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Associate Media Planner Jobs in Novato, CA (NOW HIRING)

Media Planning and Buying Senior Director of Media Planning The Role We're looking for a Senior ... Build and lead a high-performing planning team (including Associate Directors and Planners ...

Junior Social Media Operator - Full-Time, Onsite in San Francisco About Us At Air Apps , we're building the world's first AI-powered Personal & Entrepreneurial Resource Planner (PRP), designed to ...

They will contribute to day-to-day content planning and ideation, ensuring that each brand ... associate with the future of productivity. Beyond strategy, this person has a creative mindset.

Brand Experience Manager - eCommerce

Oakland, CA · Hybrid

$99K - $129K/yr

Partners with media planning for campaigns, ensures brand consistency, and leads test-learn-scale ... Coaches and develops the Performance Marketing Associate Manager. What we look for: * Typically 5+ ...

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Associate Media Planner information

See Novato, CA salary details

$12.9K

$98K

$170.8K

How much do associate media planner jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 6, 2026, the average yearly pay for associate media planner in Novato, CA is $98,034.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $49,300.00 and $146,800.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does an associate media planner do?

An Associate Media Planner assists in developing and executing media strategies for advertising campaigns. They research target audiences, analyze media consumption habits, and help select the most effective channels to reach potential customers. Their duties often include creating media schedules, tracking campaign performance, and coordinating with vendors. This role is typically entry-level and provides a foundation for advancing within the field of media planning.

What skills and qualifications are needed to thrive as an associate media planner?

To thrive as an Associate Media Planner, you need strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and a degree in marketing, advertising, or a related field. Familiarity with media planning tools such as Nielsen, comScore, and buying platforms like MediaOcean or Prisma is commonly required. Excellent communication, organization, and teamwork abilities help you collaborate effectively with clients and internal teams. These skills ensure strategic media placements that maximize campaign impact and meet client objectives efficiently.

What are typical challenges an associate media planner might face when working on multiple campaigns simultaneously?

As an Associate Media Planner, managing several campaigns at once can be challenging due to tight deadlines, shifting client priorities, and the need to coordinate with various internal and external stakeholders. You may need to balance competing demands while ensuring that each campaign is executed accurately and efficiently. Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and clear communication are essential for handling overlapping timelines and making sure that deliverables meet clients’ expectations.

What is the difference between Associate Media Planner vs Media Buyer?

AspectAssociate Media PlannerMedia Buyer
ResponsibilitiesAssists in developing media strategies, research, and campaign planningExecutes media placements, negotiates with vendors, and manages ad buys
Skills & CertificationsKnowledge of media planning tools, basic analytics, and industry standardsNegotiation skills, familiarity with media platforms, and industry certifications
Work EnvironmentCollaborative team setting within advertising agencies or media firmsFast-paced environment focused on media transactions and placements

While both roles work within media and advertising, the Associate Media Planner primarily supports campaign planning and research, whereas the Media Buyer focuses on executing media buys and negotiations. Understanding these differences helps clarify career paths and employer expectations in media advertising.

What cities near Novato, CA are hiring for Associate Media Planner jobs?

Cities near Novato, CA with the most Associate Media Planner job openings:

Infographic showing various Associate Media Planner job openings in Novato, CA as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 67% Full Time, 30% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 94% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 5% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $98,034 per year, or $47.1 per hour.

Associate Director, Paid Media Planning (Evergreen)

Blue State

Oakland, CA • On-site

$101K - $120K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 3 days ago


Job description

Interested in joining Blue State's Media Team? Submit your application here to ensure you're first in line for future opportunities. Please note: this is an "evergreen" job post (i.e. not an active job post), but your expression of interest matters to us. While interviews aren't ongoing, we're excited to connect with talented individuals who share our commitment to Blue State's mission.
If you came across this job via LinkedIn, please note that it is an evergreen role; Linked In does not differentiate, but we prefer to.
What to know
Develop and execute game-changing advertising strategies that tie engagement to the bottom line. As an Associate Director, Media Planning, you'll develop and implement digital and traditional advertising strategies across clients ranging from leading nonprofits to political and advocacy groups to major brands (and everything in between).
This may be the right role for you if you're someone who is equally strategic, creative, and analytical. Switching seamlessly from a client presentation, to writing an insightful analysis of campaign performance, and translating a client's business objectives into a tactical media plan. You're used to spending most of your day speaking in acronyms - terms like DSP, CPA, IVT, ROAS, and AVOC are major parts of your vocabulary - and you know how to explain them to clients and teammates.
You will use your depth of paid media experience to inform your work but also tap into your digital curiosity and passion for innovation to bring new ideas and thinking to the team.
The company
Blue State is a purpose-driven agency. We partner with leading causes, brands, and campaigns and create real change. From AARP and Doctors Without Borders to Amnesty International and Oxfam, we transform how brands and causes raise money, influence policy, build platforms, and grow communities of supporters. Led by the most creative and analytical minds from the political, nonprofit, and brand worlds, Blue State is an independent agency in the US and London.
A day in the life
  • Develop media plans and recommendations for a range of assigned clients by translating their strategic visions into media objectives to accomplish a wide range of client objectives including direct response (lead gen and fundraising), awareness, persuasion, and advocacy.
  • Analyze ongoing and historical performance data to identify opportunities for improvement, make strategic recommendations, and generate reporting and insights to drive optimization.
  • Have a strong POV on measurement, attribution, and conversion tracking, and apply that knowledge to strategic recommendations and ongoing campaign management.
  • Participate in (and frequently lead) client-facing interactions to deliver media strategies and provide clients with the context to understand how your tactical media plans will achieve their business objectives
  • Work collaboratively with other internal or external teams, including media planners, strategists, account directors, designers, and analysts, to produce campaigns, creative ideas, audience and target recommendations, and experimental designs.
  • Keep us up to date with the latest digital media trends by maintaining relationships with media partners and engaging in media R&D projects
  • Serve as a mentor and internal and external thought leader by helping train colleagues to develop media strategy expertise, writing blog posts, and participating on panels.
What we offer
  • Unlimited time-off (inclusive of sick, personal, and vacation days)
  • $1,250 annually in professional development funds
  • Competitive health, dental, and vision insurance
  • Inclusive family planning coverage, including fertility, surrogacy, and adoption benefits
  • Flexible and health savings accounts
  • 401K & employer match
  • Generous paid holiday schedule
  • 12-week fully-paid parental leave for all parents-to-be
  • Short-term and long-term disability insurance
  • Pre-tax commuter benefits
  • Remote work flexibility

We approach in-office working with a hybrid model. On-site presence is welcome for US staff who are within commuting distance of the NY or DC office. Managers retain discretion to require in-person attendance for folks on their discipline or client teams as necessary, including for those whose roles require them to be in person.
The salary range for this position is $101,000-$120,000; compensation will be commensurate with experience.
The team
As part of the Paid Media team, you'll work closely with a cross-disciplinary group of Blue State employees who are passionate, geeky, and care about their clients and causes. Blue State fosters an environment where everyone has an opportunity to shape new approaches, grow and learn from their colleagues, and take advantage of a personal development fund to stretch their skills even further. You'll have the opportunity to work with some of the most inspiring charities, ambitious brands, and passionate advocacy and social change campaigns.
Some things we're looking for
  • 6-8 years experience in cross-channel media planning, including a mix of digital and traditional media
  • Demonstrated experience translating client business goals into cohesive media strategies and specific KPIs, and a record of managing large scale, multi-channel media campaigns that delivered on those goals.
  • Deep understanding of all aspects of media strategy, planning, campaign management, and analysis reporting, and the tools and platforms used
  • Ability to effectively manage multiple clients and projects on time, within budget, and meet performance goals.
  • Exceptional attention to detail, especially with regards to budgeting, pacing and spend tracking, managing vendor relationships and paperwork, and reporting.
  • Ability to adapt to new situations, solve problems on the fly, and communicate with those around you. Teamwork and scrappiness required.
  • A shared passion and curiosity for delivering change. This includes comfort with ambiguity, a restlessness that resists the status quo, and a commitment to quality that ensures we're always making progress.
  • A testing evangelist - no result is ever a problem as long as we can learn and improve in future.
  • Humble in victory, constructive in defeat. We champion and expect empathy, communication, collaboration, and respect.

At Blue State, diversity is a necessity, not a nice-to-have. We encourage those from underrepresented communities - women, people of color, LGBTQIA+, immigrants, those with disabilities and people at all the intersections in between - to apply. Even if you don't think your current skill set checks every box below, but this role seems to align with your strengths, we want to hear from you.
Blue State is committed to creating an inclusive and accessible application and interview process. If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation for a disability, including the use of AI tools throughout the hiring process, please contact us at recruiting@bluestate.co with the subject line: Accommodation Request to get started.
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