Assistant Media Buyer, Local Investment

An Assistant Media Buyer does the preliminary research on the availability of airtime/space in different media and what would be the rate, timeslot/page, and other factors while advertising on a specific medium (tv; radio; print; online). They negotiate with vendors and prepare various documents related to media buying and consumption for different clients.

Typically, Assistant Media Buyer responsibilities are:

• Media research: Involved in the media research and planning to analyze which medium will be the best to advertise a specific product or service.
• Budgeting: Participates in the budget allocation for different medium and provides approximate cost of different media to help the client to cut off or add on to their existing budget.
• Communicate with vendors: Communicates about the requirements with the vendors and asks for rates and availability of media. Finalizes the timeslot/space and negotiates for price and schemes offered by the vendor.
• Documentation and reporting: Prepares detailed documents related to media purchase and its consumption on a daily or weekly basis. Reports the expenses on media buying and the schedules of different advertisements as provided by the vendors.
• Monitor media activities: Monitors the different media to ensure that the advertisements are run/appear on the different media and according to the agreement. If not, then must instruct the vendor to make up for the missed advertisement. A successful Assistant Media Buyer should have excellent communication and negotiation skills, along with proficiency in mathematics and statistics to evaluate the most economic and effective media solutions for clients. Technical skills such as using MS Office, internet and e-mail are also necessary to work efficiently in this position.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Maintain and steward Local TV buys on certain accounts
• Support Buyer needs on all accounts
• Request schedules, posts, tracking info, logs, etc. from Local vendors and stations
• Utilize buying systems to input schedules, produce post-buy analysis reports and resolve billing discrepancies
• Maintain and track buy information
• Secure and maintain added value information on certain buys
• Recommend solutions to day-to-day stewardship issues
• Develop and maintain knowledge and understanding of industry trends and new technologies that effect the buying discipline

• Effectively communicate needs to vendors to get results in a timely manner
• Create and issue reports to clients under deadlines

Knowledge and Skills Required

• Finance and/or Communication background a strong plus
• Advanced knowledge of and experience with excel preferred
• Articulate with strong written and verbal communication skills
• Organized and focused on attention to detail
• A team player who can prioritize and juggle multiple tasks and who can maintain a positive attitude within in a fast paced, dynamic environment
• Someone who can build rapport and relationships with co-workers and within the Local broadcast industry

Please note that as part of the interview process for the Assistant Media Buyer position a basic math test will be administered.