What are the responsibilities and job description for the Digital Media Buyer & Planner Associate-Temporary position at Cold Spark Media?
Duration: Temporary Contract (August 2026 – December 2026)
Experience Level: Mid-level (2 years dedicated media buying; hands-on experience prioritized over formal education)
About ColdSpark
ColdSpark is a prominent, full-service digital and political advocacy agency with offices in Pittsburgh, PA and Washington, DC. We specialize in high-stakes public affairs, fundraising, and targeted advertising for conservative campaigns and organizations. When the stakes are high, our clients turn to us for data-driven, impactful results.
The Opportunity
We are seeking an experienced, hands-on Temporary Digital Media Buyer & Planner to join our team from August 2026 through November/December 2026, with the possibility of a full-time offer afterward, pending performance and client workload. In this pivotal role, you will provide critical maternity leave coverage, partnering closely with our Media Buyer to co-manage digital media operations during the height of the busy campaign season.
This role is focused entirely on the engine of our media operations: production, technical setup, and financial management. If you excel at campaign execution, problem-solving, and strict budget management, we want you on our team.
Key Responsibilities
As an essential part of our execution team during this high-stakes window, you will focus on building, launching, and maintaining multi-channel digital marketing campaigns across social, paid search, display, programmatic, native, and mobile platforms.
● Campaign Building & Execution: Flawlessly build and launch large-scale, complex display, programmatic, paid search, and paid social campaigns across various third-party advertising platforms.
● Account Set Up & Verification: Oversee technical account configurations, structural builds, and platform verifications to ensure all tracking and compliance guidelines are met before launch.
● Rigorous Budget Pacing: Actively monitor and manage campaign expenses, maintain precise budget pacing, estimate monthly costs, and reconcile any discrepancies.
● Campaign Monitoring: Conduct daily health checks on active campaigns to ensure steady delivery, proper targeting alignment, and overall account health.
Qualifications & Requirements
● Experience & Education: * 2 years of dedicated, hands-on experience in digital media buying and planning.
○ 2-3 years of experience managing multi-channel paid media campaigns.
○ Proven experience managing and pacing high-value budgets.
○ Field experience matters most: Actual platform experience and operational proficiency are heavily prioritized over your educational background or specific degrees.
● Technical Skills: * Deep operational knowledge of the Google Ad Suite, Meta Ads, and Programmatic Advertising platforms.
○ Proven expertise in financial budget pacing and managing ad spend across shifting timelines.
○ Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel for tracking spends and pacing sheets.
○ Understanding of Google Tag Manager and search marketing fundamentals.
● Soft Skills & Agency Fit:
○ Exceptional attention to detail, organization, and technical accuracy.
○ Ability to multitask, meet tight deadlines under pressure, and thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
○ Political agency experience is a plus, but it is not required.
○ This is a back-of-house operational role; client-facing and public speaking skills are not required.
Why ColdSpark?
This is an essential position where your technical accuracy and operational precision will directly keep our high-profile campaigns moving forward seamlessly. We offer a fast-paced, collaborative culture and the flexibility of remote work for the right applicant.