Senior Media Operations Manager

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The Senior Media Operations Manager is the senior operations partner on Carnegie’s biggest, most complex digital marketing accounts. Working closely with Digital Strategists, this person keeps campaigns running smoothly from planning through launch and ongoing optimization — combining deep operational know-how with strong media planning skills to turn strategy into results clients can see. As the Media Operations team grows, this role also helps build out the function itself: sharpening processes, raising the bar for the team, and mentoring the people around them.

What You’ll Own

Client Partnership

Serve as the lead Media Operations partner on Carnegie’s largest and most complex accounts, working alongside Digital Strategists through planning, execution, optimization, and ongoing consultation

Build trust with clients by leading operational conversations, offering smart recommendations on campaign execution, and acting as a go-to resource on digital media best practices

Co-lead onboarding with the Digital Strategist — join planning discussions, run asset collection, get accounts launch-ready, and lead handoffs as needed

Present operational recommendations at Quarterly Business Reviews, Annual Performance Presentations, and other key client meetings

Handle complex client questions on execution, timelines, media plan changes, and best practices — without needing to be told how

Media Planning & Strategy

Partner with Digital Strategists during media planning — help shape campaign recommendations, weigh channel strategy, and check that plans are actually doable

Advise on media allocations, campaign structure, timing, audience targeting, and how to execute well

Lead complex revisions to media plans as client priorities shift, while staying aligned with the strategy set by the Digital Strategist

Spot operational risks and opportunities to improve performance before they become problems

Campaign Operations & Execution

Own campaign operations across your client portfolio — assets, trafficking, QA, launch readiness, vendor coordination, creative production, landing pages, and documentation

Manage forecasting, budget adjustments, opportunity funds, launch sequencing, refresh schedules, and campaign transitions

Work closely with media, analytics, creative, project management, and outside vendors to keep execution seamless

Serve as the final quality check before complex campaigns launch, making sure everything lines up with strategy and Carnegie’s standards

Team & Process Improvement

Mentor Media Operations Associates and Managers — share what you know, guide them through tough client situations, and support their growth

Help evolve Media Operations standards, documentation, workflows, and QA processes

Partner with pod and Digital leadership to find ways to improve processes, roll out AI tools, and automate work — while staying hands-on with client work

Support onboarding, training, and knowledge-sharing across the team

What You Bring

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience

6-8+ years in digital media operations, media planning, campaign management, or agency operations; extensive agency experience strongly preferred

Deep knowledge of digital media operations and the full campaign lifecycle

Strong organizational and prioritization skills — you can run multiple complex accounts at once without dropping the ball

Executive-level communication and presentation skills; comfortable influencing clients, leadership, and cross‑functional partners

Sharp strategic thinking — you can turn campaign strategy into a plan that actually runs

Solid grasp of media planning, forecasting, budgeting, and managing operational risk

A track record of improving processes and managing complex digital marketing accounts

Experience mentoring and developing team members, and raising the bar for the people around you

Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills — you catch risks early and find fixes that scale

Why This Role
This role exists because Carnegie’s biggest, most complex client engagements need an operational leader who can hold it all together — the planning, the execution, the quality, and the client relationship. You’ll own some of the agency’s most important accounts, help shape how the Media Operations team works, and grow into a bigger leadership role as the function scales.

About Carnegie
For more than 30 years, Carnegie has been a leader and innovator in higher education marketing and enrollment strategy, offering groundbreaking services in the areas of Research, Strategy, Digital Marketing, Lead Generation, Slate Optimization, Student Search, Website Development, and Creative that generate authentic connections.

Learn more about who we are, what we do, and what we care about.

No phone calls or unscheduled visits to the office, please. Carnegie is an equal-opportunity employer.

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