Media Planner Job Description
Use this template to create a clear, role-focused Media Planner job advert for in-house teams or agencies. The copy highlights core responsibilities, realistic requirements and useful candidate questions so you can attract planners who can design measurable, cost-effective media plans across digital and traditional channels.
What does a Media Planner professional do?
A Media Planner selects channels, schedules and budgets to reach target audiences effectively, tracks campaign performance and recommends optimisation to meet client or business objectives.
Media Planner job description template
Use this employer-ready example as a starting point, then replace the placeholders and adjust the content so it accurately reflects your vacancy.
Media Planner
About the role
[Company Name] is looking for a Media Planner to develop and execute multichannel media plans that meet campaign objectives and budget constraints. You will translate audience insight into channel strategy, work closely with account teams and media buyers, and deliver regular performance reporting and optimisation recommendations. Location: [Location]. Salary: [Salary Range].
Key responsibilities
- Translate audience and market research into channel mix recommendations and media schedules.
- Set campaign objectives and KPIs, allocate budgets across channels and document media plans.
- Work with media buyers, trading desks or external agencies to secure placements and negotiate rates.
- Create trafficking briefs and manage ad tags, creative delivery schedules and QA checks.
- Monitor live campaign performance, run A/B tests, and make optimisation recommendations to improve ROI.
- Produce clear, timely reports for clients or internal stakeholders that explain performance vs KPIs and next-step plans.
- Maintain relationships with media vendors and keep abreast of platform product updates, ad formats and measurement methods.
- Ensure campaigns comply with brand safety, legal and privacy requirements relevant to the media used.
Essential skills and experience
- Proven experience in media planning or media buying (agency or client-side).
- Good understanding of major channels: digital (display, paid social, search), video and at least one traditional channel (broadcast, outdoor or press).
- Ability to set measurable KPIs and use campaign data to inform optimisation.
- Strong communication skills for working with account teams, media buyers and suppliers.
- Comfortable using spreadsheets and reporting tools to analyse and present performance.
Desirable
- Experience with programmatic platforms or ad servers (for example demand-side platforms, ad servers or trading desks).
- Familiarity with audience and measurement tools such as Google Analytics, Nielsen, Comscore or equivalent.
- Formal marketing, advertising or media qualification (degree or professional course).
- Experience running multi-market or cross-platform campaigns and working to strict budgets.
What we offer
- Competitive salary — [Insert salary range]
- Pension scheme — [Insert employer contribution details]
- Annual leave — [Insert entitlement, e.g. 25 days + bank holidays]
- Flexible / hybrid working — [Insert policy details]
- Professional development allowance / training budget — [Insert details]
- Season ticket loan or travel allowance — [Insert details]
How to apply
Apply with your CV and any additional information requested. Make the interview process, closing date and any assessment stages clear where known.
Use this as a starting point rather than a final advert. The strongest version will reflect the real role, salary, location, systems, responsibilities, benefits and working arrangements.
What is a Media Planner role?
A Media Planner designs and schedules media activity to reach defined audiences efficiently. They combine audience insight, channel knowledge and budget constraints to recommend the optimal mix of paid channels, monitor live performance, and advise on optimisation to meet commercial objectives. Planners work closely with media buyers, account teams and analytics functions to translate strategy into delivered campaigns and measurable outcomes.
Strategy & Channel Mix
Develops the best combination of channels to reach target audiences within budget while aligning to campaign objectives.
Measurement & Optimisation
Defines KPIs, monitors performance and recommends optimisations to improve reach, conversions and cost efficiency.
Stakeholder Collaboration
Coordinates with buyers, creative teams and clients to ensure campaigns are executed accurately and delivered on time.
Typical Media Planner responsibilities
Responsibilities should reflect the real scope of the vacancy rather than every task someone in this profession might ever complete.
Translate audience
Translate audience and market research into channel mix recommendations and media schedules.
Set campaign objectives
Set campaign objectives and KPIs, allocate budgets across channels and document media plans.
Work with media buyers
Work with media buyers, trading desks or external agencies to secure placements and negotiate rates.
Create trafficking briefs
Create trafficking briefs and manage ad tags, creative delivery schedules and QA checks.
Monitor live campaign performance
Monitor live campaign performance, run A/B tests, and make optimisation recommendations to improve ROI.
Produce clear
Produce clear, timely reports for clients or internal stakeholders that explain performance vs KPIs and next-step plans.
Maintain relationships with media vendors
Maintain relationships with media vendors and keep abreast of platform product updates, ad formats and measurement methods.
Ensure campaigns comply with brand safety
Ensure campaigns comply with brand safety, legal and privacy requirements relevant to the media used.
Media Planner skills and experience to look for
Keep the essential list focused on what the person really needs to perform the role. Move useful-but-trainable experience into desirable criteria.
Usually worth prioritising
- Proven experience in media planning or media buying (agency or client-side).
- Good understanding of major channels: digital (display, paid social, search), video and at least one traditional channel (broadcast, outdoor or press).
- Ability to set measurable KPIs and use campaign data to inform optimisation.
- Strong communication skills for working with account teams, media buyers and suppliers.
- Comfortable using spreadsheets and reporting tools to analyse and present performance.
Useful where relevant
- Experience with programmatic platforms or ad servers (for example demand-side platforms, ad servers or trading desks).
- Familiarity with audience and measurement tools such as Google Analytics, Nielsen, Comscore or equivalent.
- Formal marketing, advertising or media qualification (degree or professional course).
- Experience running multi-market or cross-platform campaigns and working to strict budgets.
See our guide to what to include in a job advert before publishing.
How to write a Media Planner job advert
Small role-specific details can make the advert much easier for suitable candidates to assess.
Lead with the objective
State whether this role focuses on brand reach, response, performance marketing or mixed objectives — candidates use this to assess fit quickly.
Be specific about channels and scale
Name the primary channels (e.g. programmatic display, paid social, TV) and indicate typical campaign budgets or market scope where possible.
Call out tools and seniority
Specify whether experience with DSPs, ad servers or analytics tools is essential or desirable, and indicate expected seniority (e.g. mid-weight, senior planner).
Mention reporting and stakeholder contact
Clarify whether the role includes direct client reporting, internal stakeholder updates or both to attract candidates comfortable with that level of responsibility.
Media Planner salary considerations
Media Planner pay varies depending on experience, sector and campaign scale. Rather than a single figure, employers should consider the main factors that determine remuneration.
depending on experience
- Use a genuine range
- Separate variable pay
- Avoid “competitive” alone
- Match salary to seniority
What Media Planner candidates will want to know
Practical details can influence whether a suitable candidate applies, even when the title and salary are attractive.
What is the typical campaign budget I would manage?
Candidates want to know budget scale to assess whether their experience matches campaign complexity and stakeholder expectations.
Which channels will I be primarily responsible for?
Clarifies if the role focuses on digital, TV, OOH, paid social or a mixture — important for planners with channel specialisms.
How is the planning team structured and who will I work with?
Candidates expect to understand team size, reporting lines and whether they collaborate with buyers, analytics and account teams.
Which tools and platforms does the team use?
Knowing core tools (DSPs, ad servers, analytics) helps applicants assess immediate effectiveness and training needs.
What level of autonomy will I have on strategy and buying?
Experienced planners want clarity on decision-making authority versus following buyer or client direction.
What are the working arrangements and hybrid policy?
Candidates need to know expected office presence, core hours and any remote working flexibility.
Where to post a Media Planner job
Media Planner roles recruit well on a mix of broad UK job boards and specialist marketing or advertising channels. Use professional networks such as LinkedIn for mid‑senior hires, advertising industry job boards and trading- or programmatic-focused communities for technical roles, and local or university career services for entry-level planners. Consider targeted distribution by channel specialism (e.g. programmatic communities for DSP roles) to reach candidates with the right skills.
Related marketing & advertising job descriptions
Recruiting for a slightly different role? These templates may be a closer fit.
Media Planner job description FAQs
How long should a Media Planner advert be?
Keep the advert concise: a short opening paragraph about the role, a focused responsibilities list, and a clear essential requirements section. Aim for 250–450 words to balance detail with readability.
Should I hire a planner with agency or in-house experience?
Both backgrounds work. Agency candidates are often stronger on cross-client strategy and fast turnaround; in-house planners may have deeper sector knowledge and closer ties to commercial teams. Choose based on the role’s priorities.
Do I need to list specific tools as essential?
Only make tools essential if they are genuinely required from day one. Otherwise list them as desirable and offer training for transferable skills such as analytics and spreadsheet modelling.
How can I assess planning ability in interviews?
Use a practical case study or brief that asks candidates to outline channel choices, KPIs, budget allocation and optimisation steps. Follow up with questions about trade-offs and measurement.
Is programmatic experience mandatory?
Not for all Media Planner roles. Make programmatic essential only if the role centres on DSPs or programmatic trading; otherwise list it as desirable to widen your candidate pool.
Ready to post your Media Planner vacancy?
Use the advert copy and checklist above to publish your job. If you need help distributing the advert across multiple boards or want targeted placement for specific channel skills, consider specialist advertising channels or recruitment support services.
