Associate Vice President, Group Director, Media Planning

This is a senior leadership role within Rain's Media Planning team that bridges Group Director and VP-level responsibilities. The AVP drives client strategy, strategic planning, business growth, talent development, and agency-wide initiatives while consistently modeling Rain's Leadership Attributes.

The role sits at the intersection of media channels and cross-functional partners, translating client goals, audience insights, marketplace dynamics, and performance data into clear, measurable recommendations.

We are seeking a seasoned media leader with deep cross-channel experience, sharp analytical instincts, executive presence, and the courage to make confident decisions amid ambiguity while staying close to the work.

• Serve as a senior strategic media lead on key client accounts, developing innovative, future-facing plans that drive measurable business growth.
• Lead integrated planning across Converged TV, Audio, Social, Search, Programmatic, OOH, Print, and emerging channels.
• Translate audience insights, historical performance, attribution outputs, marketplace trends, and client business objectives into clear, actionable recommendations.
• Partners with Analytics and channel leads to shape measurement plans, optimize against brand and performance KPIs, and apply learnings to future planning.
• Bring a senior planning perspective to planning reviews, QBRs, client presentations, and executive discussions, partnering with Media Planning Department leadership on major strategic decisions.
• Build trusted senior client relationships through fresh thinking, clear recommendations, and confident communication, escalating broader business or relationship issues appropriately.

• Apply a strategic, agency-first mindset to department direction, business growth, and Rain’s readiness for what’s next.
• Partner with Media Planning Department leadership to set planning standards, scalable processes, and cross-functional ways of working.
• Champion Rain’s CREW Core values and operate from an “our people, our clients” mindset.
• Demonstrate courageous leadership by making timely decisions, challenging the status quo, showing vulnerability, admitting mistakes, and trying new things.
• Strengthen the agency’s Media Planning practice by improving planning quality, integration, training, and consistency across teams and workflows.
• Advance Rain’s planning tools, proprietary technology, AI-enabled workflows, and attribution models, recommending capabilities that help the agency scale.
• Stay ahead of industry trends, emerging platforms, and measurement evolution, bringing new ideas back to the agency.

• Champions new business by quickly understanding prospective clients’ categories, challenges, and growth opportunities, then developing compelling pitches with cross-functional partners.
• Build networks inside and outside the agency, connecting client partners, industry experts, platform and data partners, and peers to exchange ideas and move the agency forward.
• Contribute to POVs, case studies, training materials, and Media Impact Report content that advance Rain’s perspective on the evolving media ecosystem.

• Manage, mentor, and develop planning talent, including Directors and emerging leaders, with accountability for team growth and day-to-day leadership.
• Coach teams through strategic planning, client leadership, communication, delegation, and accountability.
• Create and support training opportunities across tools, channels, audience strategy, planning methodology, measurement, and strategic storytelling.
• Champion a high-performing, collaborative, accountable planning culture where team members feel supported, challenged, and connected to agency priorities.

• Provide input on staffing, resource allocation, utilization, and delivery models in partnership with VP/EVP leadership.
• Support account and department health by connecting scope, staffing, profitability, deliverables, client satisfaction, and team capacity.
• Remove barriers, create clarity around ownership and next steps, and maintain urgency around business-critical deliverables.

• 12+ years of experience in agency media planning, integrated media strategy, or related media leadership for national accounts.
• Deep cross-channel planning experience across linear, streaming, digital, audio, social, search, programmatic, retail media, and emerging channels.
• Proven ability to translate data, research, marketplace context, audience insight, and performance results into compelling strategic narratives.
• Strong executive presence and communication skills, with experience leading or contributing to senior client conversations, planning reviews, QBRs, and new business presentations.
• Experience managing and developing senior planning talent, including Directors and high-potential future leaders.
• Strong business acumen, including understanding of staffing, scope, utilization, operational efficiency, resource planning, and the drivers of healthy client business.
• Future-facing POV on media industry change, including audience strategy, Converged TV, measurement evolution, attribution, AI-enabled planning, and changing consumer behavior.
• A critical thinker and problem-solver who can operate through ambiguity, challenge the status quo, and roll up their sleeves when needed.
• A collaborative, agency-first mindset; someone who values relationships at all levels and treats others with dignity and respect.