Senior Planning Director

About MC Saatchi Performance

MC Saatchi Performance is a global performance marketing agency with a mobile-first heritage and a deep commitment to data-driven ROI-positive growth. We operate at the intersection of brand and performance - helping ambitious clients translate insight culture and creativity into measurable business outcomes.

With teams across multiple continents and close integration into the broader MC Saatchi Group we combine global scale with local expertise to deliver modern integrated marketing solutions in a fast-evolving media landscape.

About the Role

We are seeking a Senior Director of Media Planning to play a pivotal role within our centralized Global Strategy & Planning team with a primary focus on U.S. clients and prospects. This is a senior hands-on leadership role for a planner who can seamlessly connect consumer insight communications planning and data-driven media strategy.

The ideal candidate is both strategically rigorous and practically fluentcomfortable shaping high-level planning frameworks while also getting into the detail of channel strategy budgeting and audience design. You will partner closely with U.S. leadership account teams and new business leads while collaborating day-to-day with strategists across EMEA and APAC.

This role is well-suited to someone who thrives in a globally connected environment works independently with confidence and brings gravitas to senior client and prospect conversations.

What Youll Do:

Consumer Insight & Strategic Planning

Lead the development of insight-led media and communications strategies grounded in a deep understanding of consumer mindsets behaviors and cultural context.

Translate quantitative and qualitative inputs into clear actionable planning narratives across the full customer journey.

Develop compelling strategic outputs - including planning frameworks insight reports and client-facing presentations - that influence both internal teams and senior client stakeholders.

Media Strategy & Planning Leadership

Own end-to-end media planning across performance and brand channels including Paid Social Programmatic Search CTV and broader digital and traditional touchpoints where relevant.

Define channel roles investment strategies and budget allocations that balance short-term performance with long-term brand impact.

Ensure media plans are integrated with creative strategy data and measurement frameworks and broader business objectives.

Collaboration & Client Partnership

Act as a senior strategic partner to clients providing proactive guidance and helping shape long-term growth agendas.

Work closely with U.S. account leads global strategists and specialist teams to ensure planning excellence and consistency.

Play a meaningful role in new business efforts contributing strategic leadership to pitches credentials and growth initiatives.

Innovation & Thought Leadership

Stay ahead of emerging media data and technology trends bringing fresh thinking into planning approaches and client recommendations.

Champion innovation in media strategy audience design and measurementparticularly at the intersection of brand and performance.

Team Leadership & Capability Building

Mentor and develop junior planners and strategists across regions fostering strong planning fundamentals and modern best practices.

Contribute to internal training and capability-building initiatives helping elevate the overall planning discipline within the agency.

What Youll Bring:

68 years experience in media planning and strategy ideally within a performance digital or integrated media agency environment.

Strong grounding in communications planning the marketing funnel and audience strategy with the ability to link insight to media decisions.

Proven experience planning across Paid Social Programmatic and Search with comfort extending into CTV and broader omnichannel frameworks.

Strong analytical capability with experience using insight and analytics platforms such as GWI YouGov Brandwatch Google Analytics Meta and similar tools.

Exceptional communication skills with the ability to present complex strategies clearly and confidently to senior clients.

Experience balancing performance-driven objectives with brand-building goals.

Collaborative mindset and comfort operating in a fast-paced globally distributed team environment.

Experience planning across multiple markets in the Americas is a plus.

Why Join MC Saatchi Performance

Youll join a growing U.S. business within a truly global agency where strategy and planning are central to how we win and grow. We offer meaningful opportunities to shape client outcomes influence new business and collaborate with teams around the worldalongside clear career pathways and room to build.

If youre excited by the challenge of defining modern media planning at the intersection of data culture and performance wed love to hear from you.

What Youll Get:

Salary: $150000-$190000

Competitive benefits package including 20 vacation days and 401k match

Summer Fridays: we aim to stop working at 3:00pm on Fridays from Memorial Day to Labor Day

Holiday Break: 11 annual bank holidays plus Christmas to New Years Eve

Flexible working and WFH opportunities: Two days per week in the NY office required

Annual pay reviews

Up to 100% coverage for health benefits

All candidates must have the ability to work in the US; we are unable to sponsor any work visas for this role

About M&C Saatchi Group

MC Saatchi Performance as part of the MC Saatchi Group has pledged its commitment to create a company that values difference with an inclusive culture. As part of this MC Saatchi Group continues to be an Equal Opportunity Employer which does not and shall not discriminate celebrates diversity and bases all hiring and promotion decisions solely on merit without regard for any personal characteristics.

If you require any reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment and selection process please make us aware as part of your application.

All employee information is kept confidential according to General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

NO RECRUITMENT AGENCIES.

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