SENIOR PAID MEDIA STRATEGIST

(FREELANCE)

We are looking for an experienced Media Strategist with expertise in media channel planning, budget allocation, audience and data research across all major digital media platforms (programmatic, search, social, video, audio, etc.) to support a middle market e-commerce client engagement, with potential for ongoing and expanded work.

ABOUT US

Mariner11 is a brand marketing agency that helps small and mid-sized businesses scale by serving as long-term brand stewards. We offer a range of digital marketing services, including branding, content, social, email, SEO/GEO, and paid media.

ABOUT YOU

You'll be a good fit for this project if you:

  • Are a strategic thinker who can architect a full media plan and also get into the weeds on execution

  • Have 10+ years of hands-on media strategy, planning, and buying, including significant experience with middle-market e-commerce brands

  • Have a strong command of the modern media landscape across paid search, paid social, programmatic, video and emerging channels

  • Understand how to build channel mixes that balance brand-building and performance objectives across the funnel

  • Can develop and manage media budgets with rigor - allocating spend by channel, flight, and objective with clear rationale

  • Have proven experience translating business goals into media strategies with measurable KPIs

  • Are fluent in audience segmentation, targeting strategies, and how to reach different buyer stages effectively

  • Have hands-on experience with media planning and analytics tools such as Google Ads, Meta Ads Manager, Google Analytics, and a DSP or two

  • Understand attribution modeling well enough to know its limitations and can recommend smarter measurement approaches

  • Produce high-quality, client-ready work independently with minimal oversight

  • Take pride in and are accountable for the quality of work that goes to clients

  • Have experience presenting media plans, recommendations, and performance analysis to internal teams or client stakeholders

  • Are comfortable collaborating with creative, content, and analytics teams to ensure media and messaging are aligned

  • Are very communicative, even on small projects, and don't require being chased down

  • Are comfortable working in Google Docs, Slack, and Asana

  • Agency experience required

  • Must be based in the U.S.

  • Freelancers only. Must not hold a full-time position elsewhere.


THE PROJECT

Media Strategy and Planning for E-Commerce Client

September 2026 - October 2026

Tasks include:

  • Conduct discovery and audience research to understand target segments, purchasing  behavior, and competitive media activity

  • Develop a full-funnel media strategy that defines channel mix, budget rationale, messaging approach by stage, and projected KPIs

  • Lead the vendor and platform RFP process, evaluating partners on reach, targeting capabilities, pricing, and strategic fit

  • Build a detailed media plan mapping spend by channel, tactic, audience segments, key platform settings, projections for relevant metrics (CPMs, CPCs, etc.) and flight dates

  • Present and justify your recommendations to client

Other Possible Future Media Director Support

There may be an opportunity to oversee media buying and media operations for said e-commerce client as well as others. This would NOT require in-platform management, but rather it would require leadership to ensure your media strategy gets implemented correctly and drives results. Tasks could include:

  • Ensuring media strategy is implemented correctly and adjusting when necessary

  • Managing one or more media buyers across all active paid media platforms

  • Assisting with troubleshooting media platforms

  • Designing media test and learn plans

  • Leading regular internal and client status meetings

  • Providing thought leadership internally and externally on the media landscape

Project Timeline

  • Media Strategy and Planning: 4 - 6 weeks, part time

  • Possible future Media Director Support: 12 months, part time

WHAT YOU’LL GET

  • Remote flexibility: US time zone

  • Collaborative team environment with experienced marketers

  • Opportunity to meaningfully impact the business performance for our small business clients

  • Potential for long-term engagement as client relationship grows

TO APPLY

Email daniel [at] mariner11 [dot] com with:

  • A copy of your resume

  • Your hourly rate

  • Your bandwidth for the next 3 months

  • Please include a general range of hours to deliver the:

    • Media Strategy & Budget Recommendation

    • Tactical Media Plan

  • Please include one example of a media strategy/plan/roadmap that you developed yourself