Associate Director of Digital Advertising & Media Buying

$107,789 - $117,805/Yr

CUNY - New York, NY

Full-time - Mid Level

Hybrid - New York, NY

Educational Services

About the position

The CUNY Office of Communications and Marketing (OCM) plays a vital role in promoting the University’s mission and its transformative impact on social mobility. The office encompasses seven divisions, including Communications, Creative, Marketing, Social Media, Multimedia, CUNY TV, and Citizenship Now! These teams are responsible for managing all aspects of press and public relations, editorial content, art design, publishing, social media, advertisement, web development, and multimedia production, all aimed at showcasing the premier urban public university in the United States. The Associate Director of Digital Advertising and Media Buying will report directly to the Associate Vice Chancellor (AVC) of OCM and will be responsible for overseeing and executing social media buys across various platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Google, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Hulu, and Spotify. This role will support the development of the University’s yearly media plan, which encompasses radio, television, print, online, and outdoor advertising. The Associate Director will manage all advertising campaigns from inception through creative design, implementation, reporting, and optimization. In collaboration with the AVC, the Associate Director will help develop the yearly media plan and the division's marketing budget. They will work closely with the creative team to target creative efforts for the selected audiences and media, and with the web and enrollment teams to ensure effective calls to action and data collection. Additionally, the Associate Director will supervise the Digital Advertising & Media Buying Specialist and work with advertising leaders across the University’s 25 colleges to enhance campaign impact. Key responsibilities include leading the planning and execution of multiple advertising programs, managing discussions on advertising strategy, collaborating with the Creative Director and Social Media team, serving as the primary project manager throughout all campaign stages, implementing ongoing optimizations, managing budgets, analyzing campaign effectiveness, and generating regular metrics and analytics reports. The Associate Director will also conduct audience research and stay updated on industry best practices, while providing training and support to staff across the Communication's Offices.

Responsibilities

• Oversee and execute social media buys across various digital platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Google, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Hulu, and Spotify.
• Support the development of the University's yearly media plan, including radio, television, print, online, and outdoor advertising.
• Manage all advertising campaigns from inception through creative design, implementation, reporting, and optimization.
• Collaborate with the AVC to develop the yearly media plan and the division's marketing budget.
• Work with the creative team to target creative efforts for selected audiences and media.
• Coordinate with web and enrollment teams to ensure effective calls to action and data collection.
• Supervise the Digital Advertising & Media Buying Specialist.
• Lead the planning and execution of multiple advertising programs and campaigns across various channels.
• Manage discussions on advertising strategy and present recommendations.
• Provide regular reports on paid ads and campaign performance.
• Collaborate with the Creative Director and Social Media team to shape digital marketing strategies and user journeys.
• Serve as the primary project manager throughout all campaign stages, coordinating with internal teams and external vendors.
• Implement ongoing optimizations to enhance performance and achieve maximum return on ad spend (ROAS) goals.
• Manage budgets across vendors and individual campaigns, ensuring accurate spending.
• Analyze digital advertising campaigns across platforms and generate regular metrics and analytics reports.
• Conduct audience research, targeting analysis, and ad placement evaluations to maximize campaign outcomes.
• Develop dashboards and reports using tools such as Google Data Studio and Google Analytics.
• Stay updated on industry best practices and trends in advertising space.
• Provide training and support to staff across Communication's Offices.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree and six years of related experience required.
• Experience in advertising/media buying, including web and social media analytics tools and campaign management suites (e.g., Google Analytics, Facebook Ad Manager).
• Experience setting up and optimizing Google Ads (Search, Display, Video), Facebook Ads, TikTok Ads, Reddit Ads, and Snapchat Ads.
• Experience leading advertising campaigns through monitoring and post-campaign analysis.
• Excellent experience analyzing marketing data (campaign results, conversion rates, traffic) to help shape future marketing strategy.
• Proven ability to manage large budgets effectively and manage complex, multi-channel accounts.
• Proven technical advertising background with the ability to communicate with digital, content, and development teams.
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills, organizational skills, and commitment to teamwork.
• Ability to build ad campaigns in various user interfaces and editing tools, and train staff in their use.
• Expert-level understanding of testing principles and a disciplined approach to testing.
• Ability to work independently and in a fast-paced environment.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience with Looker Studio for data visualization and reporting.
• Familiarity with advanced targeting techniques and audience segmentation.
• Knowledge of emerging digital advertising trends and technologies.

Benefits

• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Tuition waivers for CUNY graduate study
• Competitive retirement/pension benefits and savings plans
• Access to extensive academic, arts, and athletic programs on campuses