Associate Director, Integrated Media

Acadia is a modern digital growth agency built around helping brands solve complex marketing and media challenges with clarity, confidence, and measurable impact. We bring together deep expertise in paid media, retail & marketplace strategy, analytics & intelligence, SEO & CRO, and performance creative to drive growth across full-funnel experiences. Our approach is rooted in real data, strategic thinking, and an integrated lens that bridges audience insight, media planning, and commercial outcomes. At Acadia, we help clients make smarter investment decisions and out-flank their competition across channels and platforms.

Enough about us, let’s get to the YOU:

• You are a senior integrated media strategist who is ready to step into broader ownership and leadership. You have strong hands-on experience building and delivering full-funnel media strategies and are comfortable operating with a high degree of autonomy—while still benefiting from guidance and partnership from a Media Director.
• You want to grow beyond execution and into true strategic ownership, but you still enjoy being close to the work. You are energized by solving complex planning challenges, collaborating with cross-functional teams, and helping clients make better media investment decisions.
• You see yourself as a strategist who:
  • Owns integrated media strategy for one or more key client accounts or workstreams
  • Plays a central role in shaping channel roles, audience strategy, and investment approach
  • Is confident leading client conversations on media strategy and performance
  • Enjoys mentoring planners and elevating the quality of work
  • Can balance strategic thinking with practical execution considerations
  • Communicates clearly, confidently, and thoughtfully with internal teams and clients
• You are proactive, organized, and curious—comfortable managing multiple priorities while continuing to deepen your strategic judgment.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Media Strategy and Planning:

• Lead integrated media strategy for assigned client accounts or major workstreams
• Design full-funnel media programs aligned to client objectives, including:
  • Audience strategy using 1P, 2P, and 3P data
  • Channel roles and mix across CTV, OLV, linear TV, paid social, search, audio, display, and retail media
  • Budget allocation and investment rationale
  • Measurement and learning plans
• Translate client goals into clear, actionable media strategies and recommendations
• Partner closely with Media Directors to align strategy across the broader client portfolio
• Collaborate with Paid Media, Analytics, Creative, and Strategy teams to ensure strong execution alignment

Client Leadership & Account Ownership

• Serve as a primary day-to-day media strategy lead for assigned accounts or initiatives
• Lead client discussions related to media strategy, performance, and optimization
• Present plans, POVs, and results with clarity and confidence
• Support client growth by identifying opportunities to expand or evolve media strategy
• Escalate risks, challenges, or strategic questions appropriately
• Measurement, Learning & Optimization
• Partner with Analytics to define KPIs and success metrics by funnel stage
• Interpret performance results from attribution, brand lift, incrementality tests, and MMM outputs
• Use insights to refine strategy and inform future recommendations
• Ensure optimization decisions are aligned with business objectives—not just platform efficiency

Team Leadership & Development

• Mentor Senior Media Planners and Media Planners on assigned accounts
• Provide guidance, feedback, and quality control on planning deliverables
• Help junior team members build strategic thinking and planning skills
• Support proactive workflows and strong internal collaboration

Media Research & Analysis

• Use planning tools and research sources to inform media strategy and audience insights
• Help translate data into meaningful strategic implications
• Collaborate on advanced analyses related to channel effectiveness, testing, and media mix optimization
• Encourage thoughtful use of data rather than reliance on “black box” outputs

• Ideal candidates have a minimum of 6-9+ years of integrated media planning experience at a media/advertising agency or similar environment.
• Experience leading or co-leading media strategy for complex accounts
• Strong working knowledge of cross-channel media, particularly video ecosystems
• Experience working with measurement frameworks such as attribution and incrementality testing
• Demonstrated ability to lead client conversations and mentor planners

What we offer - The Perks

• A work environment that enthusiastically encourages creativity, risk-taking, and growth.
• Paid Holidays
• Paid vacation and sick time
• We are closed Christmas Eve through New Year's Day
• Solid Health Benefits (medical, dental, and vision insurance)
• 401k Match
• Equity for All Program
• Opportunity for growth that is second to none in the industry
• Flexible working hours
• Paid time off
• Floating holiday
• And more….

Here’s how we live our values at Acadia

• Can-do: We dedicate ourselves to helping our clients and co-workers reach their fullest potential. We demonstrate courage and urgency to find and take ownership.
• Curiosity: We show genuine interest. We are the first to ask why, the first to research, and the first to understand. We ask questions until we find the path to conquer obstacles and build solutions
• Candor: We are honest and transparent in all our actions. We strive to foster positive and mutually beneficial relationships where respect and humanity thrive.
• Community: We will make lives better for those people, clients, and other deserving causes that we care deeply about.

Reports to: Group Media Director / Head of Integrated Media (or equivalent)