Integrated Media Strategist

Open position in all True Media office locations, including Kansas City, MO, Columbia, MO, St. Louis, MO, Dallas, TX, Portsmouth, NH 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.

 

The Integrated Media Strategist is the subject matter expert and primary media product owner for an assigned portfolio of clients, responsible for the full integrated media planning process — from research and strategy through tactical planning, execution oversight, optimization, and measurement — across both digital and offline channels. Working in close partnership with Account Management, the Integrated Media Strategist owns the quality, substance, and strategic integrity of the media product. Digital campaign execution is managed through partnerships with external vendor partners; offline media tactical development is led by the Media Investment team. In both cases, the Integrated Media Strategist retains strategic accountability and oversees in-market performance across all channels. This role requires deep media expertise, strong analytical thinking, and genuine co-investment in whether the work is the best possible answer for each client.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities (Other duties may be assigned)

• Collaborate closely with Account Management in the development of the Media Brief for assigned clients, serving as the primary subject matter expert on audience, channel, and measurement inputs; bring strategic point of view and media expertise to ensure the foundation of every plan is grounded in insight and aligned to client business goals.
• Lead audience and market research for assigned clients — including audience segmentation, competitive analysis, consumer journey mapping, and campaign performance analysis — leveraging agency research tools to produce insights that substantiate media recommendations and reflect a genuine understanding of each client's business.
• Develop and document the Measurement Strategy for each assigned client, aligning KPIs and success metrics to client business goals in collaboration with Account Management and the Analytics team; ensure measurement frameworks are strategically sound, clearly articulated, and built to enable meaningful campaign evaluation across all channels.
• Develop the Channel Strategy and full tactical plan for each assigned client — translating approved channel strategy into specific placements, unit mix, flighting, and budget by tactic across digital and offline media; partner with the Media Investment team on offline media tactical development while retaining overall strategic accountability; partner with Account Management to ensure the strategy is clearly communicated and the plan is approved before execution begins.
• Oversee in-market performance across all channels for assigned clients — managing digital campaign execution through close partnership with external vendor activation partners, and monitoring offline media delivery in coordination with the Media Investment team; communicate plan details, targeting parameters, and optimization priorities with clarity; proactively surface performance issues, pacing concerns, or opportunities to the account team and adjust plans accordingly.
• Enter media orders into the agency's media buying and finance platform with accuracy and timeliness, maintaining full accountability for the completeness and correctness of all campaign setups for assigned accounts; own the creative specification, trafficking, and launch document for each campaign — completing templates established by the Project Manager with precise ad specs, targeting details, and placement information — and coordinate with Media Investment or other team members for their respective portions.
• Hold shared accountability with Account Management for the quality, accuracy, and strategic strength of all media work product delivered to assigned clients; actively participate in internal reviews and feedback processes, approach all deliverables with a high standard of craft, and bring a proactive voice when something can be better.
• Maintain accurate and timely time records in the agency's time tracking platform; actively engage with the agency's project management tool as a primary means of tracking tasks, managing workload, and collaborating across the account team — treating consistent use of both systems as a core professional responsibility; stay current on agency tools, research systems, and the evolving media landscape, and participate in agency training initiatives and team knowledge-sharing.
• Support Associate-level team members through day-to-day guidance, answering questions, and modeling strong media thinking and professional habits; contribute to a collaborative, high-quality team culture within the Integrated Media department.

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.

• 1–3 years of professional work experience in media planning or related agency experience; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Strong understanding of media fundamentals including media math, reach/frequency, audience research, plan development, and measurement strategies that ladder to business goals.
• Proficiency in industry research tools.
• Working knowledge of agency finance and project management platforms.
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills with genuine intellectual curiosity about media and consumer behavior
• Ability to communicate clearly and confidently with internal partners
• Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple accounts and deadlines simultaneously
• Collaborative, solutions-oriented, and deeply invested in the quality of the work.

Education

• Bachelor's degree from a four-year college or university; degree or concentration in advertising, marketing, or communications preferred.

Total Perks Package

• The chance to be a part of a growing company and the next success story
• Amazing opportunities for career development
• Recognition programs
• Employee referral bonus
• Hybrid work schedule; 3 days in the office, 2 days working from home
• Fun and collaborative work environment
• Casual dress code
• Insurance Coverage (medical, dental, vision, life, and disability)
• 401(k) retirement plan, with employer 4% match
• Work/life benefits, including mental health and wellbeing support
• Flexible Time Off Policy
• Paid holidays, including agency soft closing Christmas Eve-New Year's Day
• Paid leave options, including sick leave, medical leave for self and family, and parental leave