Associate - Chicago

Company Description

Publicis Media harnesses the power of modern media through leading agency brands Dysrupt, Infinite Roar, Publicis Collective, Publicis Health Media, Spark Foundry, Starcom and Zenith, as well as global accelerator PMX; immersive experience group PMCI (inclusive of Picture Motion and RDL Worldwide); and access to integrated platform-based technologies and offerings from CJ, Epsilon and Influential. A key business solution of Publicis Groupe ([Euronext Paris FR0000130577, CAC 40]), Publicis Media’s digital-first, data-driven global solutions deliver client value and drive growth in a platform-powered world. It is present in over 100 countries with over 23,000 employees worldwide.

Overview

The Associate role is a great place to begin your career in the continuously evolving world of advertising. At Publicis Media, we provide you extensive training and development opportunities through our Publicis Media Training Program. Associates support the creation, management, and stewardship of client media plans and investments.

 

You will have the opportunity to work on client teams and develop strong relationships with their clients to create and present recommendations about when and where advertising dollars should be spent. 

Responsibilities

WHAT YOU’LL DO

 

Media Negotiating & Planning

• Participate in team brainstorms to kick off plan and consideration set development.
• Participate in negotiations, including but not limited to: evaluating RFPs, contracting rates, and increasing program value.
• Assist in the creation and presentation of media specific documents such as media plans, tactical decks, and other related functions.
• Meet with vendors to stay on top of marketplace innovations and cultivate relationships within the vendor community

Campaign Management & Execution

• Work with Senior Associate to project manage programs from proposal stage through end date including compiling specs documents, overseeing asset production, and gaining brand approval.
• Responsible for generating insertion orders and placement and creative trafficking.
• Responsible for the creation of campaign post-launch information such as screenshots, links and placement information to demonstrate proof of placement for clients.
• Own post-campaign reconciliation and billing.
• Assists in management of day-to-day communication with key partners: Vendors, Partner Agencies, and Creative media and social clients

AI & Emerging Technologies

• Demonstrate curiosity and adaptability when learning and using new technologies, including AI, as tools and capabilities continue to evolve across the media landscape.
• Leverage AI to assist with drafting, summarizing, editing, and organizing work (e.g., meeting notes, insights, and workflows) to improve speed and quality, while applying AI tools in ways that best support your specific role and area of focus.
• Apply AI responsibly, following company guidelines to protect client data and proprietary information.

Individuals will work on client teams in one of the following areas:

• Analytics
• Local Buying
• Planning
• Programmatic
• Digital
• Search
• Content
• Social

* Please note, this is NOT a rotational program.

 

Publicis Media Training Program

All Associates are placed into our Media Training Program. Associates emerge from the program with the skillset and knowledge to begin a successful career in the media industry. The training program is comprised of 25 classes and a group research project. Trainees are mentored by experienced employees and are exposed to day-to-day agency business as well as client relationship management

 

Classroom Training

The classes provide an introductory look at all the departments / resources available across Publicis, which helps new employees gain a stronger understanding of the media process and industry. The 25 Classes include media fundamentals such as Media 101, Planning 101, Media Math & introductions to each of our Investment/Operations departments, basic programs like PowerPoint & Excel, and topline business essentials including Business Etiquette & Presentation Skills.

 

Group Research Project

The project will center on hot industry topics chosen by (and presented to) senior leadership. The group project is assigned so new employees can practice skills that are important to all roles (professional research and storytelling, presentation building, and of course presentation skills). Past topics have included: Traditional Media in a Non-Traditional World, Social Media in Pop Culture, The Balance of Art and Science, Preparing Brands for Disruption, The Power of Audio.

Qualifications

WHO YOU ARE

• You thrive on a team, can meet tight deadlines, and can juggle multiple tasks simultaneously.
• You are comfortable using Microsoft Excel and Power Point.  You’ll use spreadsheets to perform math calculations and percentages to create understand data and create results.
• You want to work in a world of creativity.
• You have a basic understanding of consumer behavior, and you want to spend your days influencing the way brands and consumers interact
• You enjoy managing projects and/or processes and taking on new opportunities
• Experience developing and presenting your thoughts and ideas

Additional Information

Our Publicis Groupe motto “Viva La Différence” means we’re better together, and we believe that our differences make us stronger. It means we honor and celebrate all identities, across all facets of intersectionality, and it underpins all that we do as an organization. We are focused on fostering belonging and creating equitable & inclusive experiences for all talent.

 

Publicis Groupe provides robust and inclusive benefit programs and policies to support the evolving and diverse needs of our talent and enable every person to grow and thrive. Our benefits package includes medical coverage, dental, vision, disability, 401K, as well as parental and family care leave, family forming assistance, tuition reimbursement, and flexible time off.

 

If you require accommodation or assistance with the application or onboarding process specifically, please contact [email protected].

 

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

 

Compensation Range: USD $470,000.00 - USD $52,000.00/Annually. This is the pay range the Company believes it will pay for this position at the time of this posting. Consistent with applicable law, compensation will be determined based on the skills, qualifications, and experience of the applicant along with the requirements of the position, and the Company reserves the right to modify this pay range at any time. Temporary roles may be eligible to participate in our freelancer/temporary employee medical plan through a third-party benefits administration system once certain criteria have been met. For regular roles, the Company will offer medical coverage, dental, vision, disability, 401k, and paid time off. The Company anticipates the application deadline for this job posting will be 12/28/2026.