Responsibilities:
The Director of Media will be a key leader in H-E-B's marketing organization, responsible for building and leading our new in-house media team. This is a unique opportunity to build a best-in-class media practice from the ground up, shaping the strategy and execution of all paid media investments for a beloved brand. This role will manage the full media lifecycle, from strategic planning and budget allocation to team leadership and performance optimization, across all channels including digital, TV/CTV, OOH, radio, and print.
Leadership & Management
- Build, mentor, and lead a high-performing in-house media team, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and accountability.
- Establish and document the processes, workflows, and best practices for the in-house media team to ensure seamless execution and reporting.
- Lead paid media strategies and activations across all channels, utilizing both brand-building and performance-based approaches at a geographic and regional level.
- Drive full-funnel media strategy, performance optimization, and budget allocation to deliver scalable and profitable results for both physical stores and e-commerce.
- Develop high-performing media planners and buyers to drive growth and efficiency in our media investments.
- Partner with cross-functional partners including brand, creative, and e-commerce, as well as regional operations, legal, and finance to achieve shared business goals.
Strategy & Operations
- Stay at the forefront of the evolving media landscape, monitoring industry trends, best practices, and emerging technologies to drive innovation and creativity for H-E-B.
- Build the strategic business plan, direction, and goals for the department in collaboration with the senior leadership team.
- Lead the evaluation, selection, and implementation of a modern media technology stack, including DSPs, ad servers, and analytics platforms.
- Directly own and strategically allocate a multi-million dollar media budget to drive business results.
- Leverage data and analytics to track and measure campaign performance from a customer-first mindset, ensuring all investments are accountable and effective.
- Negotiate strategic partnerships and manage relationships with key media vendors, platforms, and technology partners.
Qualifications
- 12-15+ years of Media Buying experience.
- Proven experience in building and leading an in-house media team, or transitioning media buying from an agency to an in-house model.
- Experience in the retail sector is strongly preferred, with a deep understanding of the customer journey from awareness to in-store and online purchase.
- Deep expertise across a wide range of media channels, including paid search, social media/digital, TV/CTV, radio, and out-of-home.
- Demonstrated success in driving innovation and optimizing paid traffic channels to meet business objectives.
- Strong understanding of customer mindset matched with a dedication to creating great consumer experiences.
- Excellent negotiation skills with a proven track record of securing favorable terms with media vendors and technology partners.
- Experience managing high-performing teams and a passion for developing talent.
- Ability to handle firm deadlines, work cross-functionally, and prioritize work in a fast-paced, high-change environment.
- Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills.
- A passion for H-E-B's culture, which is committed to serving our customers, Partners, and communities.