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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Media Supervisor

💰 $75,000 - $105,000

MarketingAdvertisingMedia PlanningDigital MarketingAgency

🎯 Role Definition

As a Media Supervisor, you are the engine of the media team and the strategic bridge between our clients' business goals and impactful media execution. You will be a hands-on leader, responsible for not only crafting and overseeing comprehensive media plans but also for nurturing the talent within your team. This position requires a masterful blend of analytical rigor, creative problem-solving, and exceptional communication. You will serve as a key day-to-day contact for our clients, translating their needs into actionable strategies and ensuring every campaign is executed flawlessly, on budget, and drives measurable business outcomes. You are the team's anchor, ensuring quality, inspiring innovation, and fostering a collaborative environment.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Senior Media Planner
  • Digital Media Strategist
  • Senior Media Buyer

Advancement To:

  • Associate Media Director (AMD)
  • Media Director
  • Group Media Director

Lateral Moves:

  • Account Supervisor
  • Strategy Supervisor
  • Analytics Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Strategic Plan Development: Lead the development, execution, and stewardship of integrated media plans across all channels (digital, social, programmatic, video, traditional, OOH) that align with client objectives and KPIs.
  • Client Relationship Management: Act as the primary day-to-day client contact, fostering strong, trusting relationships by providing strategic counsel, thought leadership, and proactive communication.
  • Team Leadership & Mentorship: Manage, train, and mentor a team of Media Planners and Assistant Planners, overseeing their workload, guiding their strategic thinking, and fostering their professional growth and development.
  • Campaign Oversight & Execution: Supervise the end-to-end campaign lifecycle, from initial briefing and strategy to trafficking, launch, in-flight optimization, and post-campaign analysis.
  • Financial & Budget Management: Oversee all financial aspects of client accounts, including budget allocation, pacing, billing, invoice reconciliation, and ensuring campaigns are delivered within budget and on time.
  • Performance Analysis & Reporting: Analyze complex campaign performance data to derive actionable insights and strategic recommendations, leading the creation and presentation of client-facing reports and quarterly business reviews.
  • Vendor & Partner Relations: Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with media vendors and technology partners, staying informed of new opportunities and leading negotiation efforts to secure optimal rates and placements.
  • Cross-Functional Collaboration: Serve as the central point of contact for media, facilitating seamless collaboration with internal account, creative, strategy, and analytics teams to ensure integrated campaign success.
  • Quality Assurance: Own the quality control process for all team deliverables, ensuring every media plan, report, and client communication is accurate, strategically sound, and meets the highest standards.
  • Presentation & Communication: Confidently present complex media strategies, performance results, and forward-thinking recommendations to senior-level clients and internal stakeholders.
  • Resource Management: Effectively manage team resources, delegate tasks appropriately, and ensure the team is equipped and structured to meet and exceed client expectations.
  • Negotiation Expertise: Direct and guide the team in media negotiations, leveraging data and market intelligence to maximize value and ROI for the client.
  • Problem Solving: Proactively identify and resolve campaign-related issues, client challenges, and internal roadblocks with a solutions-oriented mindset.
  • Media Technology & Tools: Guide the team in the proficient use of industry-standard media research, planning, and buying tools (e.g., Mediaocean, Nielsen, Comscore, ad-serving platforms).
  • Strategic POVs: Develop and author points-of-view (POVs) on emerging media opportunities, industry trends, and new technologies for both clients and internal teams.

Secondary Functions

  • Support new business development by contributing to research, strategy, and presentation materials for pitches.
  • Champion innovation by constantly evaluating and testing new platforms, partners, and media tactics.
  • Contribute to the evolution of agency best practices, processes, and training documentation for the media department.
  • Participate in and lead internal training sessions to elevate the collective knowledge of the broader team.
  • Support ad-hoc client requests and exploratory data analyses to uncover new growth opportunities.
  • Foster a positive and collaborative team culture that encourages curiosity, accountability, and excellence.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Media Planning & Buying Platforms: High proficiency in media management software such as Mediaocean (Prisma/Spectra), Advantage, or similar.
  • Digital Ad Platforms: Hands-on experience and strategic understanding of Google Ads, Meta Business Suite, LinkedIn Ads, and programmatic DSPs (e.g., The Trade Desk, DV360).
  • Ad Serving & Verification: Deep knowledge of ad servers like Campaign Manager 360 (DCM) and third-party verification tools (e.g., IAS, DoubleVerify, Moat).
  • Syndicated Research Tools: Expertise in using media research tools like Nielsen, Comscore, Kantar, Simmons, and MRI.
  • Advanced Analytics: Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex datasets and make data-driven decisions. High proficiency in Microsoft Excel (Pivot Tables, VLOOKUPs, etc.) is essential.
  • Budget Management: Proven ability to manage large, complex media budgets, including tracking, pacing, and reconciliation.
  • Media Math: A firm grasp of media mathematics and key performance indicators (CPMs, CPCs, CPAs, ROAS, Reach, Frequency).

Soft Skills

  • Leadership & Mentorship: A natural leader with a passion for developing talent, providing constructive feedback, and inspiring a team.
  • Client Service & Relationship Building: Exceptional client-facing presence with the ability to build rapport and trust with senior-level stakeholders.
  • Strategic Thinking: Ability to translate business objectives into innovative, effective media strategies that consider the full marketing funnel.
  • Communication & Presentation: Outstanding verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex ideas clearly and persuasively.
  • Negotiation & Persuasion: Strong negotiation skills to secure the best value for clients and influence internal and external partners.
  • Problem-Solving: Proactive and resourceful in identifying and resolving issues with a calm and logical approach.
  • Attention to Detail: Meticulous and organized, with an ability to manage multiple projects and deliverables without sacrificing quality.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor’s Degree

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor’s Degree

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Marketing
  • Advertising
  • Communications
  • Business Administration

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 4-7 years of progressive experience in media planning and/or buying within an agency environment.

Preferred:

  • At least 1-2 years of experience directly managing or mentoring junior staff members.
  • Proven track record of managing integrated media campaigns for clients with significant budgets (e.g., $5M+ annually).
  • Experience across a diverse range of client verticals (e.g., CPG, Technology, Finance, Retail).
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