Senior Manager, Media Planning

KAYAK, part of Booking Holdings (NASDAQ: BKNG), is the world’s leading travel search engine. With billions of queries across our platforms, we help people find their perfect flight, stay, rental car and vacation package. We’re also transforming business travel with a new corporate travel solution, KAYAK for Business.

As an employee of KAYAK, you will be part of a travel company that operates a portfolio of global metasearch brands including momondo, Cheapflights and HotelsCombined, among others. From start-up to industry leader, innovation is in our DNA and every employee has an opportunity to make their mark. Our focus is on building the best travel search engine to make it easier for everyone to experience the world.

We’re looking for a thoughtful, collaborative Senior Manager, Media Planning to guide KAYAK’s approach to paid media across digital and traditional channels! You’ll help shape how and where we communicate with our users, developing media plans that match how people interact with us across their daily journeys.

In this role, you'll lead our media planning strategy, blending creativity, curiosity, and analytical thinking to deliver immediate business results (direct engagement, searches) and build lasting brand recognition and loyalty.

Note, this role will be required to work from our Norwalk, CT office at least 3 days per week.

In this role, you will:

Media Planning & Strategy

• Develop and manage KAYAK’s media plans across digital channels (e.g., Meta, Google, YouTube, TikTok, Reddit, and programmatic) and traditional channels (TV, connected TV, out-of-home, and audio).
• Create clear approaches for using different media channels depending on audience needs, the message, and the stage in their user journey.
• Translate brand goals into media plans designed for flexibility, experimentation, and measurement.
• Oversee day-to-day media planning in collaboration with internal teams and external agency partners.

Experimentation & Optimization

• Promote a culture of experimentation, regularly exploring new media channels, creative approaches, ad formats, and bidding methods.
• Design experiments and measurement plans (incrementality tests, geographic analysis, and ad effectiveness studies) that help continually improve performance.
• Regularly review media effectiveness to suggest improvements or adjust budgets for stronger return on investment.

Media Partner Relationships

• Identify, build, and sustain meaningful relationships with agency partners, media platforms, and vendors.
• Negotiate media rates and packages to achieve maximum value and stretch our media resources.
• Stay informed about the evolving media landscape to evaluate and propose new opportunities and partnerships.

Cross-team Collaboration

• Collaborate closely with teams across creative, brand, performance marketing, communications, public relations, and analytics to ensure alignment and strengthen integrated marketing efforts.
• Work closely with brand strategy and media measurement teams to agree upon goals and measure impact in meaningful ways.

Please apply if you have:

• Experience in media strategy, planning, and buying across a mix of digital and traditional media.

• 8+ years of proven experience with major digital platforms (such as Meta, TikTok, Google, and programmatic), as well as traditional channels like OOH, audio, TV or connected TV.
• A drive in fast-paced, iterative environments that prioritize learning and improvement.
• Skills with effective negotiation to maximize value in media planning and buying.
• Experience analyzing data, developing presentations, and brainstorming creative campaign ideas—and you enjoy moving comfortably between these activities.
• Understanding how media and creative strategies come together—building the right message for the right audience and media type.
• You thrive in collaborative settings and can manage competing priorities with clarity and empathy.

Benefits and Perks

• Work from (almost) anywhere 
• Focus on mental health and well-being:
  • Company-paid therapy sessions through SpringHealth
  • Company-paid subscription to HeadSpace
  • Company-wide week off a year - the whole team fully recharges (and returns without a pile-up of work!)
  • No meeting Fridays
• Paid parental leave
• Generous paid vacation + time off for your birthday
• Paid volunteer time
• Focus on your career growth:
  • Development Dollars
  • Leadership development
  • Access to thousands of on-demand e-le