Media Planning Director

Who We Are

BUNTIN is a fiercely independent, full-service, Adweek-recognized “Top U.S. Ad Agency.” Headquartered in Nashville for more than 50 years, our $230MM, 130-person agency proudly serves a roster of tenured clients, including Perkins American Food Co., SERVPRO, Trex, the Chinet® Brand, Huddle House, Community Health Systems, the Tennessee Education Lottery, ORIJEN pet food, and Cracker Barrel. Our mission is to build Brand Conviction in a world that too often stops at Brand Attention.

Director, Local Media Buying

Position Overview

The Director of Local Media Buying is responsible for executing cross-platform media strategies that deliver measurable impact. This role combines strategic vision, investment expertise, and team leadership to drive excellence in media buying across Linear TV, Connected TV (CTV), Radio, OOH and Digital channels.

You will lead negotiations, manage vendor relationships, and transform insights into actionable plans, all while mentoring a high-performing team. This position requires a forward-thinking leader who embraces innovation and navigates the evolving media landscape with confidence and rigor.

Key Responsibilities

Media Strategy & Execution

• Implement audience-first media plans across Linear TV, CTV, Radio, Digital, OOH and emerging platforms.
• Oversee negotiations to secure optimal pricing and placements across networks, streaming platforms, and channels.
• Monitor and optimize campaign performance using GRPs, CPMs, ROI, and frequency metrics.
• Stay ahead of industry trends—audience fragmentation, media inflation, and new technologies—to maximize client outcomes.

Client Partnership & Strategic Insight

• Serve as a trusted advisor, building strong client relationships and delivering clear, data-driven recommendations.
• Translate business challenges into actionable media solutions backed by insights and storytelling.
• Identify opportunities to enhance impact, efficiency, and visibility across campaigns.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, coach, and develop Channel Planners and Buyers, fostering growth and accountability.
• Set high standards for strategic thinking, creative media solutions, and flawless execution.
• Encourage innovation and mentor team to challenge convention and explore bold ideas.

Operational Excellence

• Maintain fiscal accountability across budgets and media spending.
• Improve internal processes and systems for greater efficiency.
• Represent the agency in media communities and new business pitches.
• Collaborate with measurement partners to ensure cross-platform consistency and success.

What Sets You Apart

• Strategic Visionary – You see beyond the media plan, crafting innovative strategies that drive measurable impact.
• Master Negotiator – You deliver value that goes far beyond cost savings, unlocking opportunities others miss.
• Change Agent – You embrace disruption, challenge the status quo, and lead teams toward bold, forward-thinking solutions.

Qualifications

• 8 years in media buying, with experience across Linear TV, CTV, Radio, Digital and OOH channels
• 5 years leading and developing media teams.
• Bachelor’s degree in advertising, marketing, communications, or equivalent experience.
• Strong analytical, negotiation, and communication skills.
• Ability to travel and work occasional after-hours as needed.

BUNTIN Culture

BUNTIN is headquartered in a completely revitalized 1920s-era train maintenance shed in Nashville’s Railyard District. We embody the legacy of hard work that’s taken place in this railyard day after day through the work we do for our clients. We uphold five core values: Adventure, Ingenuity, Forthrightness, Kindness, and Team. These make up the foundation of who we are and how we treat each other.

In addition to the work we do for our clients, we contribute time and money to AdHope, our fully integrated, employee-led cause branding capability that creates great work that does good in our world. Through AdHope, we’ve given more than $1M in donations and grants supporting community causes and more than $5M in in-kind services supporting not-for-profit or related organizations.

Our mission is to build Brand Conviction in a world that too often stops at Brand Attention. This is as true for our team members as it is for our work with client partners. In addition to our benefits package, we offer five paid days of Conviction Time Off so each team member can pursue their passions outside of work. CTO days can be used for things like coaching a team, creating art, writing a story, taking a mission trip, and more.