Media Intern

Open position in all office locations, including Kansas City, MO, Columbia, MO, St. Louis MO, and Minneapolis, MN; Hybrid work schedule: 3 days in the office, 2 days working from home

Visa Sponsorship is not available for this position, now or in the future. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a permanent basis without requiring employer sponsorship.

Program Dates: Monday June 8 - Thursday August 13, 2026 (10 weeks)

Work Schedule:

• Monday-Thursday 9:00am-4:30pm
• Inclusive of one 30-minute lunch break each day (unpaid)
• Up to 29 hours per week
• Hybrid work model; required to be in-office on Tuesday and Wednesday each week, optional in-office or work from home Monday and Thursday each week (except week 1 when Monday is also required in-office, and week 10 when Thursday is also required in-office)

Summary 

The Media Intern will gain exposure to a variety of departments with tasks that support our True Success processes. They must become well versed in internal media software including Advantage, Asana, and DataStride, as well as client dashboards, some research tools, and general media practices. They should be a self-starter to keep up with our fast-paced environment. They should be inquisitive, proactive, take pride in their work, and enjoy being part of a team. An important part of the internship experience is learning, therefore, training on tools, teams, media channels and processes will be about 50% of the program, with the other 50% spent helping teams move client work forward or working on assigned group projects.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities (Other duties may be assigned)

• Participate in the account management phase by assisting with the creation of client materials including presentation decks, performance reports, and flowcharts. Develop an understanding of the purpose and basic structure of a media brief and MAP document. Learn proper internal documentation and meeting follow-up procedures (e.g., documenting key decisions, sending contact reports).
• Participate in the strategy and planning phase by developing a basic understanding of the media research tools available within the Agency. Develop an understanding of how to perform basic data pulls from identified platforms, such as MRI-Simmons. Understand different audience segmentation strategies. Basic knowledge of utilizing syndicated data (e.g., Kantar, Nielsen) for competitive analysis. Understand the difference between a channel and a tactic.
• Participate in the activation phase by assisting with buying guideline creation, generating and issuing insertion orders and creative spec development across all media types. Gain a working knowledge of how to input data into the buying systems such as ADvantage planner and Strata Eleven. Develop a basic understanding of campaign optimization techniques (e.g., pacing adjustments, bid strategies). Understand how to develop paid search keywords and draft copy. Learn what data to pull for purposes of reporting.
• Participate in the project management phase by assisting with scopes of work, hours estimates, timelines, media authorizations, Asana tasks, and file architecture. Collect, develop and issue deadlines for materials needed and report deadlines for creative and internal traffic teams. Understand the hand-off process between departments (e.g., from Planning to Activation). Participate in weekly internal status meetings and learn to document key actions.
• Participate in the campaign operations phase by developing an understanding of campaign measurement strategies including the use of DataStride and working with RADaR where appropriate. Learn to monitor campaign delivery, understand and assist with campaign trafficking and pacing. Exposure to privacy regulations impacting digital media (e.g., cookie depreciation, GDPR/CCPA). Understand the tag management process (e.g., using GTM). Exposure to basic quality assurance (QA) steps for ad creatives and landing pages.
• Participate in the billing and auditing phase by understanding general media accounting and media math practices which includes billing, reconciliation, and budget management. Understand the flow of funds and financial reconciliation cycle from client to vendor. Exposure to compliance requirements for financial reporting.
• Participate in the new business and pitch development phase by assisting in prospect research and pitch presentation materials. Develop a basic understanding of the agency's core capabilities and how they align with potential client needs. Assist with the organization of RFI/RFP (Request for Information/Proposal) responses, learning how to track and document pitch assets and follow-up activities, and develop a working knowledge of how to format and contribute to pitch presentation decks, ensuring consistency in design and messaging.
• Participate in the agency marketing and communications phase by assisting with the creation of internal and external communications materials, such as newsletters and social media content drafts. Develop an understanding of the agency's brand guidelines and thought leadership topics.
• Establish and maintain positive relationships with media partners and internal team members. Appropriately respond to all communication, including email and calls within 1-business day. When needed, refer any problems to their mentor.

Qualifications - To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Language Skills - Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and employees.
• Mathematical Skills - Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs. Knowledge of media math is a plus.
• Reasoning Ability - Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
• Computer Skills - To perform this job successfully, an individual should be proficient with computers and Microsoft Office. Experience with Excel, specifically, is required.

Education and/or Experience

• Eligible candidates include: Graduates with a Bachelor's Degree with a concentration in advertising, marketing, communications, or similar course of study; Students who hold the status of Senior level in their major with a graduation date in 2026 from a four-year college or university with a concentration in advertising, marketing, communications, or similar course of study. 
• Previous industry experience/internships and participation in ad clubs/school projects preferred but not required.

How to Apply:  

Please submit (1) your resume and (2) a one-page cover letter.

The cover letter is intended to provide insight into who you are as a person beyond your academic and professional background. Rather than repeating your resume, share a bit about your interests, personality, and what you enjoy outside of school/work. Examples include hobbies, passions, fun facts, what you bring to social settings, or even a brief note about your pets if you have them.

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