Director of Media

Description

Developing an effective cross-tier media strategy for US automotive brands requires a sophisticated and coordinated approach that seamlessly connects the different levels of marketing, from national brand building to hyper-local sales. This “three-tier” model is critical to client success in the competitive automotive market.

Shift Digital is seeking a senior-level media leader who can serve as both an internal and external subject matter expert, building credibility with Fortune 500 automotive brands and their agencies by demonstrating deep expertise in cross-tier digital media strategy. This person will help cement the value of local digital advertising programs, the first-party data platform we power, and attribution methods that tie advertising to vehicle sales. They will also help shape our internal strategy as the media landscape continues to evolve.

The Ideal Candidate Should Have Experience In:

• Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 media planning and strategy (automotive experience preferred).
• Designing media strategies and measuring performance across Search, Display, Performance Max, OTT/CTV, Video, and Social Media.
• Understanding the customer journey across tiers and connecting local efforts to regional and national strategies.
• Using first-party data to enhance performance and deliver measurable outcomes.
• Developing and applying KPIs across the media funnel (awareness, engagement, conversion, and sales impact), including attribution to vehicle sales and retailer-level performance.
• Privacy, compliance, and data security considerations in digital advertising.
• Attribution, data management platforms, CDPs, and advanced audience targeting.
• How AI is reshaping media strategy and measurement, and how to prepare clients for these shifts.
• Leading internal media teams and coordinating with external agencies to deliver seamless client service.
• Knowledge of the broader ad tech landscape — including demand-side platforms (DSPs), data clean rooms, verification tools, and programmatic technologies — and the ability to evaluate and apply these tools effectively in multi-tier media strategies.

• Hands-on experience with media buying and campaign execution, not solely planning, including negotiating, trafficking, optimizing, and reporting across major digital channels.

Key Responsibilities Include:

• Act as a trusted advisor to clients by presenting insights, strategies, and emerging trends that connect local advertising to regional and national objectives.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders and agency partners to gather inputs, build cross-tier media strategies, and identify optimization opportunities.
• Provide oversight and leadership to Shift Digital media team members executing campaigns on behalf of clients.
• Monitor and analyze performance metrics to optimize campaign activities and demonstrate impact on sales.
• Work with internal stakeholders to identify and implement new strategies across AI and other emerging channels.
• Develop insights to drive innovation and keep clients aligned with current and future media trends.
• Serve as Shift Digital’s SME on media trends and performance, presenting regularly to client teams.
• Educate and train account resources on new media channels and opportunities.
• Inform Shift Digital’s internal strategy to ensure our solutions evolve with market trends and client needs.
• Lead evaluation and integration of ad tech tools and platforms to enhance campaign effectiveness and measurement.

• Oversee both media planning and media buying activities to ensure strategies translate into high-performing, executed campaigns.

Experience:

• 10+ years of relevant experience, including at least 3 years in a senior client-facing media leadership role.
• Proven ability to build credibility with enterprise-level clients and agencies.
• Strong background in automotive media is preferred but not required.