Associate Media Operations Director

Location: Hybrid - Chicago, IL

Who We Are:

Winning today isn’t about spending more; it’s about knowing more, understanding more, and acting faster.

Mogul & Co is The Media Intelligence Company, a managed service media buying and analytics agency that combines predictive technology, advanced analytics, and high-performance media execution to answer one critical question: How does every $1 in media create the next $10 in revenue and business growth?

We break down silos to deliver end-to-end strategy, turning data into action, and focusing on outcomes over activity. Every campaign is an opportunity to learn, optimize, and drive stronger results for our clients and for each other. We are entering a pivotal phase of growth, scaling rapidly with strong momentum. Our leadership brings together two worlds:

• Silicon Valley operators who have built cutting-edge AI, automation, and data platforms

• Fortune 500 and agency executives with experience managing global P&Ls and billions in media investment

This combination shapes how we operate: focused, precise, data-driven, and relentlessly oriented toward performance and long-term value creation. At our core, our values define how we show up every day:

• Accountability & Excellence – Own it. Deliver. Always aim higher.

• Innovation & Curiosity – Challenge the norm. Keep learning. Never settle.

• Teamwork & Respect – Collaborate openly. Debate thoughtfully. Win together.

• Proactivity & Passion – Anticipate needs. Take action. Care deeply about the work.

• Customer Obsession – See through our clients’ eyes and put their success first.

At Mogul & Co, data is at the center of everything we do, but it’s our people, mindset, and ambition that turn that data into meaningful growth.

About the Role:
Mogul & Co is seeking an Associate Media Operations Director to join our growing team. This is a rare opportunity to step into a high-impact leadership role where you will own the strategy, execution, and performance of a dynamic client portfolio, while helping shape the direction of a fast-moving, data-driven agency.

Reporting directly to the VP of Media Operations, the Associate Media Operations Director serves as a strategic partner to clients across industries, leading the full media planning process from insight to activation. In close collaboration with Data Analytics & Product and Business Development, you will drive exceptional campaign performance, foster innovation, and play a critical role in developing the next generation of media talent. At Mogul & Co, media operations extends beyond process management to include strategic leadership, media execution excellence, performance accountability, and client partnership.

Key Responsibilities:

• Client Leadership & Excellence: Serve as the senior strategic lead across a portfolio of clients, delivering a true white glove service experience. Act as an extension of the client’s team, highly responsive, proactive, and deeply invested in their success. Build trusted relationships at all levels while maintaining full accountability for all client-facing work, ensuring every deliverable reflects the highest standard of quality, accuracy, and thoughtfulness.

• Strategic Media Leadership: Own the end-to-end media strategy across digital and traditional channels. Translate data, insights, and business objectives into bold, actionable plans that drive measurable performance and long-term growth.

• Performance-Driven Approach: Lead with a performance-first mindset, going beyond impressions and clicks to focus on real business outcomes. Continuously push for smarter, more effective strategies that align with client growth goals.

• Cross-Channel & Audience Strategy: Bring deep expertise across digital performance channels, including Programmatic Display, Paid Social, CTV/OTT, Pre-Roll, Paid Search, Audio, and direct publisher partnerships, while maintaining a strong understanding of traditional media. Develop advanced audience and addressability strategies to ensure precision and effectiveness across channels.

• Platform & Ad Tech Leadership: Provide strategic oversight across DSPs (The Trade Desk, DV360, StackAdapt, Viant) and ad servers (Google Campaign Manager or equivalent). Ensure teams are executing with rigor, following best practices, and optimizing effectively to maximize performance.

• Measurement & Performance Frameworks: Define KPIs, reporting structures, and measurement approaches. Leverage attribution, incrementality, and media mix insights to translate performance data into clear, actionable recommendations.

• Creative & Messaging Guidance: Partner with creative teams to ensure messaging and assets are aligned to channel, audience, and objective, elevating overall performance and engagement.

• Financial Stewardship & Accountability: Oversee and optimize multi-million-dollar media investments across complex account structures. Maintain full ownership of account financials, including scoping, forecasting, billing, and pacing, ensuring budgets are fully actualized and performance-driven, with no dollars left on the table.

• Vendor & Partner Strategy: Lead relationships with media vendors, publishers, and technology partners. Negotiate partnerships, evaluate performance, and continuously identify opportunities to drive added value and innovation.

• Team Leadership & Performance Culture: Lead, mentor, and manage a high-performing team, setting clear expectations and holding individuals accountable to the highest standards. Foster a culture where work is never “check-the-box,” but instead driven by superior performance and a commitment to client satisfaction.

• Critical Thinking & Business Curiosity: Demonstrate a genuine interest in each client’s business. Ask strategic questions beyond media, challenge assumptions, and uncover opportunities to drive deeper growth.

• Relentless Ownership & Drive: Operate with a proactive, growth-oriented mindset, continuously pushing beyond completed tasks to improve work, expand opportunities, and elevate overall impact.

• Cross-Functional & New Business Leadership: Partner closely with Data Analytics & Product, Strategy, and Business Development teams to deliver integrated solutions. Play an active role in new business strategies and pitches, bringing strong storytelling, persuasive communication, and confidence in presenting.

• Innovation & Process Improvement: Continuously challenge the status quo. Identify opportunities to improve workflows, introduce new capabilities, and enhance overall efficiency and effectiveness.

• Industry Leadership & Agency Growth: Stay ahead of the evolving media landscape and translate trends into forward-thinking strategies. Demonstrate a vested interest in the growth of Mogul & Co., contributing to its reputation, capabilities, and long-term success.

Who You Are:

A Proven Client Leader
6+ years managing integrated accounts with a track record of building strong, trust-based relationships. You operate as a true partner, highly responsive, solution-oriented, and committed to delivering a white glove experience.

A Strategic, Performance-Driven Thinker
You connect the dots across channels, data, and business objectives to develop smart, sometimes unconventional solutions. You lead with a performance-first mindset, focused on driving real business outcomes, not just surface-level metrics.

A High-Standard Operator
You hold yourself and your team to an exceptional standard, taking full accountability for the quality, accuracy, and impact of all work delivered.

A Strong Team Leader
4+ years leading and developing teams. You motivate, challenge, and elevate those around you, driving better thinking, stronger execution, and continuous improvement.

An Operator Comfortable with Complexity
Experienced in managing large, multi-million-dollar accounts with multiple stakeholders and moving parts, while maintaining clarity, control, and forward momentum.

A Financially Minded Steward
Detail-oriented and accountable in managing budgets, ensuring dollars are strategically allocated, optimized, and fully maximized.

A Clear & Persuasive Communicator
Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to simplify complexity, influence stakeholders, and present confidently in any setting.

A Data-Driven & Technically Fluent Marketer
Fluent in analytics tools (including Google Analytics) and advanced Excel, with a strong understanding of the digital ecosystem and working knowledge of traditional media to support integrated strategies.

Curious, Proactive, and Growth-Oriented
Naturally curious and business-minded, you ask the right questions, challenge assumptions, and look beyond media to drive client growth. You take initiative, push beyond the task at hand, and continuously raise the bar.

An Agency Builder
Motivated to contribute to the growth of Mogul & Co., actively participating in new business efforts and helping shape the agency’s future.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Advertising, Communications, Business, or a related field

• 6+ years of professional experience in media planning, buying, and/or operations within an agency or client-side environment

• Proven experience managing integrated, multi-channel media campaigns across digital and traditional platforms

• Strong proficiency in DSPs such as The Trade Desk, DV360, StackAdapt, or Viant

• Hands-on experience with ad serving platforms (Google Campaign Manager or equivalent)

• Deep expertise across digital performance channels including Programmatic Display, Paid Social, CTV/OTT, Paid Search, and Audio

• Strong analytical skills with proficiency in Google Analytics and advanced Excel

• Experience managing multi-million-dollar media budgets, including scoping, forecasting, pacing, and billing

• 4+ years of experience leading, mentoring, and developing team members

• Proven ability to build and maintain senior-level client relationships with a white glove service approach

• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to present confidently to clients and internal stakeholders

• Ability to translate data and performance insights into clear, actionable strategic recommendations

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with attribution modeling, incrementality testing, or media mix modeling

• Familiarity with audience data platforms, CDPs, or advanced addressability strategies

• Background in cross-functional collaboration with analytics, product, or business development teams

• Experience contributing to new business pitches and RFP responses

• Knowledge of traditional media planning (Linear TV, Print, Radio, OOH) to support integrated strategies

• Exposure to creative strategy and messaging alignment across channels

• Experience with campaign measurement frameworks, KPI development, and reporting automation

• Background or strong interest in healthcare, retail/CPG, or other vertically focused media

• Understanding of vendor negotiation and publisher partnership management

• Master's degree in Marketing, Business Administration, or a related field

Compensation:

• Base Salary: $110k–$135k

• Equity Grant with Quarterly Profit Participation

Joining Now Means:

• Higher Equity Ownership & Profit Participation

• Accelerated Leadership Paths

• Patents Contribution and Industry-Leading Innovation

• Continued Perks, Benefits, Compensation that increase with hyper-growth

• Chicago, New York, Los Angeles Offices

• Big Company Operations, Startup Culture

Culture & Working Style:

We operate with the urgency of a startup and the discipline forged from over a decade of operations and growth:

• Move fast with precision

• High collaboration across technical and commercial teams

• Ownership mindset with real autonomy and accountability

• Decisions grounded in data, testing, and measurable outcomes

• Hybrid flexibility balanced with intentional in-person collaboration

If you thrive in environments where complexity is embraced, learning is constant, and your work directly shapes the product and business, you’ll fit right in.

Mogul & Co. believes that all persons are entitled to equal employment opportunity and prohibits any form of discrimination by its managers, employees, vendors or customers based on race, color, religion, creed, gender (including pregnancy status), sexual orientation, gender identity (which includes transgender and other gender non-conforming individuals), gender expression, hair expression, marital status, parental status, age, national origin, ancestry, disability, medical condition, genetic information, veteran or military status, citizenship status, or any other characteristic protected (herein referred to as “protected characteristics”) by applicable federal, state, or local laws.

Equal employment opportunity will be extended in all aspects of the employer-employee relationship, including, but not limited to, recruitment, hiring, training, promotion, transfer, demotion, compensation, benefits, layoff, and termination. In addition, Mogul & Co. will make reasonable accommodations to known physical or mental limitations of an otherwise qualified person with a disability, unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operation of our business.

Benefits & Perks:

• Comprehensive medical, vision, dental, life, HSA, and disability benefits from day one of employment

• Wellbeing programs include, but are not limited to primary care support, mental health services, pet wellness, and behavioral health

• Unlimited PTO

• Paid parental leave

• 401(k) retirement plan

• Company bonuses or sales commissions

• Equity compensation

Compensation Range: $110K - $135K