Associate Director, Video Investment

About the role

We are the connected marketing agency, a full-service agency with modern creative & media, data, and technology services all under one roof. We are connected in the way we think and the way we work. At the heart of our company are great people that we call Unicorns. Our Unicorns are open, bold, and curious, and love to solve complex problems for clients in unique ways.

Responsibilities

• Provide investment leadership across paid video channels, including Linear TV, Addressable TV, and streaming video.
• Manage the video investment teams to ensure a consistent go-to-market approach and create synergies with our media strategy to exceed campaign KPIs.
• Develop strategic cross-platform video approaches and implement innovative strategies across linear, streaming, and addressable TV to grow our clients' business.
• Bring an innovative approach to planning and buying, identify new opportunities, and achieve value through strong partner negotiations.
• Oversee the development of cross-channel video strategies and analysis for clients, collaborating closely with Media Strategy, Media Precision, Account Management, and Measurement teams to ensure that work is strategically aligned and on-brief.
• Serve as a central point of contact for clients and internal teams for the broader video investment portfolio.
• Speak fluently to all video channels, especially calling on deep expertise from activating in linear TV.
• Build and foster strong partnerships with relevant media partners in the video ecosystem, including ability to constructively navigate negotiations and leverage cross-channel investments (i.e., linear broadcasters, CTV partners, ATV operators, etc.), as well as offer guidance on product roadmaps and agency wish lists.
• Leverage data & audience insights, as well as historical performance, to validate video investment strategies, inform tactical decisions, and exhibit ongoing willingness to optimize investments for campaign success.
• Oversee the work of video specialists, manage workflow, and provide strategic guidance and oversight.
• Provide thoughtful feedback to direct reports, using performance evaluation and internal process improvement to develop and motivate talent.
• Contribute to new business pitches by lending strategic video expertise and high-level planning across a variety of categories and prospective clients.
• Stay up-to-date on the latest advanced video offerings in the marketplace spanning streaming and addressable TV.
• Promote a culture of shared learning and increase visibility of video expertise within the agency.
• Function as a leader through strength and stability, functioning as a point of escalation for clients and team members as needed.

Qualifications

• Six to nine years of media planning and buying experience, with a strong focus on cross-channel video.
• Deep expertise in digital streaming video, in particular.
• Bachelor's degree or higher, with a concentration in advertising, marketing, business administration, communications, or equivalent.
• An analytical background – comfort with data and numbers.
• Deep industry relationships with video partners.
• Excellent negotiation skills and understanding of how to add incremental value and communicate that to our clients.
• Strong communication and writing skills – poised, precise, and above all, kind when engaging with others.
• Able to package, merchandise, and sell in concepts and new opportunities.
• Strategic thinking and able to see the bigger picture.
• Able to work independently and in a collaborative team setting.
• Familiarity with prompt-based interaction and commonly used generative AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Google Gemini, DALL·E, Midjourney) is a plus, especially for tasks like ideation, research, or content generation.