Media Manager

Job description / Role

Job Purpose: To be one of the members of the core Marketing team responsible for developing and executing effective advertising campaigns. The Media manager is responsible for setting the bar for strategic and creative thinking in all media services

Paid Media spend is the largest part of a marketing budget. This is a new role, GM would like to introduce, to enable us to more effectively manage the budget, spend, process, efficiency, effectiveness, governance, KPI’s, Metrics & reporting – all related to media buying.

Key Responsibilities:
- Managing the media spend, including media buying and planning initiatives, cross 10 Markets and three vehicle Brands.
- Managing the Media Agency
- Ensure we have a strong Media Agency team, resulting in breakthrough, efficient and effective media deals. Identify unique media buying opportunities. Make decisions regarding spending levels and placement tactics.
- Pursue significant business opportunities and added-value programs via media partnerships. Infuse the media program with innovation and strategic vision.
- Manage media budgets and execution of authorized plans, purchase orders and media payments. Approve advertising billing and invoices for payment. Communicate with agencies and outside vendors for billing issues and dispute resolution.
- Maintain accurate spending forecasts and update as needed; manage all activity for media budget tracking.
- Foster productive relationships with media buying firms, agency creative/account/traffic groups, internal brand teams and cross-functional partners, as well as sales representatives from key media outlets
- Marketing management on development of media policies to ensure maximum effectiveness. Work with Market Research, agencies and brand teams to optimize return on investment for media planning and advertising management.
- Monitor the media marketplace to stay abreast of trends, identify opportunities and emerging issues, and understand new technologies and consumer reaction.
- Manage the media planning and media buying processes, including identifying or maximizing strong marketing opportunities with other managers in PR, Online Marketing, Consumer Promotions and Retailer Co-Marketing.
- Build annual media plans and make subsequent plan revisions for multiple brands, marketing programs and new initiatives.
- Provide significant input into all media mix discussions and analysis.
- Manage media agencies in the development and execution of media plans, from recommended purchase through post analysis. Act as primary contact with media agencies: manage day-to-day relationship and supervise their work.
- Analyze results of media efforts and develop measures of success. Ensure programs result in highest possible levels of business benefit.
- Develop and coordinate breakthrough, integrated programs across advertising disciplines and deliver excellent executions through our advertising and media agencies. Supervise TV, Print and other media planning, buying and scheduling.
- Oversee all media vendor relationships, media negotiations, and contractual agreements, partnering with other managers where appropriate – via Media Agency.
- Develop best practices for media planning and buying processes, competitive media analysis, media cost and performance benchmarks, and media effectiveness. Provide tools and training to ensure brand teams and agencies apply best practices. Set and monitor media cost and performance benchmarks with agencies.
- Devising plans for media buying, agency placement of ads, and ensures ad buying stays within budget
- Annual media planning, Monthly Tactical media planning, Social Media – paid programs
- Designing a connected strategy between Tier 1 Brand Media and Tier 3 dealer media to make sure we have connected media programs
- Increasing Brand Opinion
- Generating Leads from media
- Optimize, Optimize, Optimize!!!

Requirements

- BS/BA preferred in Marketing, Business, or Communications; or commensurate experience.
- 8 -10 years’ experience in Media
- 5+ years of Agency management experience.
- Media buying experience – TV, print, radio, OOH, Digital
- Multi country and multi-language experience.
- Arabic speaking essential.
- Highly accomplished in modern marketing principals.
- Understand and be able to forecast market trends.
- Knowledge of budget management.
- Knowledge of media outlets and the audiences they reach.
- Understand buyer perspectives and the buying circle.
- Understand the importance of the marketing mix.
- Understand that people see things differently and use this knowledge to create successful marketing messages that reach all kinds of people.
- Advertising: Must be expert and advocate on media buying, particularly around TV, Print, radio, OOH, search, Online advertising

Skills:
- Polished presentation and interpersonal skills. Must possess top-level business management, interpersonal, and facilitation skills.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications.
- Creative problem-solving and strong interpersonal skills.
- Ability to embrace and respect the team culture approach.
- Strategic Agility - accurately anticipates future market trends as well as sees the big picture view in order to create successful marketing campaigns and communication strategies.
- Budget Management - manages and allocate a set budget to efficiently utilize resources and design marketing and communication programs.
- Time Management - efficiently manages and prioritize a number of simultaneously occurring activities such as working on market visibility programs, organizing media buys.
- Research - uses a variety of resources to remain on top of industry trends and topics to ensure optimal market visibility.
- Presentation - designs and implements high quality marketing presentations.
- Organization - tracks and manages a variety of pieces of information such as media buys, website visits, leads generated
- Collaborative - works together with team members to share and gain knowledge and ideas in order to more effectively manage and promote the GM brands
- Relationship Building- builds and maintains relationships in order to effectively communicate with vendors, internal team members, and regional/global teams

Competencies:
- Action Oriented
- Customer Focus
- Decision Quality
- Directing Others
- Functional/Technical Skills

About the Company

General Motors Company (NYSE:GM, TSX: GMM), one of the worlds largest automakers, traces its roots back to 1908. GM and its strategic partners produce cars and trucks in 31 countries, and sell and service these vehicles through the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Holden, Isuzu, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling. GMs largest national market is China, followed by the United States, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada and Russia. GMs OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services.

With its global headquarters in Detroit, GM employs 209,000 people in every major region of the world and does business in more than 120 countries. GM is headquartered in four major locations: GM Europe; North America (GMNA); South America; and GM International Operations (GMIO) is located in Shanghai, China. GMIO covers Asia Pacific and Middle East.

GM Middle East started in 1920s and the brands that are sold in the region are Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC supported by a unique set of customer-focused services. GM parts and accessories are sold under the GM Parts and ACDelco brands. The regional office in Dubai covers the companys operations in Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Yemen in 20 dealerships.

GM has 2 facilities here in Middle East one is in Dubai World Trade Centre and the other, Middle East Distribution Corporation, which is located in Jebel Ali.