Manager, Total Play

Butler/Till is a results-driven marketing agency offering deeply collaborative client experiences, proprietary technology, and world-class partnerships. At Butler/Till, we take immense pride in our independent, women-owned and led status, our unwavering commitment to a purpose-driven approach, and our unique structure as a 100% employee-owned company (ESOP).

SUMMARY
The Manager, Total Play leads a team in developing and executing cross-channel strategies for Butler/Till’s Total Play offering—an integrated, cross-channel solution that merges video, audio, and gaming formats, leveraging entertainment-like environments to engage audiences effectively. With a primary focus on video channels (TV, streaming, and online video), this role demands extensive expertise in paid media strategy, execution, and campaign management to deliver impactful, data-driven campaigns that resonate across channels and industries.

As a leader within the agency, the Manager, Total Play fosters team growth and development by providing mentorship that strengthens specialist expertise, elevates team performance, and cultivates a collaborative, growth-oriented environment. They play a pivotal role in evolving the Total Play offering, leveraging market insights, partner relationships, and cross-functional collaboration to keep the agency’s solutions competitive and results-driven. This role combines media expertise with impactful team leadership, supporting a culture of continuous improvement and delivering measurable success for clients.

KEY OUTCOMES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Key Outcome: Lead comprehensive media recommendations (video, audio, gaming) aligned to client objectives
Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the development of cross-channel strategies across video, audio, and gaming, ensuring alignment with client objectives and Total Play’s integrated approach
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate insights from client data, market research, and industry trends
• Guide and review media plans with a strategic focus on partner selection, buying strategies, and audience targeting, ensuring alignment with campaign objectives, feasibility, and competitive positioning
• Leverage insights and learnings across the full scope of work to inform and refine media planning approaches, ensuring overarching strategies are both innovative and grounded in proven outcomes
• Set strategic testing priorities, and oversee execution and measurement to drive insights and innovation
• Versed in data integrations, supply sources, and partner deals within DSP(s), including inventory accessibility/limitations, rates, terms, and targeting nuances

Key Outcome: Manage successful activation and ongoing stewardship of media campaigns
Key Responsibilities:

• Oversee end-to-end campaign activation led by channel specialists, managing resources and timelines to ensure campaigns launch on schedule
• Lead best practices for campaign setup, trafficking, and QA, demonstrating proficiency in media planning, buying, and analytics tools throughout campaign workflows to ensure accuracy, consistency, and efficiency across all channels
• Oversee financial management, maintaining budget integrity through close monitoring of pacing, invoicing, and reconciliation
• Lead escalated makegood negotiations to address underperformance or discrepancies in client investments, securing solutions that maximize client value and campaign success
• Support the investigation, evaluation, proper application, and adoption of agency tools, including MediaOcean, PBI, and Wrike, ensuring solutions are implemented effectively to support team needs and keep campaigns on track

Key Outcome: Manage campaign performance and reporting with informed decision-making and optimizations across video, audio, and gaming
Key Responsibilities:

• Establish reporting and measurement standards that align KPIs with each channel’s role in the media plan, delivering robust data tracking and actionable insights for cross-channel performance
• Evaluate direct IO and programmatic performance across the client portfolio, collaborating with specialists to synthesize insights, uncover trends, and apply learnings that inform strategic opportunities and maximize client impact
• Prepare and present results-oriented summaries to Total Play leaders, translating performance into actionable insights and future initiatives
• Uphold benchmarks for consistent campaign measurement, identifying cross-channel optimization opportunities and maximizing synergies for integrated, impactful strategies

Key Outcome: Advance the Total Play offering through collaboration, partner engagement, and thought leadership
Key Responsibilities:

• Cultivate strategic relationships with key media and industry partners, unlocking high-value opportunities that drive innovation and competitive advantage
• Monitor industry trends and marketplace dynamics across video, audio, and gaming channels; provide insights and recommendations that inform the evolution of Total Play and enhance client efforts
• Lead thought leadership initiatives (e.g., blog posts, white papers), participate in speaking engagements, and represent the agency’s Total Play expertise at industry events
• Identify opportunities for innovation within media planning and buying processes, continually refining best practices, guidelines, and standards to strengthen the Total Play offering and maintain competitive advantage across planning, activation, stewardship, and reporting
• Lead discussions related to clients and the video, audio, and gaming offering, contributing to and participating in presentations as needed
• Support the negotiation of partner upfronts, rate cards, and MSAs to ensure the full scope of opportunities is covered

Key Outcome: Engage, retain, and enable performance of talent
Key Responsibilities:

• Contribute and proactively manage talent plans. Assess, hire, on-board, and grow role-appropriate talent
• Manage a team; set clear, outcome-based performance goals. Establish and maintain development plans for each
• Provide effective feedback that enables employees to improve and work toward goals, while seeking feedback from team to enable inclusion and continuous improvement
• Remove barriers to enable team outcomes
• Provide opportunities for growth and development, while mentoring and inspiring employees to unlock their full potential

Other Responsibilities:

• Additional accountabilities and tasks may be assigned by leader/management, to contribute to overall team and agency success

QUALIFICATIONS

REQUIRED

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Advertising, Communications, Business, or equivalent work experience
• 7+ years of experience developing, launching, and managing video campaigns across linear, streaming video, and/or online videos
• 2+ years’ experience mentoring team members
• Proven track record in operating with a high level of integrity, commitment, and enthusiasm to take on new opportunities
• Ability to quickly grasp new technology and product changes, and identify application to current work
• Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, deadline driven environment with rapidly changing priorities

PREFERRED

• Experience working in highly regulated industry (e.g., pharma, healthcare)
• Experience working in an agency setting with cross-channel working-knowledge base across video, audio, and gaming
• Experienced using syndicated research and first-party data to inform strategy and activation
• Experience with third-party measurement partners (such as brand lift studies, Kantar or Nielsen attitudinal studies, and industry-specific partnerships, e.g., IQVIA, Crossix)

CORE COMPETENCIES

• CUSTOMER FOCUS/CLIENT INTIMACY: seeking to understand client business challenges/needs and delivering continuous value to our clients
• COLLABORATIVE: working with teams and across the organization with ease
• OWNER AGILITY: able to continuously learn and quickly adapt to changing circumstance
• RESULTS DRIVEN: accepts accountability to deliver business outcomes, even under changing circumstances. Delivers on commitments
• DISCIPLINED: Thinks, plans, and prioritizes work on an ongoing basis, plans and aligns with key team members before acting

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS
All employees, regardless of role or geographic location, are required to travel to Rochester during their initial onboarding period (ideally within the first 4 weeks of employment) and annually for the Shareholder’s Summit held in June. Additional expected travel will include quarterly leadership development training and key/critical meetings & events.

WORK ENVIRONMENT & PHYSICAL DEMANDS
The work environment and physical demands characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job, typically in an office setting or in a home office. An employee in this role may be in a stationary position, often standing or sitting for prolonged periods and using office equipment and computers. The noise level in the office environment is usually moderate. (i.e., business office with computers and printers, light foot traffic, etc.). Reasonable accommodation may be requested to enable individuals to perform the essential functions.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION AND BELONGING
Our dedication to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) is a cornerstone of our culture. We believe that the diversity and inclusivity of our workforce are sources of strength. As you become part of our community, you'll discover that we are dedicated to creating a positive impact, not only for our clients but also for the communities where we live and work.

EEO DISCLAIMER
Butler/Till is an Equal Opportunity Employer to all employees and applicants and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. This applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

COMPENSATION
Butler/Till is committed to providing pay transparency of our compensation philosophy and ensuring equitable pay practices for our employee owners. The compensation range for this position is $62,000- $98,000 and represents the annual salary range in Rochester, NY. Base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including location, skills, and experience.

This is just one component of Butler/Till’s total compensation package for employee owners. The total compensation package for this position may also include other elements, including ESOP (employee stock ownership plan), an annual bonus, in addition to a full benefits package, and paid time off benefits, including 100% paid parental leave. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment.