Associate Director, Media Strategist

About Cognizant Corporate

Cognizant Corporate is a global community united by a shared purpose: to make a meaningful impact. We are committed to excellence and driven by outcomes that matter. Collaboration is at the heart of how we work, and our forward-thinking mindset fuels continuous learning, innovation, and growth.

At Cognizant, careers transcend titles. We empower our people to think strategically, inspire others, and lead with purpose – always guided by our core values. Join us in shaping future of business. Could you be the one to make a difference?

About the role

The Associate Director of Media Strategy plays a pivotal role in planning and buying media programs for the Field Marketing (FM) industry teams. This individual leads the development and execution of media initiatives across major industries and business segments. Responsibilities include ensuring that program objectives, strategies, tactics, and measurement outputs are consistently aligned with key stakeholders and marketing leaders throughout the organization.

Roles & Responsibilities:

The AD Media Strategist drives Cognizant's Americas FM paid media toward an audience-first, digital-focused approach. Responsible for optimizing media spend and meeting account-based and engagement targets, this role turns go-to-market plans into actionable media strategies that define target audiences, select channels, and implement testing. Applying best practices across media channels, such as display, retargeting, social, syndication, and programmatic buying, the strategist ensures industry programs drive marketing influenced opportunities.

• Strategic Leadership: Set the vision for media strategy, guiding teams in translating go-to-market plans into integrated media programs that drive reach, engagement, and pipeline growth.
• FM Leader Stakeholder Management: Influence and collaborate with Americas FM leaders across the industries to align media strategy with business priorities and maximize impact.
• Innovation & Technology: Champion the adoption of advanced media and advertising technologies, leveraging data-driven insights and audience intent tools (e.g., 6sense, LiveRamp, Salesforce) to optimize planning and decision-making.
• Performance Optimization: Oversee end-to-end media planning, execution, and reporting, ensuring continuous improvement through testing, data analysis, and optimization.
• Budget & Resource Management: Own media investment strategy, budget allocation, and pacing, ensuring efficient use of resources and alignment with organizational goals.
• Reporting & Insights: Deliver executive-level reporting that ties media performance to business outcomes, including campaign impact, influenced pipeline, and ROI.

Core competencies:

• Deep understanding of media's role in the customer journey, from awareness to conversion.
• Expertise in ABM programs, platforms, and advanced targeting strategies.
• Mastery of ad buying tools (LinkedIn, Google Ads, DSPs, CM360).
• Ability to synthesize complex data and analytics into actionable recommendations.
• Strategic, visionary, and influential communicator with ability to lead large-scale initiatives and present to executive audiences.
• Proven ability to navigate matrixed organizations and drive cross-functional alignment.

Requirements:

• 10-15 years of global media planning, buying, and ad tech experience.
• Mastery of tools for media planning, media buying including DSPs.
• Advanced proficiency in ABM marketing and measurement.
• Possess excellent analytical skills and leverage data, metrics, analytics, behavior trends to drive media recommendations.
• Strategic, goal oriented, self-starter and strong problem solver.
• Proficiency in presentation, written and verbal communication including ability to express complex concepts in a clear and concise manner – able to lead large scale team meetings.
• Ability to navigate matrixed organization with the capacity to work with cross-functional partners across the verticals.

Salary and Other Compensation:

Applications will be accepted until October 22, 2025.

The annual salary for this position is between $155,000 - $165,000, depending on experience and other qualifications of the successful candidate.

This position is also eligible for Cognizant's discretionary annual incentive program, based on performance and subject to the terms of Cognizant's applicable plans.

Benefits: Cognizant offers the following benefits for this position, subject to applicable eligibility requirements:

• Medical/Dental/Vision/Life Insurance
• Paid holidays plus Paid Time Off
• 401(k) plan and contributions
• Long-term/Short-term Disability
• Paid Parental Leave
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Disclaimer: The salary, other compensation, and benefits information is accurate as of the date of this posting. Cognizant reserves the right to modify this information at any time, subject to applicable law.