Group Head - Digital Media Planning (Brand Side)

Location: Mumbai (5 Days WFO)

Experience: 5+ Years

Notice Period: Immediate to 45 Days

Role Summary:

- The Group Head of Digital Media Planning is a high-impact leadership role within a market-leading brand known for its cult-like following.

- This position requires a strategic visionary who can balance high-decibel branding campaigns with precision-focused performance media.

- You will be responsible for leading large cross-functional teams to design and execute annual media strategies across Search, Social, Programmatic, and Affiliate channels.

- As a brand-side leader, you will act as the custodian of the media budget, driving innovation through publisher partnerships and leveraging advanced ad-tech to ensure the brand maintains its dominant market position while maximizing ROI across the full funnel.

Responsibilities:

- Lead the end-to-end digital media strategy for market-leading product categories, ensuring alignment with overarching brand objectives and competitive trends.

- Manage and mentor large teams focused on both Branding and Performance, overseeing the journey from initial strategizing to final delivery and reporting.

- Architect and steer high-level client review meetings (Annual/Quarterly/Monthly), presenting data-driven insights to senior leadership and stakeholders.

- Develop and negotiate strategic partnership deals with key publishers and large-scale affiliates to secure premium inventory and unique brand integrations.

- Oversee the execution of full-funnel digital campaigns across Search (SEM), Social (Meta, YouTube), Affiliates, and Programmatic landscapes.

- Act as a bridge between the brand and external publisher partners to elevate industry standards and implement custom media solutions tailored to the brand's cult fan base.

- Drive the adoption of emerging technologies and digital trends to keep the brand at the forefront of the digital advertising space.

- Orchestrate incident management and problem-solving protocols to address delivery bottlenecks or technical tracking issues in real-time.

- Maintain a robust pipeline of performance and branding benchmarks, ensuring continuous optimization of media spends.

Technical Requirements:

- 5+ years of core experience in Digital Media Planning, preferably on the brand side or at a top-tier agency managing market-leading accounts.

- Platform Mastery: Deep expertise in the Google Marketing Platform (DV360, SA360, GA4) and Meta Business Suite.

- Ad-Tech Proficiency: Applied knowledge of 3rd party ad serving ( CM360), website tracking, pixels, and server-to-server (CAPI) integrations.

- Programmatic & Affiliate Expertise: Hands-on experience navigating the programmatic landscape and managing complex affiliate networks.

- Advanced Analytics: Strong ability to interpret and visualize complex branding and performance metrics (ROAS, CAC, Brand Lift, vCPM).

- Search & Social Mastery: Comprehensive understanding of auction-based media buying and algorithm-driven optimizations.

Preferred Skills:

- Experience managing media for brands with high consumer engagement and "fan-centric" communities.

- Outstanding presentation and storytelling skills, with the ability to simplify complex media data for executive-level reviews.

- Strong negotiation skills for striking high-value publisher and influencer-affiliate deals.

- Proactive mindset with a constant eye on the latest ad-tech innovations (AI-driven creative optimization, Cookieless tracking solutions).

- Excellent interpersonal skills with a proven track record of managing large, high-performing teams.

- Highly analytical mind with a focus on problem-solving in fast-paced, high-pressure environments