Senior Vice President, Media Operations

Company description

Hi there! We're Razorfish. We've been leading the marketing industry with our digital expertise since the start of the internet. But in 2020, we did a full reboot. What's different? It all starts with people. Weird, wonderful, complex people - with diverse backgrounds in strategy, creative and technology. But no matter how different we are, we all have one thing in common. We believe our differences are our strength. So we push for inclusion, challenge convention and bring in new perspectives, to inspire new ideas. Because when we connect by understanding what makes people different, we can create unforgettable experiences that enrich lives. Join us at razorfish.com.

Overview

The SVP, Media Operations will be a solution-oriented business partner to the Razorfish and Publicis media teams within a complex Publicis Power of One team. The candidate will be primarily responsible for media and financial operations, integrating multiple parties within the Publicis agencies, process improvements, systems management, general reporting, and driving compliance. They will coordinate and support the media finance process flow, specifically regarding budgeting, billing, forecasting, with oversight of ad operations, and ensuring end-to-end operational excellence for the client. This role will oversee our Technology & Activation Group (TAAG), a team of Digital Marketing technology, operations and measurement professionals supported by best-in-class technology and expertly designed procedures. We are looking for a leader with expertise in the fields of marketing technology, media performance management and measurement, and ad operations.

The ideal candidate is a dot connector, has an analytic mindset, problem-solving skills, and the ability to organize and track multiple projects simultaneously. They should be proactive, resourceful, agile, and a creative problem solver. They will foster client relationships and partner with the client to work through process changes, escalations, and forward-thinking ideas.

Responsibilities

OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE

• Help build and continue to optimize the paid media financial process to further streamline and deliver operational excellence to the agency teams and the client.
• Design framework and build a bespoke media operations team in support of client operational excellence.
• Key partner in leading the process to drive agency compliance of scope and monitor financial penalty implications (SLOs).
• Track key Ops-led activities, anticipate challenges, and raise the appropriate flags to ensure timely execution of deliverables
• Drive process adoption, optimization, maintain level of integrity in an environment that has high urgency and is outcomes oriented.
• Execute routine process and data quality checks to ensure accuracy and optimal efficiency whilst re-inventing processes as needed.
  • Ensure accuracy of data pulls from various systems (e.g. Mediaocean/Prisma, Guidelines Planning)
• Monitoring of Standard Operating Procedures with the purpose of identify problems and recommendations for process efficiency improvements, and SOX requirements
• Create training materials to document processes and instill best practices across teams

FINANCIAL OPERATIONS

• Service as the media business partner across agency financial teams and Publicis agencies.
• Manage budget, billing, and financial compliance.
• Improve and streamline existing media budget forecasts, actuals and billing processes and ensure all reconciliations are completed according to client guidelines.
• Provide supportive guidance and consultancy in the multi-facet areas of Client Billing. Working closely with key stakeholders including, but not limited to, Media Strategy & Activation teams, Finance Operations and Corporate Accounting.:
  • Track client budget approvals through client's APRIMO system
    • Ensure communication of approved funding is disseminated amongst the appropriate parties within the paid media team
  • Billing for Paid Media
    • Scheduling changes
    • Special Client requests
    • Bridge with shared financial services and agency teams
    • Invoices
  • Preparing billing verification and budget management reports that include data from client's APRIMO system, Guidelines Planning and Mediaocean/Prisma
    • Work with internal stakeholders to resolve discrepancies prior to monthly billing
    • Analyze and explain variances
  • Track client payables and receivables, answer client questions and resolve issues
  • Coordination of billing approvals with inter-company partner(s)
  • Prepare ad-hoc reports for internal and external client(s)
• Manage the account monthly budgeting process and be responsible for coordinating and resolving all forecast/billing related issues.
• Work with the client to verify and reconcile any issues with the reporting of actuals.
• Offer administrative support, training and troubleshooting for Guidelines Planning platform
• Ensure team and personal deliverables are met on time and steward workflow and project management. Establish a work plan for each deliverable and direct and define for the team key task assignments and partner and client liaison.
• Support Key Account Leadership with assessing and communicating monthly risks and opportunities.

AD OPERATIONS (TAAG)
In addition to their responsibility as an agency expert in digital media operations, data, tools and technology, this person will be responsible for cultivating and leading a team of client-assigned resources who are responsible for the end-to-end delivery of the following media planning and activation functions:

• • Digital media campaign KPI creation and alignment to business opportunities/goals
  • Operational alignment of campaign evaluation/measurement plan to campaign strategy
  • Digital technology & infrastructure direction and decision making
  • Data management and insights platform recommendations
  • Data governance for client and agency measurement compliance
  • Full-funnel digital media advertising operations (inclusive of emerging digitally distributed media)
  • Data management and generation of campaign optimization insights

CLIENT RELATIONSHIP

• Maintain client updates, develop/manage budgets, and identify/address media financial business challenges.
• Identify and communicate organizational or business challenges and work to deliver on the needs of the broader agency team and client. As it pertains to media operations.
• Manage the client reconciliation process as it relates to timely review and reconciliations of client accounts with a view to credits and debits adjustments
• Primary contact for client finance questions and/or issues with Account Management, Media Operations Delivery, and Client
• Lead strategic conversations with client and investment teams around technology integrations that can improve efficiency, range or quality of data, or support new media

LEADERSHIP

• Foster a collaborative culture, develop talent and maintain strong stakeholder relationships.
• Liaise across all disciplines and business leaders for financial operations, legal matters, and other areas of media operations and compliance.
• Responsible for working with the senior leadership teams of creative, analytics, search, and technology teams, to identify and/or develop solutions to support the client needs
• Provide consultative support from a technical and operational perspective to the creative and investment teams
• Technical authority for all ad tech issues involved in running online ad campaigns
• Candidate must be able to work closely with senior agency leadership and account leadership (digital & non-digital) to provide strategic Technology & Activation direction to all account teams (including but not limited to pricing, scope & deliverable alignment, resource alignment, product development, new business, etc.)
• Must actively develop junior talent and work with leadership to cultivate a consultative and growing team of advertising professionals and media tech pioneers.

Qualifications

• University Degree or College Diploma or Equivalent Work Experience, preferred in Marketing, Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, Communications/Advertising.
• Ideal candidate has media or advertising agency experience and understands the inner workings of the agency model.
• 15+ years of overall industry experience with 10+ years in media operations within the Advertising and/or Media field.
• Financial acumen within the media expertise.
• Comfortable working with and organizing large data sets.
• Proven capabilities leading projects from conception to implementation.
• Demonstrated ability to manage concurrent projects.
• Excellent leadership skills and the ability to inspire and interact with all levels of staff.
• Comfortable and effective presenter, strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Organized, detail-oriented, obsessed with accuracy and good with time management.
• Superior critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
• Experienced Microsoft Office skills (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Accountable for campaign activation process and ensure deadlines are met across investment teams, creative agencies, and clients to ensure on time launch.

Additional information

The Power of One starts with our people! To do powerful things, we offer powerful resources. Our best-in-class wellness and benefits offerings include:

• Paid Family Care for parents and caregivers for 12 weeks or more
• Monetary assistance and support for Adoption, Surrogacy and Fertility
• Monetary assistance and support for pet adoption
• Employee Assistance Programs and Health/Wellness/Comfort reimbursements to help you invest in your future and work/life balance
• Tuition Assistance
• Paid time off that includes Flexible Time off Vacation, Annual Sick Days, Volunteer Days, Holiday and Identity days, and more
• Matching Gifts programs
• Flexible working arrangements
• 'Work Your World' Program encouraging employees to work from anywhere Publicis Groupe has an office for up to 6 weeks a year (based upon eligibility)
• Business Resource Groups that support multiple affinities and alliances

The benefits offerings listed are available to eligible U.S. Based employees, are reviewed on an annual basis, and are governed by the terms of the applicable plan documents.

Razorfish is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our employment decisions are made without regard to actual or perceived race, color, ethnicity, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, disability, medical condition as defined by applicable state law, genetic information, marital status, military service and veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws and ordinances.

If you require accommodation or assistance with the application or onboarding process specifically, please contact USMSTACompliance@publicis.com.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Compensation Range: $176,700 - $288,765 annually. This is the pay range the Company believes it will pay for this position at the time of this posting. Consistent with applicable law, compensation will be determined based on the skills, qualifications, and experience of the applicant along with the requirements of the position, and the Company reserves the right to modify this pay range at any time. Temporary roles may be eligible to participate in our freelancer/temporary employee medical plan through a third-party benefits administration system once certain criteria have been met. Temporary roles may also qualify for participation in our 401(k) plan after eligibility criteria have been met. For regular roles, the Company will offer medical coverage, dental, vision, disability, 401k, and paid time off. The Company anticipates the application deadline for this job posting will be 5/15/2025.