Full-Time

Director – Video Investments

Video Investments, Media Planning & Buying

Posted on 9/17/2025

Barkley

Barkley

501-1,000 employees

Full-service marketing agency delivering brand campaigns

Compensation Overview

$120k - $150k/yr

Chicago, IL, USA

In Person

Category
Growth & Marketing (6)
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Required Skills
Data Analysis
Requirements
  • A minimum of 8-10 years of experience in media planning/buying, with at least 5 years of direct experience in video investment (including Linear TV, CTV, and Digital Video). Agency experience is strongly preferred.
  • Proven track record of successfully managing and developing a team of media professionals.
  • Exceptional negotiation skills with a history of securing favorable terms and building strong partner relationships.
  • Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data, generate insights, and make data-driven decisions.
  • Proficiency with media research and buying tools (e.g., Nielsen, Comscore, Mediaocean, Video ad-serving platforms).
  • Comfortable working within a fully integrated agency team collaborating with internal teams and business groups, including Creative, Account Management, Finance and Project Management.
  • Capable of thriving within a fast-paced environment with ability to multi-task, manage/meet deadlines and be comfortable making decisions.
Responsibilities
  • Negotiate and place video buys that deliver on the goals of the media plan.
  • Prepare and present client buy overviews.
  • Assist with agency Upfront and Scatter negotiations.
  • Stay current on Video marketplace trends, including innovation, and be able to provide the integrated agency team with recommendations for campaign planning.
  • Train and manage Associate level team members ensuring campaigns are executed and monitored flawlessly.
  • Partner with integrated media team to report on campaign performance not only against deal terms but also client-specific KPIs and objectives.
  • Build and keep collaborative relationships with media partners.
  • Remain in constant communication with agency team members and clients, as needed, to share status of campaigns, bring forward new opportunities, or raise awareness of any unexpected issues.
  • Assist with development of industry POVs and thought leadership.
  • Lead in collaboration with finance team members to resolve media billing issues.
  • Ensure strict adherence to client budgets while meeting client objectives.
  • Support the analysis of campaign performance data across linear and digital video platforms to identify key trends, optimization opportunities, and strategic recommendations that drive improved client outcomes
Desired Qualifications
  • Curiosity and Skepticism: You have a strong interest in the evolving Video landscape with internal motivation to stay on top of trends and innovation across the industry. You can apply critical thinking to information and understand the implications of new ideas.
  • Strategic, Creative Problem-Solving: You are analytical and enjoy working with data to derive insights. You use insights and knowledge to develop robust strategies and visions for success. You love coming up with creative solutions to new and old problems alike.
  • Initiative: You are a gritty self-starter driven to find answers, solve tough problems, and overcome challenges. You proactively bring solutions to challenges.
  • Communication & Storytelling: You can easily communicate complex information or nuanced situations. You know what details are needed and what details to leave behind. You can marry data and storytelling to articulate a compelling vision.
  • Adaptability: You can comfortably adjust in evolving or ambiguous situations. You use creativity to tackle new and existing challenges. You’re ready and excited for changes in the media landscape.
  • Self-Development: You’re reflective and self-aware. You seek opportunities to learn and develop yourself and others.

Barkley is a full-service marketing and advertising agency serving sectors such as consumer goods, finance, healthcare, hospitality, and travel. It offers services including advertising, communications, product innovation, media strategy, talent management, experience design, digital platform optimization, influencer activations, and creative campaign development, combining brand-building with performance marketing. Using deep consumer insights, Barkley designs campaigns and experiences and executes them across channels—from creative development to media planning, digital optimization, and influencer programs—while supporting product innovation to keep campaigns relevant. Its goal is to help brands connect with modern consumers, launch new products, drive engagement, and improve performance across marketing channels.

Company Size

501-1,000

Company Stage

M&A

Total Funding

$5.1M

Headquarters

Kansas City, Missouri

Founded

1964

Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Adlucent acquisition adds performance marketing via Ashwani Dhar.
  • MissionOne Media scales creative-media integration for clients.
  • Smiths Agency bolsters food-beverage expertise with Premier Protein.

What critics are saying

  • Adlucent integration fails, causing talent exodus in 12 months.
  • OKRP merger triggers key creatives to join Wieden+Kennedy.
  • Holding companies like Publicis acquire BarkleyOKRP in 24 months.

What makes Barkley unique

  • BarkleyOKRP ranks seventh-largest independent U.S. advertising agency.
  • Proprietary Whole Brand Thinking uncovers clients' core purpose.
  • Big Indie model blends large-scale resources with independent soul.

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Benefits

Health Insurance

Life Insurance

Unlimited Paid Time Off

401(k) Retirement Plan

Company News

MarTech Cube
May 3rd, 2024
BarkleyOKRP acquires Performance Media and MarTech Company Adlucent

BarkleyOKRP, one of the largest full-service independent marketing firms in the U.S., announced today the acquisition of Adlucent, from Advantage Solutions.

The Business Journals
May 3rd, 2024
Austin marketing firm Adlucent acquired by BarkleyOKRP

Adlucent CEO Ashwani Dhar will join the BarkleyOKRP executive team as chief performance officer.

Adweek
Apr 23rd, 2024
BarkleyOKRP Selected by Hormel Foods' Applegate Brand as AOR

BarkleyOKRP will launch initial campaign efforts for Applegate this summer.

Adweek
Mar 6th, 2024
Barkley and OKRP Are Merging to Become BarkleyOKRP

The two agencies now form one of the biggest independent shops.

The Business Journals
Oct 16th, 2023
Chicago firm invests in advertising agency Barkley

Barkley has landed an investor that takes a long-term approach, sticking with companies through "good times and bad."

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