Associate Media Planner

The Planet Group is seeking an Associate Media Planner to join one of our well-known global pharmaceutical clients.

• Pay: $42.25-$47.81/hr depending on experience (W2 and benefit options)
• Location: Onsite in Irvine, CA or Remote
• Duration: 1 year to start - potential to extend / convert

Associate Media Planner Responsibilities:

• Play a critical role in translating media plans and emerging business initiatives into compliant, execution-ready campaigns
• Work closely with Media Planners, Media Managers, Operations, Finance, Procurement, Legal, Data Privacy, vendors, and account teams
• Coordinate contracting, campaign activation, documentation, financial tracking, and issue resolution
• Help clarify requirements and dependencies, maintain accurate records, flag risks related to timing, budget, compliance, and resourcing, and support continuous optimization across media initiatives
• Support the development and implementation of media strategies, plans, and activation recommendations alongside Media Planners and Media Managers
• Own and maintain campaign documentation, including media calendars, contracting status trackers, finance and invoice trackers, creative trackers, buy authorizations, work orders, insertion orders, and purchase-order records
• Coordinate end-to-end media contracting and change requests, including intake, vendor onboarding, work-order and POCN development, data-privacy requirements, QA, signature routing, SNAPP submission, approvals, and final filing
• Coordinate campaign activation and advertising-material trafficking; confirm specifications and handoffs, monitor launch readiness, verify placements are live, collect proof-of-performance screenshots, and maintain accurate campaign records
• Serve as a day-to-day contact for media vendors and internal partners across Procurement, Legal, Data Privacy, Finance, Operations, and account teams; clarify next steps, required information, owners, and dependencies, and resolve issues promptly
• Track and report campaign spend, budget status, purchase orders, invoices, monthly amounts, savings, and variances; reconcile records and escalate financial risks or discrepancies
• Ensure work complies with pharmaceutical, privacy, procurement, contracting, and media-delivery requirements; proactively flag risks related to timing, budget, resourcing, approvals, and dependencies
• Support reporting, optimization, and planning discussions by gathering launch updates, placement documentation, vendor inputs, and campaign-status information
• Provide day-to-day executional support to Media Planners and Media Managers, help establish efficient intake-driven workflows, and contribute to onboarding or guidance for junior team members and interns as assigned

Associate Media Planner Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in marketing, advertising, communications, or related field
• 2-4 years of experience in marketing, healthcare, media planning, media buying, campaign operations, or a related field
• Exceptional organizational skills, attention to detail, sound judgment, and the ability to manage multiple deadlines and dependencies
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365, especially Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, and shared tracking tools
• Excellent written and verbal communication, vendor-management, and cross-functional relationship-building abilities
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced, regulated environment, proactively escalating risks and resolving issues

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