Digital Media Planner

Location: Cleveland, Ohio. Employment Type: Full‑Time, Salaried. Local candidates are preferred; Cleveland employees work from the Cleveland office each Wednesday and one additional day per week based on team needs. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States; Marcus Thomas does not provide employment visa sponsorship for this position.

About the role

As a Digital Media Planner, you’ll work under the direction of the media lead to build, execute and optimize digital media plans for your assigned accounts. You’ll manage day‑to‑day performance across self‑service and managed‑service platforms and turn data into insights that help clients meet their media objectives. It’s an integrated role: you’ll work alongside creative, social and analytics teams in a best‑in‑class media department, and Marcus Thomas is the largest buyer of media in Ohio. You’ll also have a defined career path to support your growth.

Responsibilities

• Build media plans for assigned accounts under the direction of the media lead.
• Proactively suggest tests and optimizations across all assigned accounts.
• Manage performance across specified channels on both self‑service and managed‑service platforms.
• Own the day‑to‑day execution, buying stewardship and optimization of your accounts.
• Report key insights and takeaways, not just numbers.
• Partner with the analytics team to deliver reports on time.
• Provide quality control on campaigns and setups completed by other team members.
• Sign and send insertion orders and reconcile invoices.
• Learn your assigned accounts, their media objectives and the team’s planning, buying and reporting processes within 3 months, and take on day‑to‑day execution and reporting with support from your media lead.
• Independently manage execution, optimization and reporting for your assigned accounts within 6 months, with accurate insertion orders and invoice reconciliation, and regularly bring forward tests and optimizations backed by performance data.
• Become a trusted partner to media and account leads within 12 months: anticipate needs before they’re raised, deliver insights that shape client plans, and provide quality control the team relies on.

Requirements

Required:

• Three to five years of experience in marketing, communications or a related field.
• A thorough understanding of media math and planning principles, including CPM, CPC, CPE, CTR, CPA, CPCV, reach, frequency, frequency capping, completion rate, engagement rate and ROAS.
• Comfort digging into performance data and turning it into sound optimizations.
• Clear, effective written and verbal communication.
• No specific degree is required; equivalent professional experience is fully accepted.

Preferred:

• Experience at an advertising or media agency, especially in the digital space.
• Hands‑on experience with programmatic platforms such as DV360, Nexxen or StackAdapt, as well as Meta Ads Manager, Google Campaign Manager 360, Google Ads and Strata/SBMS.
• Familiarity with research resources such as MRI‑Simmons.
• A working understanding of negotiation basics.
• A proactive approach with media and account leads, anticipating what they’ll need before they ask.
• Objectivity in weighing options, and curiosity about the craft and marketing communications in general.

Benefits

• Time Off: A flexible time‑off policy, with most employees taking approximately four to six weeks annually.
• Family Support: Twelve weeks of fully paid parental leave.
• Health and Wellness: Medical, dental and vision coverage, plus telemedicine and behavioral health resources.
• Lifestyle Support: Wellness and creative stipends, phone plan support and partner discounts.
• Financial Benefits: A 401(k) with company contributions, student loan repayment support and college savings options.

Team Values: At Marcus Thomas, our values shape how we work with each other and with our clients – Community, Accountability, Collaboration, Curiosity, Diversity, and Make Work Play.

Our Hiring Process: The process typically includes an initial recruiter conversation, a hiring manager interview, a team or leadership interview, and final selection. We may use AI‑assisted tools to help organize and review application materials; candidates may opt out of AI‑assisted résumé screening or interview recording/transcription at any stage without affecting consideration. AI tools do not make hiring decisions.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: Marcus Thomas is committed to fair access to opportunity and an environment where employees can contribute, develop and succeed. We encourage applications from people with a wide range of identities, experiences and backgrounds, including those historically underrepresented in advertising and marketing. Employment decisions are made without regard to any status protected by applicable law.