establish clear priorities, delegate responsibilities, and ensure deadlines are met with high-quality deliverables
• Provide ongoing coaching, performance management, and professional development

1. Innovation & Thought Leadership

• Stay informed on industry trends, emerging media opportunities, and Publicis Groupe capabilities
• Drive process improvements that enhance efficiency and collaboration
• Promote a culture of curiosity, innovation, continuous learning, and operational excellence

Qualifications

• B.A. or B.S., preferably in Marketing, Advertising, or related field
• 5+ years media planning or strategy experience including 2+ years in a management capacity
• Experience managing campaigns across multiple channels (online and offline) and budgets
• Familiarity with standard media research and planning tools (e.g. NMI, Guidelines, etc.)

Key Skills

• Strategic media planning
• Cross-channel media expertise
• Budget management
• Client relationship management
• Team leadership, coaching, and mentorship
• Strong presentation and storytelling abilities
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Project management and cross-functional collaboration
• Innovation mindset and marketplace awareness
• Ability to remain organized in a fast-paced environment

Additional Information

Our Publicis Groupe motto "Viva La Différence" means we're better together, and we believe that our differences make us stronger. It means we honor and celebrate all identities, across all facets of intersectionality, and it underpins all that we do as an organization. We are focused on fostering belonging and creating equitable & inclusive experiences for all talent.

Publicis Groupe provides robust and inclusive benefit programs and policies to support the evolving and diverse needs of our talent and enable every person to grow and thrive. Our benefits package includes medical coverage, dental, vision, disability, 401K, as well as parental and family care leave, family forming assistance, tuition reimbursement, and flexible time off.

If you require accommodation or assistance with the application or onboarding process specifically, please contact View email address on click.appcast.io.


All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Veterans Encouraged to Apply.

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Compensation Range: USD $106,000 - USD $137,000 Annually. This is the pay range the Company believes it will pay for this position at the time of this posting. This role may also be eligible for bonus or incentive compensation. Consistent with applicable law, compensation will be determined based on the skills, qualifications, and experience of the applicant along with the requirements of the position, and the Company reserves the right to modify this pay range at any time. Temporary roles may be eligible to participate in our freelancer/temporary employee medical plan through a third-party benefits administration system once certain criteria have been met. Temporary roles may also qualify for participation in our 401(k) plan after eligibility criteria have been met. For regular roles, the Company will offer medical coverage, dental, vision, disability, 401k, and paid time off. The Company anticipates the application deadline for this job posting will be 7/30/2026.


Compensation Range: USD $106,780.00 - USD $170,937.00/Annually. This is the pay range the Company believes it will pay for this position at the time of this posting. Consistent with applicable law, compensation will be determined based on the skills, qualifications, and experience of the applicant along with the requirements of the position, and the Company reserves the right to modify this pay range at any time. Temporary roles may be eligible to participate in our freelancer/temporary employee medical plan through a third-party benefits administration system once certain criteria have been met. Temporary roles may also qualify for participation in our 401(k) plan after eligibility criteria have been met. For regular roles, the Company will offer medical coverage, dental, vision, disability, 401k, and paid time off. The Company anticipates the application deadline for this job posting will be 8/3/2026.