Overview

We are looking for a Media Planning Associate Director (6-9 month FTC) to join our centre of excellence. In this role, you will lead our full-funnel media strategy, driving both brand-building and performance-led outcomes across digital, traditional, and emerging channels. You'll craft impactful integrated media plans that not only boost brand visibility but also deliver tangible business results—sales, leads, and customer growth.

Responsibilities

• Developing and overseeing integrated media strategies that span awareness, consideration, and performance goals.
• Leading media planning across digital, social, retail, and traditional channels.
• Defining KPIs and building robust measurement frameworks to track performance and inform optimisations.
• Using data and insights to guide channel selection, messaging, and audience segmentation.
• Collaborating closely with internal teams (client, strategy, measurement, ops, and sales) to align on execution.
• Managing media budgets and unlocking incremental investment opportunities.
• Presenting clear, compelling updates to clients and stakeholders.
• Keeping ahead of industry trends to drive media innovation.

Qualifications

• Proven expertise in full-funnel media strategy—from brand-building to performance marketing.
• Strong experience across both traditional and digital channels (including 1PD digital, social, OOH, retailer media, and eCommerce).
• High proficiency in audience segmentation, analytics, and budget allocation.
• Leadership skills to manage teams and drive cross-functional collaboration.
• Client-facing confidence with strong communication and presentation abilities.
• A proactive, solutions-driven mindset with the ability to thrive in a dynamic environment.
• Experience in retail media and working with CPG brands is a plus.
• A hustler mentality, adaptability across categories, and a passion for sharing knowledge.

About SMG and culture

At SMG, we hire for the future, which is fast-moving and changing shape. Do you have the potential to help shape our business? We're looking for brilliant, diverse talent who want to grow with us—people who are curious, ambitious, and eager to learn, whether as specialists or across teams. Our culture is everything. If you're someone who stays honest, stays hungry, stays foolish, and has fun, you'll feel right at home here. We value those who take ownership of their growth and bring fresh perspectives. That's why we're committed to equity, inclusion, and building a place where everyone feels empowered to grow. At SMG, it's not just about filling a role but building the future together. We're proud to be ranked the #1 Best Marketing and Media Agency and to have received World-Class accreditation from Best Companies.

Benefits

• £1,800 yearly wellbeing fund (on top of your salary!)
• Free Headspace subscription
• £500 yearly "Uni Fund" for learning
• 4 extra Wellbeing Days off per year
• Summer & Winter conferences + year-round celebrations