Director, Communications Planning

Why DEPT?

We are pioneers at heart. What this means, is that we are always leaning forward, thinking of what we can create tomorrow that does not exist today. We were born digital and we are a new model of agency, with a deep skillset in tech and marketing. That’s why we hire curious, self-driven, talented people who never stop innovating.

The Role

As a Director, Communications Planning, you are a senior strategic leader who sits at the heart of how we connect brands to culture. You'll own the strategic architecture that sits between a brand's positioning and its channel execution. You know how to build a comms plan with genuine logic behind it — one that maps audience behavior to message sequencing, assigns channel roles based on insight rather than convention, and gives

What You'll Do

• Lead communications planning across assigned accounts — developing audience-first strategies that define the role of each channel, the logic of message sequencing, and the measurable outcomes each phase of a plan is designed to drive. Your comms plans have a point of view. They're not channel checklists.
• Translate brand and business briefs into integrated communications frameworks: audience segmentation, consumer journey mapping, channel roles and sequencing, and a clear articulation of what moves someone from awareness through to action. The frameworks you build should be specific enough to actually guide execution.
• Write and develop creative briefs. You understand that a great brief is a strategic act — it shapes what creative makes, not just how it gets made. You know how to distill an insight, define a single-minded proposition, and give a creative team enough constraint to do their best work.
• Serve as a senior strategic partner to clients on communications, campaign strategy, channel planning, and audience engagement. You're in the room when planning decisions are being made, contributing a point of view.
• Lead integrated communications planning across paid, owned, and earned media — defining the role of each channel, sequencing messaging, and establishing clear KPIs tied to business outcomes
• Translate complex business challenges into sharp, compelling strategic frameworks that inspire both clients and internal creative and media teams
• Partner closely with discipline leads across media, creative, CRM, and e-commerce to ensure full-funnel alignment from strategy through execution. Pressure test channel recommendations against real audience and behavioral data.
• Drive new business efforts by developing insight-led communications strategies and presenting with authority and conviction on a national stage
• Oversee audience analysis, consumer journey mapping, and competitive intelligence to uncover opportunities for brand growth and differentiation
• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of planners — fostering a culture of strategic rigor, intellectual curiosity, and collaborative excellence
• Champion measurement and learning agendas, partnering with analytics teams to evaluate performance and continuously evolve planning approaches
• Stay ahead of emerging media trends, platform innovations, and cultural shifts — bringing fresh thinking and proactive POVs to clients and internal teams
• Represent DEPT®'s strategic capabilities in the market, contributing to thought leadership, industry events, and agency positioning

What You'll Bring

• 8–12 years of experience in communications planning, media strategy, or integrated planning within an agency environment, including leadership experience
• Proven ability to develop and own senior client relationships, acting as a strategic partner and trusted advisor at the executive level
• Deep expertise across the full media ecosystem — paid, owned, and earned — with a strong understanding of how channels work together to drive business outcomes
• Experience leading integrated marketing strategies across media, creative, CRM, and/or e-commerce
• Strong leadership skills with a track record of building, mentoring, and developing high-performing planning teams
• Exceptional strategic thinking with the ability to turn complex data, research, and insights into clear, actionable, and inspiring communications frameworks
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills with the ability to craft and deliver compelling narratives to senior stakeholders and C-suite clients
• Proficiency with planning tools and audience intelligence platforms (GWI, MRI-Simmons, Nielsen, Comscore, etc.)
• New business experience with a proven ability to contribute to and win pitches at the agency level
• AI proficiency and a forward-thinking mindset — comfortable leveraging emerging tools to enhance planning efficiency and insight generation
• A collaborative, solutions-oriented leadership style with the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, matrixed environment

What We Offer

• Healthcare, Dental, and Vision coverage
• 401k plan, plus matching
• PTO
• Paid Company Holidays
• Parental Leave

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

At DEPT®, we take pride in creating an inclusive workplace where everyone has an equal opportunity to thrive. We actively seek to recruit, develop, nurture, and retain talented individuals from diverse backgrounds, with varying skills and perspectives.

Anticipated Salary Range

The anticipated salary range for this position is listed below. Salary is based on a range of factors that include relevant experience, expertise, physical location, and organizational impact. This is based on a 40-hour workweek and leveling.