Media Planning Manager - Citi Ads

Strategic Media Planner

Commerce media is one of the fastest-growing segments in advertising, and Citi is bringing its powerful assets to launch a new media offering. With 70MM+ cardmembers, 6.5 billion annual transactions, and visibility across 700+ merchant categories, Citi has the scale, the trust, and the data infrastructure to compete at the highest level.
What sets Citi apart is the depth and breadth of its view. Where retailers see spending only within their own ecosystem, Citi sees actual purchase behavior across the full customer wallet, spanning categories, merchants, and channels. That cross-wallet visibility, combined with Citi's direct relationships with tens of millions of engaged, digitally active customers, creates a compelling foundation for advertisers who want to reach high-intent audiences and measure real outcomes.
We're building Citi Ads, Citi's Commerce Media business, from the ground up, and we're looking for a strategic and execution-oriented media planner who can translate advertiser objectives into high-performing, data-driven media plans. This individual is equally comfortable working with clients, analyzing data, and collaborating cross-functionally to bring campaigns to life.
If you have a strong track record in media planning and are excited to shape how brands leverage first-party data in a commerce media ecosystem, this is the role.
The Planning Manager is responsible for developing and executing integrated media plans that align advertiser goals with Citi's unique first-party data and media capabilities. This role sits at the intersection of strategy and execution—owning the translation of campaign briefs into tactical plans, while ensuring feasibility and performance through close collaboration with cross-functional teams.
Responsibilities:
Develop end-to-end media plans, including audience strategy, budget allocation, channel mix, and flighting
Leverage Citi's first-party data to build targeted audience strategies and drive campaign performance
Translate advertiser objectives into clear, actionable media recommendations and plans
Partner with Sales and Account teams to support pre-sale strategy and client presentations
Collaborate closely with Ad Operations, Analytics, and Product to ensure campaigns are feasible, properly executed, and optimized
Monitor campaign performance and refine plans to improve outcomes against KPIs (e.g., ROAS, conversion, engagement)
Articulate planning rationale, expected performance, and optimization strategies in client-facing conversations
Contribute to building and standardizing planning processes (e.g., audience sizing, inventory validation, planning workflows)
Support test-and-learn initiatives and proof-of-concept campaigns to validate Citi Ads capabilities
Develop strategies for both active campaigns and new business opportunities, including outreach planning
Appropriately assess risk when business decisions are made, demonstrating particular consideration for the firm's reputation and safeguarding Citigroup, its clients and assets, by driving compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations, adhering to Policy, applying sound ethical judgment regarding personal behavior, conduct and business practices, and escalating, managing and reporting control issues with transparency.
Qualifications:
6–10 years of experience in media planning, advertising, or commerce media environments
Strong experience building and executing campaigns from brief through launch
Experience Integrating media plans aligned to advertiser goals and Citi Ads capabilities
Experience designing and implementing strategies and segmentation recommendations leveraging first-party data
Experience with budget allocation models, channel mix strategies, and campaign flighting plans
Experience providing performance-driven insights informing targeting, media mix, and optimization
Experience delivering scalable planning frameworks and processes to improve speed and consistency
Education:
Bachelor's/University degree, Master's degree preferred (Highly preferred Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business, or related field)
This job description provides a high-level review of the types of work performed. Other job-related duties may be assigned as required.
Required Skills & Expertise:
Proven ability to develop high-performing media plans across digital channels
Strong understanding of the digital advertising ecosystem (e.g., programmatic, owned & operated, audience targeting)
Familiarity with commerce media networks and first-party data activation
Ability to translate data and insights into clear planning recommendations
Strong analytical skills with experience optimizing toward KPIs such as ROAS, conversion, and engagement
Experience collaborating across cross-functional teams in fast-paced environments
Strong communication skills, including the ability to support client-facing conversations
Problem-solving mindset with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines
Why Join Citi Ads:
This is a unique opportunity to help build a next-generation commerce media platform powered by one of the richest datasets in the industry. You will play a key role in defining how media plans are built, activated, and optimized—helping advertisers connect media exposure to real purchase behavior while shaping the future of Citi Ads.
Job Family Group: Marketing
Job Family: Advertising, Branding and Media
Time Type: Full time
Primary Location: New York New York United States
Primary Location Full Time Salary Range: $129,840.00 - $194,760.00
In addition to salary, Citi's offerings may also include, for eligible employees, discretionary and formulaic incentive and retention awards. Citi offers competitive employee benefits, including: medical, dental & vision coverage; 401(k); life, accident, and disability insurance; and wellness programs. Citi also offers paid time off packages, including planned time off (vacation), unplanned time off (sick leave), and paid holidays. For additional information regarding Citi employee benefits, please visit citibenefits.com. Available offerings may vary by jurisdiction, job level, and date of hire.
Citi is an equal opportunity employer, and qualified candidates will receive consideration without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other characteristic protected by law.