Associate Investment Director

Empower Your Leadership Journey.

Are you a passionate and strategic leader ready to make a significant impact? At Initiative, we are a global media agency. We are seeking a high-calibre Associate Investment Director to join our team and play a pivotal role in Investment.

We are the world’s fastest growing media agency built upon the strongest strategic capability of any agency in the market. Off the back of winning 2022 B&T Media Agency of the Year, MFA Talent & Culture, B&T Women in Media Employer & Industry Leader, Mumbrella Industry Leader, MFA NGen & UnLtd Hall of Good awards, there has never been a better time to join Initiative. Our internal culture is second to none, and the work our teams create reflect the energy, passion and intelligence that goes into bringing them to market.

The Associate Director role requires strong leadership and managerial skills. The role involves strong knowledge of both offline media channels and digital channels, media research and systems, ability to juggle multiple tasks at one time and negotiation of media partnerships. The Associate Director helps to lead the implementation strategy and is tasked with being a marketing partner for clients. The Associate Director is an expert in their craft, striving for excellence and creativity in implementation planning and buying.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Collaborates with Comms Design, Analytics and Client Advice and Management to ensure alignment with and delivery against client KPIs’
• Identifies synergistic and/or targeted partnership opportunities on an on-going basis for clients to further drive their business
• Manage client’s media investments with responsibility for the smooth running of day-to-day activities
• Fosters positive client interactions to gain trust and demonstrate value.
• Lead the entire implementation process (planning and buying) from start to finish with support from the Partnerships team and in collaboration with Communications Design
• Collaborate with Communications Design, Analytics and Client Advice and Management to ensure alignment with and delivery against client KPI’s
• Collaborates with SBUs, Communications Design and creative agencies in order to ensure exciting media opportunities are investigated and integrated across the marketing campaign
• Accountable for media plan outputs including timeliness, accuracy, budget management and overall excellence
• Contract control / scope management
• Forecasting
• Contribution to the fabric of the agency and culture through committees and working groups
• Contribute to and support new business as required.
• Deliver strong negotiation results, demonstrating value back to client’s business and developing cost benchmarks for future campaigns
• Strong understanding of client’s business and its competitors
• Develop expertise in the client category, as demonstrated through competitive insights and knowledge of the category in investment negotiations and implementation recommendations
• Maintain current knowledge of programming trends, competitive nuances, marketplace conditions and economic indicators that impact on Investment Partnerships
• Fosters positive client interactions to gain trust and demonstrate value.

QUALIFICATIONS

• 7+ years of media agency planning and buying experience
• 2+ years’ experience in leadership role
• Understanding of the principles of marketing and advertising, as well as an understanding of media concepts and terms, creative and budget requirements
• Excellent knowledge and understanding of Australian media marketplace including the role of each media, understanding key media companies and their ability to deliver on campaign requirements
• Demonstrates expertise in implementation planning and buying across all channels and multiple categories
• Exceptional time management, prioritisation and organisational skills and
• Excellent written and presentation skills
• Ability to think and execute “out of the box” ideas

We are Fearless, Brave, Dynamic and Seamless.

We are a bunch of eclectic and brilliant misfits with diverse backgrounds that represent the unique fabric of consumers and culture. We want you to be yourself. We want to hear your opinions. We want to see your passion and energy.

Initiative respects that everyone has something unique to contribute to the agency. We respect differences and value diversity. We are inclusive and want you to feel you truly belong to the Ini community.

We offer our people CHOICES and a range of life benefits such as:

• The right to boundaries
• One mental wellbeing day off a month
• Take leave when you don’t have leave balance
• Think more and do less admin through automation
• Birthday leave
• Recovery from personal loss leave and family planning contribution

We value unique backgrounds and experiences to encourage and celebrate diversity. First Nations people, those identifying as LGBTQ+, people of all ages, people with disabilities, and people who are culturally and linguistically diverse are encouraged to apply. Our aim is to create a workforce that reflects the community in which we live.