Weekend Programmatic Jobs in Illinois (NOW HIRING)

Media Strategist

Hybrid, Denver or Carbondale, CO | 2 days a week in office required

At Backbone, we live by the mantra that passion drives results. We are insiders of the outside, and it's our job to advocate for the brands we believe in. But to us it's more than a job, because we live those brands day in and day out. We've always believed you can bridge the gap between work and personal passions, and our team is full of talented people who share that vision. Ours is a team of smart, driven marketers drawn together by a passion for the outdoors and doing great work for great brands.

The Job

Backbone partners with a wide range of clients, and the Media Strategist works with 3 to 5 of them at a time in two capacities. On some accounts you're the lead, owning paid media end to end, from strategy through planning, execution, and optimization. On others, you're part of a larger, integrated team, contributing paid media strategy, and helping coordinate account activity. This role reports to a Media Director at Backbone.

This is a strategy role, not just an execution role. You are expected to develop paid media strategy specific to each client's goals and audience, and to back your recommendations with a clear rationale. The ideal candidate is a proactive, decisive critical thinker with an analytical mindset and hands‑on experience across digital and traditional media. Above all, you are expected to move the needle on real business results through the paid media you manage.

The Work

• Develop paid media strategy grounded in each client's business goals, audience, and the competitive landscape
• Provide clear strategic recommendations with the rationale to back them up
• Build and present media plans across the full mix: paid social, paid search and shopping, programmatic and streaming/CTV, retail media, direct partnerships, and traditional buys
• Execute directly on the channels outside search, social, and programmatic, including direct partnerships and traditional buys
• Partner with Backbone's internal execution teams on search, social, and programmatic, handing off clear direction and keeping the work on strategy and on pace
• Turn campaign performance data into insight and a point of view, not just a report, and recommend the tactical changes to act on it
• Steward the overall plan: pacing and day‑to‑day changes
• Own client and vendor relationships with confidence
• Manage, track, and balance client budgets and cash on hand
• Keep communication clear and actionable across internal teams: analytics, social, SEM, finance, and others
• Respond to competitive requests, pulling the right data and analysis
• Use research to shape strategy and tactics

The Essentials

• 2 to 5 years of relevant paid media experience
• Agency or client‑side marketing experience preferred
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Your Capabilities

• Develop paid media strategy independently, and know when to pull in the team and the resources around you
• Execute directly on channels outside search, social, and programmatic, such as direct partnerships and traditional buys, including negotiating and managing those buys
• Hands‑on execution experience in search, social, or programmatic is a highly preferred
• Strong quantitative and analytical skills
• Comfortable reading and interpreting campaign performance in reporting tools and communicating those results to clients
• Proactive use of AI tools, with sound judgment about what to delegate to them and what not to
• Strong written and verbal communication with peers, clients, and partners
• Effective with research tools including MRI, industry reports, and other digital sources
• Solid grasp of marketing and advertising principles, media concepts and terms, and creative and budget requirements
• Detail‑oriented, with strong critical‑thinking and problem‑solving instincts
• Able to prioritize, juggle multiple accounts, and work well under pressure
• Strong project‑management and time‑management skills
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, Word)

The Extra Mile

• Knowledgeable across digital and traditional media: paid social, SEM, SEO, social media management, mobile, out‑of‑home, TV, print, and more
• Experience with Amazon Marketing Services and Amazon DSP
• Basic understanding of public relations, community management, and affiliate marketing
• You get Backbone's core values
• You have a favorite professional climber, runner, skier, snowboarder, surfer, or the like
• Your ideal weekend involves being outside
• A sense of humor

Be you, on our team. We seek to build an inclusive team and culture that values diverse lived experiences, backgrounds, and skill sets.

Salary

$60,000 to $70,000 annually, plus benefits including health, dental, vision, and 401K.

About Backbone

We are the country's leading active lifestyle media agency. For 29 years, Backbone has partnered with brands big and small to develop and execute effective, integrated media strategies. With offices in Carbondale and Denver, Colorado, Backbone has been consistently included on Outside Magazine's "Best Places to Work" list.

Backbone provides equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.