Group Director, Integrated Media Investment

WHO WE ARE

Crossmedia is the global media independent. We’re committed to doing media and business the right way, guided by the principles of TRUST, REASON and the pursuit of HAPPINESS. Crossmedia US was founded in NY in 2000 and is one of the largest minority-owned full-service media planning & buying agencies in the nation. We are 500+ Crossmedians worldwide with big ambitions to continue to grow with soul. 

We focus on what media agencies should do: create innovative connections between brands and people regardless of channel or budget. And, we do it in an honest way. We are and always have been a values-based organization. We earn our clients TRUST by ensuring media transparency in our business model and objectivity in decision-making. We apply REASON & logic to finding solutions to our clients' greatest business challenges. The pursuit of HAPPINESS matters to us. Big time. We invest in each colleagues’ professional & personal wellbeing and growth. It’s why we have countless initiatives, clubs & cultural events dedicated to our people and why we have been the top ranked media agency named to Ad Age’s Best Places to Work for the past six years in a row.  

Our client roster includes US Bank, PWC, Invesco, Newell Brands, NASCAR, Planet Fitness, Teremana, American Cancer Society, White Castle, Ricola, Supercuts, Edible Arrangements, Illva Saronno, Zalando, Airbus and more.

YOUR ROLE 

As a champion of media investment, the Group Director, Integrated Investment is responsible for overseeing the strategic media investments for clients across Video/CTV, Local TV/Audio, OOH/Print, Display, Native, Social, Search, and Programmatic.

The Group Director, Integrated Investment manages strategic partnerships as part of Crossmedia’s Enterprise Partnership Program (EPP) across all channels. This role serves as the central representative of all Centers of Excellence within our OneMarketplace team, facilitating communication internally with planning, analytics, and other departments, as well as with clients. 

RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Investment Strategy
  • Bring investment expertise in strategic and tactical planning uniting across all channels 
  • Create overall strategic investment roadmap, innovation, and around-the-corner must-haves and watch-outs.
  • Lead budget investment - tactical recommendations and evolutions
  • Stay up to date on the industry and evolving media landscape across channels
  • Define the right investment strategy by choosing the right platforms and buying methods (i.e. social platforms, direct v. pmp, utilizing enterprise partner deals, bringing in Crossmedia solutions, addressable audiences) in conjunction with Centers of Excellence and planning/audience teams
• Central Investment Representation
  • Be the central lead representing total investment – collaborating with account, strategy, analytics, audience, etc. practices upstream
  • Lead cross-channel investment POVs on the marketplace
  • Lead client and marketplace communications, representing all centers of excellence
• Investment Activation
  • Manage agenda, timeline, and delivery of all client media activation; ensure priorities are clear and staff is working to their total capacity & efficiency.
  • Manage workflow, communication, and day-to-day account buying accountability and activity
  • Lead RFPs including ideation, issuance, assessment, and negotiations
  • Steward buys such as buying platform input, maintenance, budget tracking
  • Manage reporting & reconciliation: Insight Amplification, Accuracy, QA, actualization, and forecasting
• Partnerships:
  • Develop long and short-term strategic partnership plans—includes maintaining working relationships with partners,
  • Managing joint business plan negotiations, etc. (across Google, Social partners, etc.)
  • Manage and negotiate partnership commitments, added value, etc., across direct, PMPs, etc.
  • Be a key point of deal decision-making, including escalation:  the investment director will have the authority to evaluate any proposed deal of significance.
• Team Leadership
  • Develop clear cross-channel priorities and ensure teams work together effectively to achieve them.
  • Architect and oversee efficient and effective business processes, including presentations and partnering with multiple teams, e.g., Ad Ops, Operations, and Analytics

 REQUIREMENTS:

• 12 + years of media experience, with an emphasis on investment.
• A strong media foundation across all channels.
• Significant experience in client-facing roles, including serving as the primary point of contact for high-profile clients
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to present complex information clearly and persuasively
• Strong leadership and empathy/mentoring skills to inspire and develop team members, ensuring high performance and professional growth
• Possess an entrepreneurial mindset, enthusiastic about developing the agency with new tools, ideas, and opportunities
• Keen awareness of the latest trends and developments in media with a commitment to continuous learning and adaptation
• Management, negotiation, and implementation of partnership commitments, added value, etc.

Salary range $150k - $190k. Compensation is determined on the skills, qualifications, certifications, tenure in the industry and experience of the applicant along with the requirements of the position.

CROSSMEDIA BENEFITS

Our principles of Trust, Reason, and the Pursuit of Happiness are brought to life through benefits that recognize and support the diversity and physical, emotional, and professional well-being of our people, including:

• Flexibility to work in hybrid manner with in-office and work from home options (depending on role). 
• Open/Flexible PTO with US & UK specific policies 
• Sponsored healthcare options and agency-wide physical & mental health support 
• 401k with company match (USA), and generous Pension (UK) 
• Paid sabbatical at significant milestone anniversaries
• Generous paid parental leave policy
• Life milestone recognition & support
• The Pursuit of Happiness Fund devoted to helping Crossmedians find their happy (be it travel, enrichment class, fitness membership or professional development)
• Cell phone/tech reimbursement
• Student Loan payment plan (US)
• Tuition reimbursement
• Learning & Development and training programs
• And burgers – lots and lots of burgers

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

Diversity is in our DNA. As a minority-owned company, our commitment to an inclusive environment has long been embedded into agency practices and at every level. Almost one third of senior leadership identifies as a person of color and over half of our executive leadership are women. We have active mentoring & internship programs that create opportunities for underrepresented groups. Internal agency programming is anchored by XMEquity365, a permanent, year-round initiative fostering acknowledgement and support of marginalized communities within five pillars – Excellence, Voices, Education, Giving & Representation.

Crossmedia is committed to providing equal employment opportunities and creating a diverse and inclusive company culture and that does not discriminate against candidates and employees because of their disability, sex, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, age, veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by applicable federal, state, or local law. 

All job requirements are subject to possible revision to reflect changes in the position requirements, business necessities and/or to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. Essential and other job functions are subject to modification. This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to which will be required in this position. Employees will be required to follow other job-related duties as requested by their supervisor/manager (within guidelines and compliance with laws in the US and UK ).

Continued employment remains on an “at-will” basis.” Reasonable accommodations may be provided to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions in compliance with the American with Disabilities Act of 1990 (US based) 

Physical Demands: 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job: 

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer. Must be able to remain in a stationary position 50% of the time.
• Ability to stand, bend, and reach
• Constantly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a calculator, copy machine, and computer printer.
• The ability to communicate information and ideas so others will understand. Must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations.
• The ability to observe details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

In compliance with the current Americans with Disabilities Act and state and local laws, if you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation to apply for a position with Crossmedia, please email people.team@xmedia.com.  (US based candidates).