Media Supervisor

The Shipyard is a leading, independent marketing and communication agency headquartered in Columbus, OH and San Diego, CA that brings together talented individuals across the creative, communications, media and digital landscape. Uniquely designed to Engineer Brand Love through a unifying approach of paid, owned and earned channels, we work together to grow brands that audiences can't help but love.

Our family of brands, Fahlgren Mortine, TURNER and TinyWins, span integrated communications, travel and lifestyle, and digital innovation, giving us the range and depth to deliver for clients locally, regionally and nationally.

Momentum is nothing without the people driving it. See who we are at https://theshipyard.com/culture before you hit apply!

SUMMARY

We are looking for a smart, experienced, and motivated Media Supervisor to join our San Diego team.

The Media Supervisor is the engine of the planning team. This role exists to direct the work, develop the people, and ensure that every plan goes out the door flawlessly.

A great Media Supervisor has mastered media execution and is now expanding into developing strategy and leading others. You are equally accountable for the quality of the team's output and for the growth of the junior planners you manage. The best Supervisors make their teams better every day.

This is a hybrid work-from-home and in-office position. The candidate must live in San Diego or be able to commute to the San Diego office once per week.

At The Shipyard, we know that it's your unique talents, backgrounds, and perspectives that make you who you are, just like our team, who come from various career paths and experiences. We believe we can't be truly diverse without you bringing your most authentic self to the agency.

Studies show that people from marginalized communities may not always apply for positions if they don't meet every single requirement in a job posting. At The Shipyard, we encourage you to apply even if you don't meet all the requirements. We believe that your passion for what we stand for — our values and purpose — is just as important as meeting every checkbox.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

Media Knowledge

You are an expert in media planning and execution with deep channel fluency and strong financial acumen. You know the work that needs to be done to get a plan out the door and you can lead others in delivering it flawlessly.

• Demonstrate strong knowledge of the full media landscape — digital and traditional — and apply it to build plans that are strategically sound and defensible
• Set the standard for how planning tools are used on the team: MRI/Simmons, GWI, YouGov, Commspoint, SimilarWeb, and MediaRadar should be used with rigor and translated into clear strategic insights, not just used to generate outputs
• Lead the media billing and workflow processes, ensuring timely and accurate budget management from the team. You own getting the billing work done flawlessly
• Serve as the team's internal expert on publisher and media marketplace dynamics, and emerging opportunities
• Review, quality-check, and guide the work of Media Coordinators, Media Planners, and Sr. Media Planners to ensure accuracy, strategic alignment, and a consistently high standard of output

Strategic Thinking & Planning

A Media Supervisor directs the planning and tactical execution of media plans and ensures the team is thinking critically at every stage of the planning process. You are growing your strategic and leadership skills to make meaningful input on strategy development and learning to coach and develop talent.

• Own the development of media plans for assigned accounts, including the initial audience, channel mix, and budget allocation – with everything laddering up to the media strategy
• Lead the RFP process for partners and publishers, including identifying the short list and providing direction to partners on deliverables
• Contribute to media strategy development in a meaningful way – identify the insights that lead to a strategy, define channel roles that ladder up to the strategy and how those channels can be used strategically
• Use audience data, planning data, and performance data to identify insights and draw actionable conclusions
• Identify new and emerging media opportunities and bring forward proactive recommendations that demonstrate Shipyard's value beyond the day-to-day
• Mentor Media Coordinators, Media Planners, and Sr. Media Planners in strategic and critical thinking — conduct regular reviews of their work, ask the hard questions, and help them develop their analytical and strategic instincts

Communication

A Media Supervisor communicates with authority and clarity, leads client-facing presentations with confidence, and helps junior team members develop their own communication skills.

• Lead client-facing presentations for assigned accounts, presenting media strategies and recommendations with confidence, clarity, and conviction
• Develop and review presentation materials that tell a clear story with attention to detail across the plan recommendation
• Communicate plan details in a way that is accessible and clear to clients at all levels of media sophistication
• Provide clear, constructive, and regular feedback to junior team members on the quality and clarity of their communication
• Represent the media team's point of view confidently in cross-functional discussions

Partnership

A Media Supervisor manages relationships actively and models effective partnership for the team. At this level, you are equally responsible for the quality of internal relationships and external ones.

• Build and maintain strong, trust-based relationships with clients, serving as a reliable day-to-day point of contact for media plans and execution
• Manage media vendor and partner relationships strategically — not just maintaining them, but leveraging them to create value and competitive advantage for clients
• Partner closely with the media investment team to ensure strategic alignment from plan development through campaign execution and optimization
• Collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams — analytics, creative, comms/PR, brand planning, client engagement — and serve as a key voice for your clients’ media plans
• Actively develop the partnership skills of junior team members through coaching, modeling, and shared client and vendor interactions

Team Development

A Media Supervisor is directly responsible for managing and developing junior members of the planning team. This is not a secondary responsibility — it is core to the role. You are developing your leadership style designed to get the most out of your team.

• Directly manage Media Coordinators and Media Planners, providing clear direction, regular feedback, and ongoing coaching
• Set clear expectations for performance and hold team members accountable with fairness and consistency
• Identify each team member's strengths and development areas, and create intentional opportunities for growth
• Conduct regular 1:1 meetings that go beyond status updates — focus on growth, challenges, and career development
• Recognize strong performance and address performance issues proactively and constructively
• Foster a team culture of curiosity, high standards, and mutual support

WHAT YOU’LL GET

• The overall target range of base compensation for this role is $95,000 - $105,000. Compensation offered will be determined by additional factors such as location and experience.
• Open PTO
• 40 hours of paid sick time (annually)
• Flexible work hours and remote work
• Paid holidays + holiday closure between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day
• Company-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Life insurance and disability benefits
• 401k program with employer matching
• 6 weeks paid parental leave
• Employee bonus referrals
• Dog-friendly offices
• Company-provided snacks and beverages (yes, beer/wine included)
• … and lots more!

• Must be authorized to work in the U.S. without the need for visa sponsorship.