Business Overview

We believe in the power of media to reshape our industry and orchestrate a brand’s entire consumer experience, by balancing both what unites people and what makes them different. When brands unite people in culture, they build Fame, and when brands connect individuals to their unique journeys, they build customer Flow. Initiative builds Fame & Flow for brands like Nike, Amazon, Merck, and T-Mobile. Media responsibility is at the forefront of everything we do, whether it’s creating media plans that reflect the diversity of our communities, promote brand safety, and foster sustainability. Our agency celebrates diversity in an inclusive environment where all our 6,000+ strong talent across 90+ markets feel seen, heard, and valued. Our vision is to create not only a better media company, but also a better media industry, and maybe even a better world.

We make a promise to our people that we double down on seeing, celebrating & elevating all the things that make you, uniquely you. And just as we do for our brands and clients, we connect our people to the journeys that matter in building a meaningful career.

There are four I’s in Initiative, and these represent our core values and behaviors.

• INDIVID[YOU]ALITY – you bring your genuine and unique self to and into the work, every day.
• INSTINCT – you’re tuned in and armed with intelligence; you have a bias for action – shit happens when you’re around.
• IMPACT! – you care deeply about the impact you have on our clients, their customers, our community, the media landscape, and our world at large.
• IMAGINATION – your ability to imagine and bring to life the ideas, solutions, and the future of Initiative, makes us THE create media agency in the world.

Position Overview

The Group Director of Global Media Operations + AI, serves as an operations and agency enablement champion for the agency’s tools, technology / platforms, innovation, and thought leadership across all regions (NA, EMEA, APAC, LATAM). As primary liaison between platform operations partners – including MediaOcean, SQAD/MediaTools, internal tools (Halogen, MIE, and Taxonomies) and our agency / client teams, this agency leader seeks to democratize the agency’s toolkits and keeps the agency AI goals at the center of exploration. They’ll ensure standardization, mass adoption, accelerate platform utilization, and engage teams in a collaborative community to share and adopt best practices across the agency and within IPG Mediabrands.

This individual executes the global strategic vision for the Global Media Operations team through the regions Operations Directors and day to day agency teams, supporting the creation of new practices, oversight of agency technology licensing, and support of new business consulting. Reporting directly into the Global Head of Media Operations, this individual will play a central and pivotal role in the advancement of Initiative’s and IPG Mediabrands’ transformation and AI agenda across the global (NA, EMEA, APAC, LATAM).

Responsibilities

• Audit client processes, at a regional level (NA, EMEA, APAC, LATAM), across crafts and functions to identify and support the adoption of operational minimal viable product (MVP), set by the global media operations team, to be documented in playbooks, supported with training and AI technologies, and translated across agency teams.
• Consult on client briefs related to technology, operations, and media platform utilization (ex: Media Tools).
• Actively serve as an agency representative in client meetings, commanding a presence with an ability to express complex matters with ease and simplicity from a technical / tools lens.
• Creatively solve client business challenges through the mapping of new technologies, platforms, agency solutions, and innovation opportunities.
• Liaise between Regional Media Operations Directors and agency technology partners – including both specialty business units (SBU) capabilities and third-party platform partners.
• Liaison with IPG IT and our internal cross craft teams to document and implement new features and input into the overall product roadmaps to satisfy global requirements.
• Steward syndicated agency licenses and contracts with third party platforms and support ongoing negotiations to drive increased agency adoption and cost efficiencies.
• Develop and maintain end to end playbooks in collaboration with Rufus Media Ops and Transformation leadership.

Required Skills and Experience

• Strong ability to think systemically about processes and workflows with skill to simplify the complicated and determine the most effective and efficient path forward.
• Global experience finding and implementing standardization while accounting for nuances specific to each region’s media buying practices.
• Deep understanding of media business, specifically as it relates to the lifecycle of a media dollar (planned, authorized, purchased/booked, billed, paid and reconciled) with specific knowledge of digital media in some or all global markets (NA, EMEA, APAC, LATAM).
• Experience customizing and implementing tools and processes required to aggregate media planning and investment data and produce clean, accurate and efficient reporting on that data (e.g. Taxonomy, MediaTools/Lumina, MediaOcean/Prisma).
• Understanding of the benefits of automation and AI as well as types of tools and processes that can be leveraged to facilitate automation.
• Highly structured and organized.
• Strong communication skills, including the ability to articulate operational or account challenges both laterally to peers as well as upward to senior management.

Desired Skills and Experience

• 10+ years experience in media, with a focus on digital (including things like Taxonomy).
• 5+ years working in a global role across NA, EMEA, APAC, and LATAM gaining alignment to common operational frameworks using any and all automation techniques.

• 5+ years working with global data, systems, and tools.
• 5+ years in operations, best practice development, and/or process optimization
• MediaOcean/Prisma or any local Media Billing/Buying/Paying System preferred.
• Experience with MediaTools/SQAD preferred.
• Project Management experience and PMO tool experience (i.e. Smartsheets) preferred.

We See You

At IPG Mediabrands, we are unified behind a commitment to fostering a culture of inclusion and belonging. Together, we shine through a set of shared values and behaviors. We take pride in our responsibility to our clients, communities, and to each other. We embrace differences and recognize the unique value that each of us brings to our community.

We encourage you to apply, as unique backgrounds, perspectives, and lived experiences are welcomed.

We See You at IPG Mediabrands.

Wage and Benefits

We offer a Total Rewards package that includes medical and dental coverage, 401(k) plans, flex spending, life insurance, disability, employee discount program, employee stock purchase program and paid family benefits to support you and your family. To give you the ability to better meet your personal needs, and in support of your physical and emotional well-being, you will receive discretionary time off days and company-wide Appreciation Weeks and Wellness Days.

We also offer a competitive Total Compensation package, including a competitive salary and eligibility for an annual discretionary incentive award or a relevant incentive award.

The salary range for this position is posted below. Where an employee or prospective employee is paid within this range will depend on, among other factors, actual ranges for current/former employees in the subject position, market considerations, budgetary considerations, tenure and standing with the Company (applicable to current employees), as well as the employee’s/applicant’s skill set, level of experience, and qualifications.

Employment Transparency

It is the policy of Mediabrands, division of the Interpublic group, to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, creed, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, citizenship, genetic information, veteran status, disability, or any other basis prohibited by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

The employer will make reasonable accommodations in compliance with the American with Disabilities Act of 1990. The job description will be reviewed periodically as duties and responsibilities change with business necessity. Essential and other job functions are subject to modification. Reasonable accommodations may be provided to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

For applicants to jobs in the United States: In compliance with the current Americans with Disabilities Act and state and local laws, if you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation to apply for a position with Mediabrands, please email accommodation@mbww.com.

About IPG Mediabrands

IPG Mediabrands is the media and marketing solutions division of Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG). IPG Mediabrands manages over $47 billion in marketing investment globally on behalf of its clients across its full-service agency networks UM, Initiative and Mediahub and through its award-winning specialty business units Healix, Kinesso, MAGNA, Mediabrands Content Studio, Orion Holdings, Rapport, and the IPG Media Lab. IPG Mediabrands clients include many of the world’s most recognizable and iconic brands from a broad portfolio of industry sectors including automotive, personal finance, consumer product goods (CPG), pharma, health and wellness, entertainment, financial services, energy, toys and gaming, direct to consumer and e-commerce, retail, hospitality, food and beverage, fashion and beauty. The company employs more than 18,000 diverse marketing communication professionals in more than 130 countries. Learn more at www.ipgmediabrands.com.