Media Strategy & Investment Director

Kepler executes engineered marketing, where every message and ad delivered helps create a more personalized and productive relationship between brands and their consumers. We do this by acting as clients’ agency of record, as their in-house team, or some hybrid of the two – and by harnessing data and technology across all paid digital media and data-driven CRM channels.   Kepler prides itself on being a great place to work. In fact, we’re proud to share that AdAge recognized Kepler among the Best Place to Work in 2022, validating our investment in our team and our clients.

• We're transparent with our employees. You'll hear updates on company financials, how we're performing against bonus goals, and how we're responding to challenges we face. 
• We're growing. For you, that means unparalleled growth opportunities and a role in shaping the direction of the company. 
• We're fun. You'll work with and learn from the smartest people in the industry and have a blast doing it. 

This Director-level role sits within the Client Solutions team and will be accountable for the success and strategic direction of our clients' holistic media investments. This position requires a proven leader who can expertly merge traditional and digital media planning, drive innovation in Advanced TV/OTT/CTV, manage high-level client relationships, and directly lead and mentor a team of media experts across all major paid channels.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Client Accountability

• Act as a senior point of contact and trusted advisor for assigned client portfolios, interfacing regularly with executive client leadership to drive strategic discussions.
• Partner with clients to deeply understand their business goals, marketing objectives, and competitive landscape, building sophisticated cross-channel media strategies to address these areas.
• Lead the communication of Kepler’s strategic guidance, ensuring flawless execution and that all internal teams meet and exceed clients' goals.
• Oversee all aspects of daily client campaign performance, connecting day-to-day execution to high-level client strategies across the full media mix.

Media Strategy & Investment Expertise

• Function as the internal subject matter expert and thought leader across all manners of paid media investment, with a specialized focus on Cross-Channel Video (Over-the-Top (OTT), Connected TV (CTV), Online Video, and Linear TV (Broadcast and National Cable)).
• Drive strategic oversight for non-video channels including Paid Search, Paid Social, Display, and Content media, ensuring integrated planning and execution across all tactics.
• Lead the development of strategic media investment strategies and best practices, driving Kepler’s Centers of Excellence.
• Direct multiple teams through integrated media campaign design and implementation, overseeing strategy, media buying, ad operations, reporting, and analytics.
• Continuously develop Kepler's media infrastructure by evaluating key partner capabilities and facilitating cross-team adoption of best practices.

Team Management & Development

• Directly lead and manage a team of Managers and Analysts, providing mentorship, performance reviews, and strategic guidance across Kepler’s functional teams.
• As a senior leader, provide both direct and indirect leadership across internal teams, fostering a culture of accountability and innovation.
• Oversee all technical aspects of ad operations across assigned clients, including pixel strategy, tag management, and ad trafficking.
• Drive the development of junior staff, training and teaching media best practices at scale.

Desired Skills and Experience

• 8+ years of experience in media planning, strategy, and investment, including tenure in managing media teams or functions.
• Demonstrated experience planning and buying a diverse media mix, with a focus on cross-channel video (Advanced TV, OTT, CTV) and solid experience with Linear TV.
• Experience buying linear TV across broadcast TV, National Cable, and Data-driven Linear
• Expertise in managing strategy and investment across key digital channels including Paid Search, Paid Social, and Programmatic Display.
• Proven experience leading cross-functional teams, both directly and indirectly, with a strong ability to develop and mentor junior staff.
• Exceptional listening, presentati