Chief Media Officer
3 days ago
New York
Job Description WHO WE ARE Crossmedia is the global media independent. We're committed to doing media and business the right way, guided by the principles of TRUST, REASON and the pursuit of HAPPINESS. Crossmedia US was founded in NY in 2000 and is one of the largest minority-owned full-service media planning & buying agencies in the nation. We are 500+ Crossmedians worldwide with big ambitions to continue to grow with soul. We focus on what media agencies should do: create innovative connections between brands and people regardless of channel or budget. And, we do it in an honest way. We are and always have been a values-based organization. We earn our clients TRUST by ensuring media transparency in our business model and objectivity in decision-making. We apply REASON & logic to finding solutions to our clients' greatest business challenges. The pursuit of HAPPINESS matters to us. Big time. We invest in each colleagues' professional & personal wellbeing and growth. It's why we have countless initiatives, clubs & cultural events dedicated to our people and why we have been the top ranked media agency named to Ad Age's Best Places to Work for the past six years in a row. Our client roster includes US Bank, Invesco, Newell Brands, NASCAR, Planet Fitness, Teremana, American Cancer Society, Ricola, Supercuts, Edible Arrangements, Illva Saronno, Zalando, Airbus and more. WHO YOU ARE Your ambition is to make Crossmedia the best f'in media agency in the world – known for our work, our culture, and our values. You are an ambitious and inspiring leader with a forward-facing vision that serves as the foundation for our company-wide growth strategy. You aspire to make us famous and make our clients and people proud. YOUR ROLE As Crossmedia's Chief Media Officer (CMO), you will lead and unify our end-to-end media function—overseeing both strategic media planning and investment. Your role is to drive a holistic, full-funnel media strategy that ensures innovation, efficiency, and performance across every paid media channel. From upstream planning to downstream activation, you will be responsible for shaping how media delivers value for our clients and growth for our agency. You will oversee the agency's entire media planning and buying strategy, guiding a team of integrated media professionals to deliver cross-channel excellence. This includes developing audience-driven media plans, analyzing market dynamics, negotiating with media vendors, and optimizing campaigns to achieve business objectives. The role requires deep expertise in cross-platform partnerships across Video/CTV, Local TV/Audio, OOH/Print, Display, Native, Social, Search, and Programmatic, as well as the ability to translate planning insights into high-performance investment outcomes. You'll play a pivotal part in improving and evolving the agency's media product—leading innovation from development through execution and measurement. You'll ensure our media solutions are insight-led, integrated, and grounded in audience intelligence, using Crossmedia's functionally integrated, channel-agnostic approach. Working across client leadership, analytics, and activation teams, you'll connect strategy to execution in a way that's both scalable and measurable. You must possess a unique blend of leadership, organizational acumen, and industry expertise. You are as comfortable defining a media vision as you are rolling up your sleeves to bring it to life. With strong interpersonal finesse, communication skills, and strategic problem-solving capabilities, you will help define what makes Crossmedia's media offering truly different. As a trusted and inspiring leader, you'll drive continuous improvement, spark innovation, and foster a culture rooted in collaboration, curiosity, and excellence. Media Strategy & Investment • Lead the development and execution of integrated media planning and buying strategies across Video/CTV, Local TV/Audio, OOH/Print, Display, Native, Social, Search, and Programmatic., • Develop audience-first, data-driven media plans and innovative buying approaches that deliver measurable client value and strengthen the agency's competitive position., • Build and maintain senior-level partnerships with media vendors, platforms, and technology providers—negotiating high-impact deals that maximize value., • Serve as a strategic advisor to internal teams and clients on market dynamics, deal structures, pricing models, and platform innovations., • Evolve procurement practices to achieve optimal rates and savings while maintaining media decisioning neutrality, transparency, and client opt-in., • Lead integration of consumer experiences across traditional, digital, and emerging platforms., • Use data and analytics to develop audience insights that inform effective media planning and buying strategies., • Drive operational efficiency by implementing process audits and automation solutions.Product Development & Innovation, • Oversee the development, testing, and optimization of new media products across both traditional and retail media channels., • Staying informed about emerging media trends, technologies, and best practices, and incorporating them into media strategies, • Collaborate closely with clients to align media solutions with their business objectives, target audiences, and performance KPIsLeadership & Team Development, • Act as a visionary leader and agency ambassador, championing thought leadership, client innovation, and emerging best practices., • Foster transparency and collaboration across teams and stakeholders., • Partner with Executive Client Directors (ECDs) to align media strategy with client goals., • Drive revenue growth, client retention, and new business development., • Inspire, coach, and develop a high-performing media team, cultivating accountability, curiosity, and continuous learning., • Lead with humility, positivity, and a disruptive mindset—bringing new ideas that elevate agency culture and media outcomes. REQUIREMENTS • 20+ years of cross-channel media experience, blending deep knowledge of both planning and buying across digital, linear, programmatic, and emerging platforms., • A strategic thinker and seasoned operator with proven success guiding investment strategy, pricing models, and ROI-driven decision-making., • Well-connected across the industry, with trusted vendor relationships and an ability to unlock high-value opportunities., • Passionate about innovation and experimentation—constantly pushing boundaries and productizing new solutions that solve real business problems., • Fluent in media technology, analytics platforms, and tools used to execute, measure, and optimize performance., • Expert at interpreting market trends and audience data into bold, actionable strategies that create competitive advantage., • Highly creative, with a knack for finding unexpected, outcome-driven solutions., • Respected thought leader—active in the industry through councils, speaking engagements, and media., • A humble, motivating people leader with a track record of building and mentoring high-performing teams., • Entrepreneurial and collaborative—excelling in fast-paced, independent environments where sleeves are rolled up and ideas move fast., • Adept at defining scalable processes, establishing best practices, and delivering consistent performance at scale., • A powerful communicator—clear, compelling, and able to craft a business narrative from strategy to execution., • Emotionally intelligent, solution-oriented, and persuasive—with the presence to influence internal teams, clients, and partners alike. CROSSMEDIA BENEFITS Our principles of Trust, Reason and the Pursuit of Happiness are brought to life through benefits that recognize and support the diversity and physical, emotional, and professional well-being of our people, including: • Work from anywhere flexibility including hybrid/remote office options to empower you to work your way, • Open PTO policy and paid sabbaticals at significant milestone anniversaries, • Company sponsored healthcare options and agency-wide physical & mental health support, • 401(k) with company match, student loan relief program and financial counseling support, • Generous paid parental leave policy, • Life milestone recognition & support, • The Pursuit of Happiness Fund devoted to helping Crossmedians find their happy (be it travel, enrichment class, fitness membership or professional development), • Cell phone/tech reimbursement, • Student Loan payment plan, • Tuition reimbursement Diversity is in our DNA. As a minority-owned company, our commitment to an inclusive environment has long been embedded into agency practices at every level. Almost one-third of senior leadership identifies as a person of color and over half of our executive leadership are women. We have active mentoring & internship programs that create opportunities for underrepresented groups. Internal agency programming is anchored by XMEquity365, a permanent, year-round initiative fostering acknowledgment and support of marginalized communities within five pillars – Excellence, Voices, Education, Giving & Representation. CROSSMEDIA BENEFITS Our principles of Trust, Reason, and the Pursuit of Happiness are brought to life through benefits that recognize and support the diversity and physical, emotional, and professional well-being of our people, including: • Flexibility to work in hybrid manner with in-office and work from home options (depending on role)., • Open/Flexible PTO with US & UK specific policies, • Sponsored healthcare options and agency-wide physical & mental health support, • 401k with company match (USA), and generous Pension (UK), • Paid sabbatical at significant milestone anniversaries, • Generous paid parental leave policy, • Life milestone recognition & support, • The Pursuit of Happiness Fund devoted to helping Crossmedians find their happy (be it travel, enrichment class, fitness membership or professional development), • Cell phone/tech reimbursement, • Student Loan payment plan (US), • Tuition reimbursement, • Learning & Development and training programs, • And burgers – lots and lots of burgers COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION Diversity is in our DNA. As a minority-owned company, our commitment to an inclusive environment has long been embedded into agency practices and at every level. Almost one third of senior leadership identifies as a person of color and over half of our executive leadership are women. We have active mentoring & internship programs that create opportunities for underrepresented groups. Internal agency programming is anchored by XMEquity365, a permanent, year-round initiative fostering acknowledgement and support of marginalized communities within five pillars – Excellence, Voices, Education, Giving & Representation. Crossmedia is committed to providing equal employment opportunities and creating a diverse and inclusive company culture and that does not discriminate against candidates and employees because of their disability, sex, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, age, veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by applicable federal, state, or local law. All job requirements are subject to possible revision to reflect changes in the position requirements, business necessities and/or to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. Essential and other job functions are subject to modification. This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to which will be required in this position. Employees will be required to follow other job-related duties as requested by their supervisor/manager (within guidelines and compliance with laws in the US and UK ). Continued employment remains on an "at-will" basis." Reasonable accommodations may be provided to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions in compliance with the American with Disabilities Act of 1990 (US based) Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job: • Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer. Must be able to remain in a stationary position 50% of the time., • Ability to stand, bend, and reach, • Constantly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a calculator, copy machine, and computer printer., • The ability to communicate information and ideas so others will understand. Must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations.