Let’s cut past the agency pitch. I’ve audited this Media Director requisition at Tierney. When a premier agency hands you the keys to a $50M+ client budget, they aren’t looking for creative ideation; they are looking for a financial steward. In this media buying role, you are playing defense against ad fraud, DSP fees, and fragmented attribution models. Your ultimate job is to ensure every single dollar spent can be mathematically defended to a highly skeptical client CMO.
Agency Reality & P&L Pressure
The reality of managing omnichannel media at a major Philadelphia agency is relentless margin pressure. You will be managing a 10-person team of buyers and planners who are constantly fighting burnout. You are the operational ceiling for this department. If a campaign overspends due to a pacing error, the agency eats the loss. If acquisition costs (CPA) spike, the client threatens an account review. This role requires clinical financial precision and the ability to manage up to the C-suite.
Core Deliverables & Campaign Execution
- Omnichannel Strategy Formulation: Design and present comprehensive media plans blending traditional and digital channels. (Sloane’s Note: Pitching a media plan isn’t about making pretty slide decks; it’s about justifying why you are allocating budget to CTV when the client’s board only cares about direct response search ROI.)
- Vendor Negotiation: Lead upfront and scatter market negotiations with major broadcast networks and DSPs. (Sloane’s Note: “Securing premium inventory at below-market rates” means you have to leverage Tierney’s portfolio aggressively. Media reps are not your friends; they are counterparties in a high-stakes financial transaction.)
- Team Leadership: Direct a 10+ person department of media supervisors, planners, and buyers. (Sloane’s Note: Media buying has notorious turnover. You will spend a significant chunk of your week managing staffing crises and training junior planners who will likely leave for a brand-side role in 18 months.)
- Budget & P&L Management: Oversee the allocation and reconciliation of $50M+ annual media budgets. (Sloane’s Note: If you accidentally overspend a $5M programmatic budget because a junior buyer didn’t check pacing, it comes out of the agency’s margin. Your financial reconciliation protocols must be airtight.)
- Attribution Analytics: Partner with the data science team to analyze multi-touch attribution models and pivot live campaigns.
Required Expertise & Platforms
- Agency Experience: 8+ years of progressive media planning and buying experience, with at least 3 years in a department leadership role.
- Platform Proficiency: Practical knowledge of industry-standard media buying and research software, including Strata, Mediaocean (Prisma), Comscore, and Nielsen. (Sloane’s Note: These legacy enterprise platforms are dinosaurs, but they run the industry. If you don’t have deep, painful experience reconciling billing discrepancies in Prisma or Strata, you will not survive the billing cycle here.)
- Financial Acumen: Verifiable track record of successfully managing and reconciling complex, multi-million dollar advertising budgets.
- Vendor Relationships: Established relationships with regional and national media vendors and major ad-tech platforms.
Compensation & Agency Perks
The compensation reflects a senior agency position, but candidates must be realistic about the hours required to service enterprise clients.
- Base Salary Range: $120,000 – $145,000 USD / Year. (Sloane’s Note: A $120k-$145k base is standard for Center City Philadelphia. But remember this is an agency environment. During major client pitches and Q4 media planning, you will be working 60+ hour weeks. Do the math on your actual hourly rate.)
- Agency Buying Power: Leverage the negotiated clout of a premier agency to secure exclusive inventory.
- Career Growth: Defined trajectory to VP, Group Media Director.
- Corporate Benefits: Comprehensive health/dental/vision coverage, 401(k) matching, summer Fridays, and paid time off.
Location & Hiring Logistics
- Work Location Policy
- This is a Full-Time position. Location: Philadelphia, PA. Remote status: No. (Sloane’s Note: Agencies sell “culture and collaboration” to justify strict 100% on-site mandates. The reality is that the partners want you in the room to manage the optics when a campaign goes south. Do not expect hybrid flexibility.)
- Relocation Assistance
- Relocation assistance may be negotiated for top-tier candidates bringing exceptional national vendor relationships, though deep expertise in the Philadelphia media market is preferred.
