Senior Media Planner

Empower Ocean Media Group is the second-largest, full-funnel independent media agency group in the U.S., managing $1.5 billion in combined media billings.

Empower Ocean merges two of the nation’s leading independent media agencies, amplifying their strengths to deliver unmatched media buying power, cutting-edge technology, and top-tier talent.

Built on four decades of innovation, Empower Media is a woman-owned media, creative, and entertainment agency, unlocking fearless growth through bold thinking and operational excellence. Ocean Media brings 30 years of performance-driven results through proprietary technology. With offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Palm Beach, Empower Ocean Media Group serves a prestigious client roster including PetSmart, Sprouts Farmers Market, Tempur-Sealy, Whataburger, BetMGM, CarGurus, Rakuten, Realtor.com, and Mint Mobile

About the Role
We’re seeking a Senior Media Planner, with deep experience in Performance media campaigns to support a multi-product retail brand. This individual will play a critical role in driving omnichannel media strategy, campaign execution, and performance optimization across key brand and vendor relationships. This role is ideal for a strategic, analytically minded performance media planner who thrives in a fast-paced retail environment and understands how to balance brand objectives with measurable business outcomes.

The Senior Media Planner will lead day-to-day planning and optimization efforts across performance-driven campaigns, collaborating closely with internal investment and analytics, to develop integrated performance media recommendations and forecasts that align client’s business priorities and partner goals. This individual should be comfortable navigating complex stakeholder requests, leveraging data to inform decisions, and translating media performance into actionable insights and strategic recommendations.

Responsibilities

Own the development of performance-driven media plans and tactical recommendations across client initiatives, ensuring alignment with retailer objectives, media forecasts and campaign KPIs

Serve as a key point of contact for internal and external stakeholders, helping facilitate communication, troubleshoot issues, and ensure timely delivery of campaign materials and reporting

Support omnichannel planning across digital and traditional channels, with a strong focus across programmatic, paid social, CTV, online video, search, and commerce-focused activations

Monitor and ensure campaign execution, pacing, optimize performance, and identify opportunities and rationale to improve efficiency and effectiveness in collaboration with analytics and investment teams

Translate media performance, insights, and audience learnings into clear, client-facing recommendations and actionable next steps

Manage day-to-day planning responsibilities including budget tracking, flowcharts, timelines, billing coordination, and campaign documentation

Support partner negotiations and media recommendation development by leveraging audience insights, historical campaign performance, and marketplace trends

Contribute to process improvements, planning efficiencies, and strategic thought leadership across the broader PetSmart business

Qualifications

3–5+ years of media strategy & investment experience, preferably within an agency environment on performance-focused clients

Experience supporting retail media or commerce-driven businesses strongly preferred

Understanding of media landscape including audience targeting, shopper behavior, attribution, and closed-loop measurement

Experience with media KPI’s and optimizations towards commerce tactics, such as CVR, ROAS + CPA, CPT

Strong understanding of hands-on-keys and digital performance channels including programmatic display, CTV, OLV, YouTube, paid social, search, audio, and retail media

Experience in, or knowledge of, platform and tactical campaign set-up strategy a plus

Ability to analyze campaign performance data and develop optimization recommendations rooted in media performance KPI’s and business outcomes

Experience developing and presenting strategic media recommendations to internal and client stakeholders

Familiarity with planning and reporting tools including Guideline (formerly MediaTools), PRISMA, and platform reporting environments

Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple workstreams, with different timelines, and deadlines simultaneously

Excellent communication and collaboration skills with a proactive, solutions-oriented mindset

Comfortable working independently while also contributing positively to a highly collaborative team environment

Retail, CPG, and/or pet category experience preferred, but not required for performance-based clients

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