Associate Director, Media Planning

Bully Pulpit International is an outcomes agency made up of strategists, data scientists, and artists. We come from politics, brands, and government and communicate without barriers while measuring what matters. With over 400 team members across six countries and thirteen offices—including Berlin, Brussels, Chicago, D.C., London, Los Angeles, New York, Oslo, San Francisco, and Zürich—we apply our expertise in strategic communications, public affairs, research, and digital marketing to create sophisticated, customized strategies for American and European clients.

About the role

As an Associate Director of Media Planning, you will act as a core contributor to team priorities, communicating the strategic value behind departmental goals to the broader media team. You will help develop and articulate the agency’s perspective on media strategy, emerging tactics, and technical execution. Additionally, you will conduct deep-dive research to enable the agency to craft highly accurate, innovative, and strategic advertising and marketing plans.

Responsibilities

• Independently run mid-spend clients and advertising campaigns from inception to completion.
• Regularly present sophisticated media strategies, performance insights, and campaign reporting directly to clients.
• Develop comprehensive, data-backed media plans aligned with client and campaign objectives, collaborating with Client/Account Leads to ensure deliverables support high-level strategic approaches.
• Lead end-to-end campaign implementation and management, overseeing execution, optimization, and analysis across digital and traditional platforms, including partner negotiation and contracting.
• Proactively identify, improve, and develop new processes to streamline cross-team communication and ensure flawless execution of media plans.
• Foster strong, collaborative working relationships across client and internal specialty teams (Buying, Marketing Analytics, Insights) to facilitate seamless execution.
• Identify areas for team-wide workflow and operational process improvements, partnering with Planning Directors to implement scalable solutions.
• Attract, retain, and elevate talent across the paid media team through active management, mentorship, and structured training.
• Serve as a role model for junior and mid-level planners, providing guidance on campaign management, analytical thinking, and client communication.

Requirements

• 6-9 years of relevant work experience in digital media strategy, planning, and direct-IO buying (agency experience preferred).
• Proven track record of independently running campaigns for corporate reputation, public affairs, and/or political clients.
• Enthusiasm for Democratic/progressive politics and excitement to work alongside non-profit, advocacy, and corporate social impact clients, as well as larger corporate reputation accounts.
• Advanced analytical thinking capabilities, with strong hands-on experience using media consumption tools (e.g., GWI, Comscore) and business intelligence/dashboard software (e.g., Datorama, Google Analytics, or Tableau).
• Demonstrated ability to quickly learn and navigate new digital systems, emerging media tech, and specialized proprietary tools with minimal downtime.
• Expert-level proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets for budget tracking, performance analysis, and data manipulation.
• Exceptional organizational skills, rigorous attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple high-stakes projects simultaneously.
• Readiness to work independently, think creatively, solve complex problems, and scale leadership capabilities rapidly in a fast-paced environment.

Schedule

Expectation to work from one of our offices (Chicago, DC, NYC, SF, LA) at least 3 days a week.

Pay

Starting salary range: $100,000 - $110,000 (+ annual bonus).

Benefits

• 100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• 401(k) program with employer match up to 4%.
• Generous vacation time and unlimited sick time.
• $50 monthly phone reimbursement.
• 16 weeks of paid leave for new parents.