Associate Media Director – Media Strategy Career Growth in Columbus
Career & Market Insight
Career Level & Market Positioning: The Associate Media Director title at a recognized digital agency like Wpromote sits firmly in the senior-to-director career band. With a $90,000–$115,000 range, this is slightly below the national median for Director-level media roles at large agencies (typically $120,000–$140,000), but Wpromote's remote-first model and strong agency brand offset some of that gap.
Skills You'll Build: This role offers exposure to a rare blend of traditional and digital media — Linear TV, OOH, Audio, display, and video — combined with programmatic strategy integration. That cross-channel fluency is increasingly valuable and hard to develop at most agencies that silo channels.
- High-demand skills: Publisher direct negotiation, advanced measurement techniques, full-funnel strategy, RFP leadership
- Bonus exposure: DTC/ecommerce verticals, which are among the fastest-growing ad spending categories
Culture Signals: Wpromote's dual recognition as a Best Place to Work (Ad Age, Glassdoor) and Adweek's Fastest Growing Digital Agency signals a growth-stage, performance-driven culture. Unlimited PTO and flexible schedules suggest genuine work-life balance investment, not just policy theater.
Green Flags: Clear ownership of a client relationship, team leadership, and cross-functional collaboration at a named, reputable agency — strong resume builder. Internal upskilling emphasis suggests investment in your team's growth.
Watch Out For: Fast-paced agency environments can mean high client volume and tight deadlines. The "day-to-day client lead" expectation means significant accountability. Confirm team size and client load during interviews.
The Role
We are looking for an Associate Media Director to lead a team in media planning & activation across traditional and digital direct publisher media, working closely with Programmatic counterparts on the integrated display and video media strategy. This person will be the day-to-day client lead for all relevant media (Linear, OOH, Audio, and more) and responsible for overseeing planning, activation and measurement, bringing a strong point of view and challenging the status quo.
To be successful in this role, this person needs to have expert-level knowledge of traditional media planning, buying, and reporting across relevant programs, with the ability and drive to innovate the strategy through creative and big-picture thinking. If you thrive in a fast-paced environment, enjoy collaborating with others, and have a passion for leading and developing others, this role is for you!
At Wpromote, we believe that great work is only possible with great people. Our goal is to build a better, more inclusive work environment and support our people at every stage of their careers by prioritizing a strong work-life balance through our policies and benefits listed below. As a Best Place to Work according to both Ad Age and Glassdoor and Adweek's Fastest Growing Digital Agency, we are moving fast to expand our teams and bring new experts into the fold to keep pushing the boundaries of what's possible in marketing.
We offer:
- Remote-first culture
- Unlimited PTO
- Extended Holiday break (Winter)
- Flexible schedules
- Work from anywhere options*
- 100% paid parental leave
- 401(k) matching
- Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Pet Insurance
- Sponsored life insurance
- Short Term Disability insurance and additional voluntary insurance
- Annual ClassPass credits and more!
The anticipated annual salary for this role will range from $90,000 – $115,000, based on consideration of a wide array of factors unique to each candidate, including but not limited to skill set, years and depth of experience, education and certifications, competitive benchmarks, scope of responsibility, market dynamics, geographic location, and respective state's salary threshold for exempt employees. The total compensation package for this role will include benefits (listed above).
*This position may be performed remotely in most states within the US, with some exclusions.
**While this role offers the flexibility to work remotely, we have office hubs in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, where you can join in on learning and development opportunities, fun events, take advantage of a space to work, and collaborate in person!
***This position is not eligible for immigration sponsorship.
Important Notice: Beware of Job Scams
Wpromote recruiting communications will only be sent through our official channels via wpromote.com email addresses. If you see a posting elsewhere that is not reflected on Wpromote.com/careers, it may be a fraudulent posting. We do not require payment or fees during the hiring process nor do we request sensitive information, such as Social Security numbers or payment details. Please safeguard yourself against possible scams and contact us if you encounter any suspicious activity.
You Will Be
- Leading the planning of always-on, seasonal, and ad hoc campaigns across direct partner media
- Developing an intimate understanding of the client's business, marketing objectives, and KPIs
- Working closely with the integrated media strategy leads on the account to ensure the Direct media program ladders up to the overarching strategy
- Leading the RFP process from start to finish, building and delivering final recommendation presentations to clients
- Increasing operational efficiencies within the team across planning, activation, reporting, and Ad Ops
- Negotiating program inclusions, rates, and terms with partners while developing internal best practices to upskill the team
- Identifying opportunities to expand partnerships, providing added value and cost efficiencies to our programs
- Bringing new opportunities to clients across publisher, data, and measurement partnerships to drive innovation
- Leading the adoption of advanced measurement techniques across partners
- Partnering with Programmatic leads for holistic Display/Video strategy
You Must Have
- 5+ years of directly related experience and full-funnel marketing experience preferred
- Expert knowledge of the digital media landscape across display, video, social, and content. Familiarity with the programmatic landscape and synergies between direct, traditional, and programmatic buying is a plus
- Strong experience in planning large-scale publisher direct programs, including writing briefs, identifying potential partners, leading a team in the RFP process, evaluating partners, negotiating contracts, and presenting recommendations
- Proven ability to multitask, manage multiple projects, and deliver high-quality work within tight deadlines
- Proven track record of building and managing relationships, working with local vendors, and executing campaigns
- Strong process development skills
- Proven experience in training and developing others
- Innate curiosity and a desire to challenge the status quo
- Ecommerce, Retail, Luxury, or DTC vertical experience is a plus
Equal Opportunity & Accessibility
Wpromote is committed to bringing together individuals from different backgrounds and perspectives, providing employees with a safe and welcoming environment free of discrimination and harassment. We strive to create a diverse & inclusive environment where everyone can thrive, feel a sense of belonging, and do impactful work together. As an equal opportunity employer, we prohibit any unlawful discrimination against a job applicant on the basis of their race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin, family or parental status, disability, age, veteran status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate.
Applicants with disabilities may be entitled to reasonable accommodation under the terms of the Americans with Disabilities Act and certain state or local laws.
This employer participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. For more information on E-Verify, please contact DHS.