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 seven years in a row.
We have offices in the US, London and Germany. Our client roster includes U.S. Bank, Invesco, Newell Brands, NASCAR, Planet Fitness, American Cancer Society, Ricola, Herschend Family Entertainment, Zalando, Edible Arrangements, Citizens Bank, and more.
YOUR ROLE
Crossmedia is seeking a senior investment leader to join its Investment Leadership Team. Reporting to the Head of Investment, the Managing Director partners closely with fellow MD’s to shape investment strategy, strengthen marketplace relationships, lead high-performing teams, and deliver exceptional client outcomes.
This is a highly visible, cross-functional leadership role for someone who combines deep, hands-on channel expertise with the executive presence to represent Crossmedia's total investment point of view to clients, partners, and the marketplace at large.
As a champion of media investment, the Managing Director, Integrated Investment lead is responsible for a book of business as it relates to investments across Video/CTV, Local TV/Audio, OOH/Print, Display, Native, Social, Search, and Programmatic — managing multiple client sets simultaneously, deputizing for the Head of Investment where needed, and acting as the central point of contact for all Centers of Excellence (CoEs) within OneMarketplace. The ideal candidate is a forward-thinking, innovative operator who is equally comfortable setting long-term investment vision and rolling up their sleeves on day-to-day activation, negotiation, and reconciliation.
REPORTING & SCOPE
- Reporting to the Head of Investment, this role serves as a key member of the Investment Leadership Team, providing strategic leadership across media investment, client partnerships, talent development, operational excellence, and agency-wide initiatives.
- Oversees integrated investment strategy and activation across a portfolio of multiple, concurrent client accounts spanning all media channels.
- Acts as the point of contact (POC) for internal stakeholders (account, strategy, analytics, audience, ad ops) and external stakeholders (clients, media owners, platform and enterprise partners).
- Partners closely with Centers of Excellence leads to ensure consistent, best-in-class investment practice across the agency.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Investment Strategy & Innovation
- Set the overall strategic investment roadmap across all channels, identifying innovation opportunities, emerging platforms, and around-the-corner risks and opportunities.
- Bring deep, cross-channel investment expertise to strategic and tactical planning, translating marketplace shifts into actionable client recommendations.
- Define optimal investment approaches platform selection, direct vs. DSP, enterprise partner deals, addressable audience strategies in partnership with CoEs and planning/audience teams.
- Maintain a forward-looking view of the evolving media landscape, data practices, and buying models, and proactively bring new capabilities to clients ahead of the market.
- Lead tactical budget recommendations and investment evolutions across a diversified, multi-client portfolio.
Client & Marketplace Leadership
- Serve as a senior representative of total investment strategy, partnering upstream with account, strategy, analytics, and audience practices.
- Act as the primary POC for clients and marketplace partners on all matters of investment, representing the full breadth of Crossmedia's Centers of Excellence in a single, unified voice.
- Lead cross-channel investment points of view (POVs) for the marketplace, positioning Crossmedia as a thought leader in media investment innovation.
- Build and sustain trusted, senior-level relationships with clients and partners, operating as a credible strategic advisor and escalation point.
- Represent the Head of Investment in client and marketplace forums as needed, ensuring continuity of relationships and decision-making.
Investment Activation & Operations
- Own the agenda, timeline, and delivery of all client media activation, ensuring priorities are clear and staff capacity is used efficiently across a multi-client book of business.
- Manage day-to-day workflow, communication, and accountability for account buying activity across teams.
- Lead RFPs end-to-end: ideation, issuance, vendor assessment, and negotiation.
- Steward buys across platforms input, maintenance, and budget tracking ensuring accuracy and discipline at scale.
- Oversee reporting and reconciliation, including insight amplification, QA, actualization, and forecasting, maintaining rigorous organizational standards across all accounts.
Strategic Partnerships
- Develop and maintain long- and short-term strategic partnership plans, including joint business planning across Google, The Trade Desk, social platforms, and other key partners.
- Negotiate and manage partnership commitments, added value, and marketplace terms across direct, PMP, and programmatic deal types.
- Serve as a key decision-maker on deal evaluation and escalation, with authority to assess proposed deals of significance in partnership with the Head of Investment.
- Identify and cultivate new enterprise partnership opportunities that create differentiated value for Crossmedia clients.
Team Leadership & Development
- Set clear cross-channel priorities and ensure teams collaborate effectively to deliver against them.
- Architect and continuously improve investment business processes, partnering with Ad Ops, Operations, and Analytics.
- Mentor, develop, and grow investment talent, building bench strength and succession depth across the practice.
- Model a culture of innovation, accountability, and organizational rigor that scales across multiple client teams.
WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE
- Clients see Crossmedia as a proactive, innovative investment partner.
- Investment strategy and activation run with consistent rigor and organization across every account in the portfolio.
- The Head of Investment can confidently delegate strategic and marketplace decisions, knowing this role will represent the agency's interests with authority and sound judgment.
- Centers of Excellence, account teams, and partners experience a single, coherent point of coordination rather than fragmented channel-by-channel outreach.
REQUIREMENTS
- 15+ years of progressive experience in media investment, activation, or integrated media leadership, ideally including experience at the SVP/Director level within a media agency or holding company.
- Deep, hands-on expertise across the full media ecosystem Video/CTV, Digital, Social, Search, Programmatic, Audio, OOH, and emerging channels with fluency across both direct and platform-based buying.
- Proven track record leading integrated investment strategy for complex, high-profile, multi-channel clients, including managing multiple client sets concurrently.
- Demonstrated success serving as a trusted strategic advisor to senior client stakeholders, and as a credible external voice in the broader marketplace.
- Experience leading and developing large, multidisciplinary teams, with a track record of growing senior talent.
- Strong executive presence, with the ability to influence stakeholders at every level from junior planners to C-suite clients and partners.
- Exceptional communication, presentation, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.
- A forward-thinking, innovative mindset, with a demonstrated ability to identify new capabilities and growth opportunities ahead of the market.
- Strong organizational discipline able to manage complex, concurrent workstreams, timelines, and stakeholders without losing sight of detail.
- Deep understanding of marketplace trends, emerging technologies, data-driven investment strategies, and evolving media models.
- Experience managing strategic partnerships and negotiating enterprise agreements that create measurable marketplace value.
- An entrepreneurial mindset, comfortable operating in a fast-moving, growth-oriented agency environment.
Salary range $195-$235k. Compensation is determined on the skills, qualifications, certifications, tenure in the industry and experience of the applicant along with the requirements of the position.
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/Annual leave 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.
- The ability to observe details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
In compliance with the current Americans with Disabilities Act and state and local laws, if you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation to apply for a position with Crossmedia, please email people.team@xmedia.com. (US based candidates).
