Back to jobs
tags.new

Sr. Strategist/Media Buyer & Planner

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Allied Global Marketing is a leading full-service entertainment, culture, and lifestyle-marketing agency. We build strategic campaigns for a diverse range of clients that connect audiences with experiences they love. Our team of experts captures the unique energy of each project with customized strategies that deliver on-target messaging and drive bottom-line results. An integrated approach is supported by our on-the-ground network of 24 offices and over 500 colleagues across the globe, providing resources and relationships that our partners and clients know and trust.

JOB OVERVIEW

The Senior Strategist - Media Buyer/Planner is a hybrid role that functions as an integral part of both our Client Solutions and Media teams. This position is responsible for developing and executing comprehensive media strategies while managing key client relationships. As a bridge between these two critical departments, this role requires a strategic leader who can independently drive media planning initiatives while collaborating closely with broader agency teams. Success in this role depends on expert media knowledge, strong negotiation skills, and the ability to seamlessly manage multiple campaigns across diverse client portfolios.

This position is ideal for a candidate who thrives in fast-paced environments, possesses strong leadership capabilities, and is passionate about leveraging media strategies to drive measurable results for clients.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Media Planning & Buying

  • Research, develop, and execute strategic media plans across multiple channels including television, radio, outdoor, print, and digital media
  • Generate initial rating estimates utilizing Nielsen data through STRATA/FreeWheel
  • Negotiate media rates, special time parameters, value-added sponsorships and promotions
  • Analyze media performance and provide recommendations for optimization
  • Approve makegoods when needed and evaluate if alternative placements deliver equivalent value
  • Stay current on marketing and media industry trends through proactive research

Client Relationship Management

  • Serve as a primary liaison for assigned clients
  • Lead daily client communications and orchestrate weekly status calls
  • Present media plans and performance results to clients with clear rationales
  • Collaborate with clients to align media strategies with overarching business objectives and KPIs

Operations Management

  • Coordinate across all agency solution lines, covering Paid, Earned, and Owned tactics
  • Oversee billing processes, including invoicing, settlements, and reconciliations
  • Manage campaign and sales tracking to ensure targets are met
  • Deliver insightful reporting and analytics on media performance
  • Implement and maintain project management systems to effectively document and monitor progress

Team Leadership

  • Mentor junior media team members in television, radio, and digital buying practices
  • Maintain effective collaboration between Client Solutions and Media teams
  • Foster a collaborative environment that encourages innovative thinking

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, AND ABILITIES

  • In-depth understanding of traditional and digital media planning and buying principles
  • Strong negotiation skills with media vendors to secure optimal rates and placements
  • Proficiency with media research tools including Nielsen, Scarborough, and STRATA
  • Experience in developing comprehensive market-specific media strategies
  • Exceptional project management skills with ability to handle multiple campaigns simultaneously
  • Advanced skills in Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel and PowerPoint
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills for effective client and team interactions
  • Strong analytical abilities to evaluate media performance and provide data-driven recommendations
  • Experience with budget management and expense reporting
  • Ability to thrive under pressure and adapt to changing priorities in a fast-paced environment
  • Live entertainment/ticketing event experience highly preferred

REQUIRED EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE

  • Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Advertising, Communications or related field
  • Minimum 2-3 years of experience in media planning and buying
  • Experience managing client relationships and presenting media strategies
  • Familiarity with entertainment, culture, or lifestyle marketing preferred

DETAILS

  • Location: Chicago, with possible remote or hybrid work arrangement options
  • Benefits: This position will be eligible to participate in the standard benefits offered to full-time employees of Allied Global Marketing (medical, dental, vision, short-term and long-term disability and life insurance as well as 401k and Flexible PTO). In addition, we offer 10 company paid holidays.  

 

Allied Global Marketing is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state or local law. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

Resume/CV*

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Cover Letter*

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Allied Global Marketing’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Select...
Select...
Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Select...

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.