Director, OOH Media Job at Rise in Chicago

The Director, OOH Media is a key leader within Quad Media. This role will provide leadership, strategic direction, and vision to evolve and lead the Quad brand via our OOH investments. As the Director, OOH Activation, you will act as a steward of our client’s OOH investments, act as an SME during client interactions, and advance the visibility of Quad in the market to gain access to preferred inventory, advantaged pricing, and first-mover opportunities.

Reporting to the Executive Director, Media Activation, this position meaningfully collaborates with executive stakeholders across the media organization as well as Integrated Planning and fellow Activation teams across other channels, and Connections Planning and Media Analytics.  

The ideal candidate for this position has a passion for both brand and performance media, and has proven success leading strategy and negotiation. You understand the big, strategic picture of the OOH marketplace, while at the same time have the ability to concept, implement, and manage media that will drive real interactions, conversation, and engagement for our clients. You possess a strong background in DTC and / or B2B, have experience with media activation, and are passionate about creating compelling OOH experiences. This role is a blend of strategy, creative thinking, and hands-on tactical execution.

Responsibilities

• Lead OOH team, acting as Quad’s and our clients’ voice to the industry; work with cross-functional teams to build and maintain the health of our OOH offering. 
• Direct / lead value-driven partnerships (vendor, data, technology, other) that enhance the offering and keep pace with the market and client needs; leverage research and insights, marketing technology, and analytics to develop and optimize media strategies that differentiate Quad and drive growth.
• Serve as thought leader in the OOH space, positioning Quad and our clients at the forefront of the continued digital / programmatic evolution. 
• Support the Integrated Media Planning teams through the strategic development of media plans, flawless activation and execution, and accurate billing / financial management of each client’s media investment. 
• Develop, direct and execute investment strategies, by client, to secure the best possible rates for our clients based on their goals, objectives, budget and savings targets.
• Utilize data (rate, spend and plan history; internal benchmarks; database; channel and sales results; and all additional relevant data) to negotiate campaigns and achieve desired outcome across all vendors; direct team re: same.
• Mentor and lead a team of OOH planners in the creation of a cohesive, forward-leaning strategic activation unit. Maintain strong internal / external client relationships and set the tone for the team re: same.
• Utilize strong verbal and visual storytelling skills to translate strategy and data into clear, actionable takeaways and recommendations for diverse audiences.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

Appropriate education and/or experience may be substituted on an equivalent basis

Education

• Bachelor’s degree (communications, marketing, advertising, or business) or a combination of an Associate’s degree and related work experience
• Ability to speak, read and write the English language

Experience

• 8+ years of proven success in transforming, building, and leading media strategy across all OOH formats
• 5+ years in a management or supervisory role
• Demonstrated experience building highly effective and engaging integrated strategies across all potential customer touchpoints that drive awareness, change perception, and create a deeper emotional connection
• Expert knowledge in OOH planning tools, the use of geospatial data, and traditional / emerging trends in the OOH media space
• Ability to adjust to changing priorities and balance multiple projects at once
• Superb communication and the ability to inspire senior executives, peers, and direct reports with your vision and roadmap
• Experience in integrating OOH tactics in integrated media plans
• Strategically creative, able to pivot quickly, and comfortable with ambiguity
• Exceptionally strong verbal and written business communication skills to effectively interact with media vendors, clients and all levels of the internal organization
• Superior negotiation skills with a proven track record of delivering rate savings and value to ensure client satisfaction and retention
• Ability to identify / recruit / retain talent; experience positively managing personnel issues
• Detail oriented with exceptional organizational and multi-tasking skills 
• Track record of demonstrating strong judgment and prioritization capabilities
• Ability to implement change quickly to support evolving / changing client initiatives

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities: 

• Proven ability to develop and manage OOH media campaigns that meet / exceed business objectives
• Influential and persuasive communicator with strong interpersonal skills; exceptional ability to grow and foster internal / external relationships
• Strong presentation / storytelling and impeccable written and verbal communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to learn and understand each client’s business; act as an extension of the client with working knowledge of issues that could influence planning / buying decisions
• Display a natural curiosity as a “student of the industry” with a desire to both learn and teach, while applying knowledge for the ongoing betterment of client OOH plans 
• Ability to lead and develop a high-performing team
• Passion for a purpose-driven, team oriented, client-first, cross-functional culture 
• Possesses a desire for excellence and a passion to succeed in a rapid-paced, deadline-committed environment where everyone is expected to be hands-on
• Demonstrated problem-solver with the ability to provide creative solutions that result in positive outcomes
• Ability to articulate a clear and compelling vision to direct and maximize the team where all roles and responsibilities are well defined, understood and managed
• Expert synthesizer of detail and information for client, peer and management consumption
• Exhibits sound business judgment to navigate through everyday client and team challenges, commanding both authority and respect
• Ability to stay calm under pressure and maintain Quad’s professional standards when dealing with clients and vendors 
• Proficient with Microsoft Office applications; working knowledge (or better) of industry tools including Mediaocean, DoMedia, GeoPath, Nielsen, MRI, Claritas, Vivvix, Scarborough, etc. 

Travel: 5-10%