Publisher Direct Strategist

SUMMARY     The Publisher Direct Strategist is responsible for developing and executing effective media strategies rooted in endemic environments that align closely to client audiences and goals. They bring expertise across a variety of digital, offline, and emerging formats, collaborating with partners to deliver high-quality, brand-safe, and innovation-driven media solutions.  The Publisher Direct Strategist supports enterprise-level efforts by contributing to the development of best practices, knowledge-sharing, and advancing strategies that align with the agency’s core values and priorities. They support junior team members through mentorship and best practice sharing and collaborate with senior team members to navigate complex issues.     KEY OUTCOMES & RESPONSIBILITIES    Key Outcome: Develops comprehensive media recommendations rooted in endemic environments, aligned to client objectives and strategic priorities  Key Responsibilities:  - Support holistic media consideration across endemic partners and channels, utilizing both direct and programmatic buying methods. - Collaborate with Integrated Planning, Account Management, and Programmatic teams to develop cohesive, synergistic cross-channel media recommendations. - Demonstrate understanding of media partner capabilities and integrations; delineation between direct IO and programmatic activation opportunities where applicable. - Lead the end-to-end RFP process with oversight from senior team members, including vendor outreach, proposal evaluation, negotiations, and securing added value. - Apply a growing knowledge of targeting strategies, inventory offerings, placement options, buying methodologies, and historical performance to build well-informed, high-quality recommendations. - Research, propose, and champion test & learn opportunities; collaborate with cross-functional teams on viability for execution and measurement. - Clearly articulate asset and tagging requirements, and provide creative best practices for campaign success.    Key Outcome: Lead the successful activation and ongoing stewardship of media campaigns, ensuring seamless execution from planning to implementation  Key Responsibilities:  - Lead timely launch and stewardship of multiple client campaigns, each with its unique set of channels and targeting strategies, with oversight from senior team members. - Facilitate contract review processes, acting as a liaison between internal stakeholders and media vendors. - Facilitate partner development of custom creative assets, acting as a conduit between internal and external stakeholders, managing timelines and expectations, with support from senior team members. - Send tracking tags, manage trafficking deliverables, and troubleshoot any launch or performance issues across partners. - Lead recurring pacing, invoicing, and reconciliation tasks across all applicable channels.    Key Outcome: Manage campaign performance and reporting with informed decision-making and optimizations   Key Responsibilities:  - Collaborate with Analytics team on recommended KPIs for channel activation strategies and ensure accurate data tracking for all channels in dashboards. - Ensure partner reporting and data transfers are timely, accurate, and actionable. - Lead QA of campaign dashboards and reporting deliverables; strengthen data analysis skills to surface meaningful insights that drive optimizations. - Analyze and report on campaign effectiveness to maximize results across endemic environments. - Apply understanding of available optimization levers and collaborate with Activation team and partners on in-flight optimizations to enhance results. - Negotiate makegoods for under performance or mismanagement of client investments. - Support troubleshooting of reporting issues, trafficking mapping, and site tagging to assist with campaign measurement. - Collaborate with senior team members to share campaign learnings with direct and cross-functional peers, informing broader strategies and future planning efforts.   Key Outcome: Partner engagement and management maximize strategic and business impact  Key Responsibilities:  - Build and maintain strong relationships with partners; actively sharing information with cross functional teams and supporting development of innovative client opportunities. - Act as the primary day-to-day liaison between media partners and internal teams, ensuring seamless communication and information sharing. - Support the development and optimization of endemic supply strategies, identifying and curating high-value inventory sources that maximize audience quality, drive measurable outcomes, and push the boundaries of available opportunities. - Work with senior team members to evaluate new partners, tools, or technologies and integrate them into tactical planning when appropriate. - Demonstrate growing understanding of direct and programmatic buying nuances, including supply accessibility, rates, inventory quality, and targeting strategies within DSP environments.   Key Outcome: Support of enterprise-level initiatives and thought leadership advance our endemic offering  Key Responsibilities:  - Contribute to development of best practices, guidelines, and process improvement initiatives that support planning, activation, stewardship, and reporting. - Maintain pulse and report on industry trends and marketplace conditions impacting endemic environments. Provide actionable insights relevant to our client portfolio. - Produce insights, case studies, and thought leadership to elevate the agency’s profile in the industry and enhance internal knowledge-sharing efforts (e.g., blog posts, white papers, speaking opportunities). - Participate in internal and external learning and development opportunities. Support development and sharing of educational materials. - Actively adopting new buying methodologies and experimenting with automation, advanced targeting, and supply optimization within Total Play channels. - Support onboarding and mentorship of junior team members, offering training and guidance on the full workflow, enterprise initiatives, and partner management. - Proactively surface strategic refinements and solutions to campaign or process challenges, applying critical thinking, initiative, and a focus on client goals, partner capabilities, and marketplace trends.    Other Responsibilities:  - Demonstrate proficiency in media planning and buying tools throughout campaign workflows. - Comprehension and application of basic media math and demonstrate analytical skills. - Effectively use project management and communication tools to drive efficiency and collaboration. - Support senior team members on larger, more complex client organizations while leading small to mid-sized accounts with growing autonomy.    QUALIFICATIONS     REQUIRED  - Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Advertising, Communications, Business, or equivalent work experience  - 3+ years of experience managing direct to publisher digital campaigns across display, custom digital programs, and/or online video - Proven track record in operating with a high-level of integrity, commitment, and enthusiasm to take on new opportunities - Familiarity working in MediaOcean (Prisma) or comparable media buying software  - Proficient in Microsoft Office programs, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, and Word - Self-starter able to seek new opportunities or projects, and lead from start to finish - Ability to autonomously think around problems and identify potential solutions  - Ability to grasp new technology and product changes, and identify application to current work - Strong written & verbal communication skills - Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, deadline driven environment with rapidly changing priorities    PREFERRED   - Experience working in highly regulated industry (e.g. pharma, healthcare, financial) - Familiarity with Google Campaign Manager or comparable - Familiarity with DoubleVerify or comparable  - Familiarity with print and out of home tactics     CORE COMPETENCIES    - CUSTOMER FOCUS/CLIENT INTIMACY: seeking to understand client business challenges/needs and delivering continuous value to our clients    - COLLABORATIVE: working with teams and across the organization with ease    - OWNER AGILITY: able to continuously learn and quickly adapt to changing circumstance    - RESULTS DRIVEN: accepts accountability to deliver business outcomes, even under changing circumstances. Delivers on commitments    - DISCIPLINED: Thinks, plans, and prioritizes work on an ongoing basis, plans and aligns with key team members before acting    WORK ENVIORNMENT & PHYSICAL DEMANDS  The work environment and physical demands characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job, typically in an office setting or in a home office. An employee in this role may be in a stationary position, often standing or sitting for prolonged periods and using office equipment and computers. The noise level in the office environment is usually moderate. (I.e., business office with computers and printers, light foot traffic, etc.). Reasonable accommodation may be requested to enable individuals to perform the essential functions.       Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging  Our dedication to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) is a cornerstone of our culture. We believe that the diversity and inclusivity of our workforce are sources of strength. As you become part of our community, you'll discover that we are dedicated to creating a positive impact, not only for our clients but also for the communities where we live and work.     EEO DISCLAIMER  Butler/Till is an Equal Opportunity Employer to all employees and applicants and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. This applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.     COMPENSATION  Butler/Till is committed to providing pay transparency of our compensation philosophy and ensuring equitable pay practices for our employee owners. The compensation range for this position is $45,000-67,000 and represents the annual salary range in Rochester, NY. Base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including location, skills, and experience.      This is just one component of Butler/Till’s total compensation package for employee owners. The total compensation package for this position may also include other elements, including ESOP (employee stock ownership plan), an annual bonus, in addition to a full benefits package, and paid time off benefits, including 100% paid parental leave. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment.