Director Marketing Media

Job Title: Paid Media Governance

Location: Northbrook, IL

Zip Code: 60062

Duration: 12 months

Pay Rate: $121.66/hr.

Keyword's: #Northbrookjobs; #MediaGovernancejobs.

Start Date: Immediate

Job Description:

Responsibilities and Accountabilities:

This leader will serve as the central point of governance for paid media, liaising between internal brand teams, external agencies, and technology partners to drive performance and accountability.

Strategic Governance & Framework Development:

• Develop, implement, and enforce enterprise-wide standards for media planning, buying, activation, and measurement.

• Establish clear Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and benchmarking frameworks tailored to brand objectives and industry best practices.

• Architect and manage the key terms, performance standards, and Service Level Agreements (SLAs) within all paid media partner Statements of Work (SOWs) to ensure performance and accountability.

• Drive the strategic alignment between marketing objectives and paid media execution, including channel strategy, audience segmentation, and budget allocation.

• Work with legal and procurement to structure and manage MSA and SOWs to ensure Client vendor benefits

Financial Oversight & Performance Management:

• Apply financial acumen to oversee the portfolio paid media budget, ensuring efficient allocation of resources, accurate forecasting, and proactive fiduciary management.

• Lead quarterly and annual business reviews with media agencies and key vendors to assess performance against contractual obligations and strategic goals.

• Define a robust reporting and insights cadence, ensuring that campaign performance analysis directly informs optimization and demonstrates a clear return on investment.

• Collaborate with cross-functional analytics and finance teams to validate media performance against proforma goals and ROI models.

• Utilize contract performance and financial management platforms and tools to ensure appropriate compliance to contract terms and brand performance objectives

Stakeholder & Partner Management:

• Act as the primary point of escalation to drive accountability and resolve performance issues between brand teams, agencies, and vendors.

• Foster a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement with all paid media partners.

• Provide executive-level communication and context on media performance, industry trends, and strategic initiatives to internal stakeholders.

Compliance & Innovation:

• Serve as the subject matter expert on media-related compliance, ensuring all activities adhere to data privacy regulations and pharmaceutical marketing guidelines.

• Stay at the forefront of the paid media landscape, identifying and championing new technologies, partners, and innovative strategies to maintain Client' competitive edge.

• Champion pilot programs and initiatives to test new media capabilities and tactics.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business, or a related field.

• 10+ years of progressive experience in US agency management; experience in procurement is highly relevant.

• Direct experience managing or overseeing large-scale media budgets in the US, ideally $100M+ annually.

• Significant experience in the life sciences, pharmaceutical, or another highly regulated industry is preferred. .

• In-depth, expert-level knowledge of the digital media ecosystem, including programmatic, paid search, social media, connected TV (CTV), and digital audio.

• Proven track record of developing and managing relationships with media agencies, publishers, and ad tech vendors, including direct experience negotiating SOWs and performance terms.

Skills & Competencies:

• Demonstrated ability to lead and influence cross-functional teams and senior stakeholders in a matrixed organization.

• Exceptional negotiation and vendor management skills.

• Superior analytical and problem-solving skills, with a demonstrated ability to translate complex data into actionable, strategic insights.

• Excellent executive-level communication and presentation skills.

• Strong project management capabilities, with the ability to drive multiple high-stakes initiatives simultaneously.

Technical Proficiency:

• Deep familiarity with ad serving, tracking, and measurement technologies (e.g., Google Campaign Manager 360, ad verification platforms).

• Proficiency with analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics).

• Strong understanding of data privacy regulations and brand safety best practices.

Other Requirements:

• Ability to travel to Client offices and key partner locations as needed (approximately 1-2 times per week).

• Availability to collaborate with teams and partners primarily during core Central Time (CT) business hours.

Preferred Qualifications:

• MBA or other advanced degree.

• Direct experience with pharmaceutical marketing review processes and regulations (e.g., FDA OPDP/APLB guidelines).

• Experience with marketing automation platforms (e.g., Marketing, AI/Next Best Engagement, CDP) and CRM systems.

• Familiarity with advanced measurement solutions like Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM) or data clean rooms.